Christine Garcia, a faculty member in Eastern Connecticut State University’s English Department, is a contributing author in the book “Latina Leadership: Language and Literacy Education across Communities.” The book features stories of activism, oppression, community ties, family connections and more with stories from Latina leaders in k-16 educational settings.

Garcia wrote the chapter “The Chingona Interviews” and co-authored the chapter “Afterword: A Letter of Solidarity for Junior Latina Scholars” with three other Latina authors.

The “Chingona Interviews” was inspired by scholar Gloria Anzaldúa and Women’s Studies Professor AnaLouise Keating. The chapter analyzes more than 10 years of Anzaldúa’s interviews. “Much of the interview portion of the article is rooted in story, myth and tradition, creating a unique experience for someone expecting a typical scholarly article,” said Garcia.

The co-authored chapter, “Afterword: A Letter of Solidarity for Junior Latina Scholars,” Garcia said “is very personal to me. It recalls a painful period in my Ph.D. when a ‘mentor’ attempted to undermine my success on the job market by convincing me that no one would respect me because of the way I looked, regardless of my intelligence or ability to teach well,” said Garcia.

“Beyond the racism and classism embedded in the way I was treated, was the pernicious act of gatekeeping that all too often makes it impossible for Latinas and other BIPOC to succeed in academia. By telling my story in this afterword, with the profound support of my co-authors, the doubt instilled in me by this 'mentor' of potentially not being good enough to be considered a ‘real academic’ was lifted and the shame that makes gatekeeping so effective was gone.”

Specializing in rhetoric and composition, some of Garcia’s teaching interests include Gloria Anzaldúa composition theory and pedagogy, Chicana/Latina feminism and community-based learning.