Bridging Policy and Testimonio: A Chicana Feminist Epistemological Analysis of Three Presidential Executive Orders
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24974/amae.20.3.564Palabras clave:
Chicana feminist epistemology, testimonio, critical constructivism, federal language policy, Mexican-American identityResumen
Drawing from a Chicana feminist epistemological lens and critical constructivist framework, this reflective academic essay employs qualitative document analysis to explore how Executive Order 14224 (2025), Designating English as the Official Language of the United States; Executive Order 14172 (2025), Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness; and Executive Order 14190 (2025), Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling, leverage power through policy language. Written from the positionality of a Mexican-American from the Borderlands of south Texas, the author contrasts policy with her testimonio in a series of vignettes to ground the policy critique with lived reality and provides a window into her cultural intuition. The essay argues that, collectively, these executive orders enable cultural erasure and subtraction, denying the shared historical experiences and contributions of Mexican-Americans. This essay contributes to Chicana feminist and critical policy studies scholarship by using testimonio as a counter-narrative to show the real-world impact of federal language, naming, and curricular policy on Mexican-American communities.
