AnaYelsi Velasco-Sanchez is an IndoLatinx mujerista working to create and agitate her way through the latin diaspora. She is a writer and speaker, visual artist, and faith-based community organizer. She blogs at Patheos Progressive Christian and shares other resources at browneyedamazon.com. Born in Venezuela, she came to the United States at a young age where she was adopted and given the name Ashley. When she was 15, she stood before a judge and declared, “I want my name back.” This reclamation of her name and identity has marked her work in the areas of decolonization in the church and beyond, intersectionality, and LGBT inclusion ever since. In this episode, AnaYelsi joins me to discuss:
- Identity and name reclamation
- Being displaced and living as part of a cultural diaspora
- Language and intentional use of terms like “Latinx”
- Finding refuge and healing in community
- Why decolonization must go beyond the personal level and address unjust systems
- The power of art to capture and speak to complex issues
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Episode Song Credits: “Another Wrong to Right” and “You Won't Walk Alone” by Mercir. “Closed” by Zadok Wartes. Used with Permission. Production Assistance by Nate Tubbs.
