Imagine: A Promise Scholars and McNair Scholars Journal

This article explores the intersection of gender, race, and historical violence affecting Indigenous and Latina women who immigrate to the United States from Central America and Mexico. It highlights how systemic erasure and settler-colonial frameworks marginalize these women through both bureaucratic classification and interpersonal violence. Drawing on historical context, from U.S. intervention in Latin American politics to contemporary border policies, the Barbosa illustrates how imperialism and domestic violence intersect to push women to migrate. The piece also centers female-led resistance movements, both in their countries of origin and in diaspora communities, revealing how these women maintain agency, preserve cultural identity, and challenge oppression. Personal insights from activist Sindy Valle reinforce the resilience and leadership of Indigenous women navigating displacement and invisibility in U.S. immigrant narratives.