The struggle for work–life balance amongst women in academia who are both mothers and scholars continues to be apparent during a global pandemic highlighting the systemic fissures and social inequalities ingrained in our society, including systems of higher learning. Women of color professors on the tenure track are vulnerable to the intersecting ways capitalism, sexism, and racism exacerbate the challenges faced by motherscholars, making it imperative to explore these nuances. While motherscholars may share advice about navigating family leave policies or strategizing scholarship goals, no one could have prepared us for our motherscholar roles during a pandemic. We were, in some ways, unprepared for giving birth with a heightened level of social isolation and feelings of loneliness, while racial unrest and loud exigencies to protect the lives of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) persist. Through three testimonios, we explore how ancestral/indigenous knowledge provides us with ways to persist, transform, and heal during these moments. We share letters written to each of our babies to encapsulate our praxis with ancestral knowledge on mothering. We reflect on matriarchal elders, constricted movement in our daily routines, and ongoing worries and hopes. We theorize this knowledge to offer solidarity with a motherscholar epistemology.

No abstract

No abstract

Philippines,1race,1racism11 1 1 The1 possibility1 of1 this1 themed1 section1 arrives1 with1 a1 growing1 interest1 in1 a1 feminist1 and1 social1 justice1 approach1 to1 Island1 Studies.1 The1 articles1 contained1 within,1 by1 Māhea1 Ahia1 and1 Kahala1 Johnson,1 Aurelien1 Davennes,1 and1 Alma1 Ouanesisouk1 Trinidad,1 represent1 a1 considerable1 expansion1 of1 the1 project1 of1 island1 feminisms.1 Addressing1 matters1 of1 island1 diaspora1 in1 relation1 to1 queerness,1 indigeneity,1 and1 feminist1 mentorship,1 this1 collection1 provides1much1needed1sustenance1both1for1fine:tuning1what1is1meant1by1island1feminisms1 and1also1broadening1its1landscape.11 1 Unfortunately,1the1term1'feminism'1continues1to1be1dismissed1as1a1mostly1white,1cisgender1 womenʻs1empowerment1movement,1especially1by1those1not1engaged1in1feminist1activism1 and1 scholarship.1 Even1 with1 the1 increased1 popularisation1 of1 'intersectionality'1 by1 social1 movements1such1as1#MeToo1(Leung1&1Williams,12019)1and1#SayHerName1(Brown1et1al.,1 2017),1 an1 understanding1 of1 feminism1 lags.1 For1 us,1 contemporary1 applications1 of1 intersectionality1arrive1from1the1scholarship1of1Black1feminists1who1first1highlighted1that1 gender1 is1 experienced1 racially1 (or1 ethnically)1 and1 race1 can1 also1 be1 gendered1 and1 classed1 (Collins1&1Bilge,12020).1They1and1others1also1advanced1a1multidimensional1understanding1 of1 the1 organisation1 of1 power1 -1 including1 interpersonal,1 disciplinary,1 cultural,1 and1 structural1domains1-1in1shaping1opportunities1(or1the1lack1of1them)1and1experiences.1Only1 uninformed1views1of1feminism1perceive1it1through1the1narrow1lens1of1gender.11 1 This1 understanding1 of1 feminism,1 as1 a1 women's1 movement1 rather1 than1 a1 diverse1 intellectual1 project,1 permeates1 what1 we1 think1 of1 as1 the1 mainstream1 of1 Island1 Studies.1 It1 engenders1an1avoidance,1a1lack1of1engagement,1for1example,1of1many1of1the1men1who1have1 dominated1the1academic1narrative1of1Island1Studies,1with1island1feminisms.1This1absence1 and1erasure1are1evidenced1by1a1small1number1of1publications1in1this1journal1(Shima)1and1 in1 Island+ Studies+ Journal1 that1 address1 gender,1 sexuality,1 race,1 and1 racism.1 As1 two1 of1 the1 most1 well:known1 journals1 in1 Island1 Studies,1 expanding1 the1 representation1 of1 topics,1 regions,1and1authors1is1essential1for1birthing1Island1Studies1forward.1