Haciendo rendir: rasquachismo as navigational capital and praxis in higher education

This article examines the role and possibility of rasquachismo in (re)shaping, (re)mixing, and disrupting higher education settings. Rasquachismo is a concept rooted in creativity, resourcefulness, and making do with what is available. Using a Chicana/Latina feminist method(ology) of pláticas, the authors, two faculty of color in the field of education, consider how rasquachismo can be used as a tool, una herramienta, for navigating and disrupting institutions of higher education. Our analysis reveals that rasquachismo can serve as a tool to navigate and challenge institutional logics. Specifically, we identify three dimensions of rasquachismo that emerged from our inquiry: the epistemological (as navigational capital), the material (through aesthetic), and speculative (as praxis). We conclude by underscoring the critical role of rasquachismo in fostering creativity, innovation, and agency in the academy, particularly amid the escalating political and institutional pressures reshaping higher education.