Intersectionality and Overlapping Barriers

A Black woman's experience differs from that of white women and Black men—not because she faces "more" discrimination but because her experience reflects the intersection of race and gender in ways irreducible to either alone. A disabled immigrant encounters barriers that neither disability advocacy nor immigrant services fully address. An Indigenous youth navigates age, Indigeneity, and often poverty simultaneously. Intersectionality names this reality: that identities and experiences don't simply add up but combine in complex ways that create distinct positions and challenges.