VivirLatino

Living & Luchando la Vida Latin@

Today in Latin@ History : Birthday of Martha P. Cotera

January 17th, 2012

Today is the birthday of Chicana activist Martha P. Cotera. I have to admit that I didn’t know anything about the Chicana feminist, educator, and librarian before I noticed that her birthday was listed in my planner. So I decided to do some research and I’m glad I did. Cotera, born in Chihuahua, Mexico and educated primarily in the U.S. was a founding member of the Raza Unida Party in Texas. Her work, including two books, Diosa y Hembra and Chicana Feminist (which I look forward to reading), has centered on the history and role of women inside Chicano culture, including activism. While the core of this work was written in the 1970’s, it is very relevant today as we look at the space given to women within many activist movements.

I personally struggle with the word feminist, especially given how it has been used by so many, including white women, as a way to further push intersecting issues that Latin@s face under the rug. So I am especially fascinated by how that word is adopted by others. Check out this clip from Chicana por Mi Raza, where Cotera talks specifically about that word and how it was received.

Martha P. Cotera – teaser from Chicana por mi Raza on Vimeo.

Have you heard about Marta Cotera? What are your thoughts on what she says about feminism and women in activist spaces?

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Defining Citizenship Based on Who You Are Born From

January 5th, 2011

When the rumblings re: birthright citizenship and the cries re: the scourge of anchor babies started to pick up some steam last year, many mainstream progressive organizations were pretty laid back, thinking the whole thing would blow over. Now we are in a new year with a Republican led House of Representatives taking over at noon est today and guess what? It hasn’t blown over.

Today, a coalition of at least 14 state legislatures is having a press conference to announce their legislative game plan to move to end U.S citizenship to the U.S.-born children of undocumented persons.

This is no surprise for many Latino activists and observers who have felt the danger rise around the countries. Hate crimes have gone up and Latinidad is being defined as immigrant, undocumented and largely Mexican.

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37th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

January 22nd, 2010

Today is the 37th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade being decided in the US. In recognizing this day, many organizations have events and special features, one such space is RH Reality Check, “an online community and publication serving individuals and organizations committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights.” RH Reality Check has a series of writing by various people in the reproductive and sexual health field writing under the feature: What does choice mean to you.

You’ll find writing by several Latinas including:
*Aimée Thorne-Thomsen Executive Director of The Pro-Choice Public Education Project writes about growing up with Roe and how that has impacted her life to do the work she does today in Growing Up With Roe.

*Silvia Henriquez the Executive Director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health shares her desire to see an expansion of seeing a “holistic vision for reproductive freedom” in her piece Securing Real Choices Means Going Beyond “Choice”.

*Bianca M. Velez, Program Assistant for The Pro-Choice Public Education Project writes about being a young woman of Color in NYC and her examination into the terminology of choice and reproductive justice in Will I Ever Have A Choice?

*And yours truly reflects on the sacrifices of Rosie Jimenez, the first victim of the Hyde Amendment and how I see choice as survival and self-determination. Read my contribution The Hyde Amendment Killed Rosie Jimenez…Because of Roe and Rosie, I Exist.

Additional articles I’d like to highlight (there are 17 in total) focus on international work around reproductive justice and access to care, how “choice” also means choices in birth options, a 37-year retrospect on Roe v. Wade, and one man shares why choice is important to him.

What does choice mean to you?

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New Sotomayor Stereotype : The Latina Housekeeper

June 18th, 2009

Ah I knew we were missing a stereotype. Sotomayor has already been sexualized,objectified and dehumanized . She’s been called angry and a reverse racist. And now, yes she’ll clean up after you too.

Transcript:

Today, my friends, we turn our attention to the latest revelation from Judge Sonia Sotomayor. It appears that Ms. Sotomayor, the model of diversity and inclusion, has some explaining to do regarding her membership in a club.

Not just any club — a club whose members are all female. In documents provided to the Senate Judiciary Committee, the honorable judge wrote this: “I am a member of the Belizean Grove, a private organization of female professionals from the profit, nonprofit and social sectors. The organization does not invidiously discriminate on the basis of sex. Men are involved in its activities — they participate in trips, host events and speak at functions — but to the best of my knowledge, a man has never asked to be considered for membership.” (I don’t blame ‘em!)

The group includes over 100 high-level executives and upper-crust women from the corporate and government worlds.

However… the Code of Judicial Conduct bars judges from belonging to any organization that practices discrimination based on race, sex, religion, or national origin.

I wonder. If Justices Roberts or Thomas belonged to an association that discriminated against females, if Justices Alito or Scalia were discovered to have membership in a group that excluded females, how would liberals have reacted? Would they have forgiven the judges’ involvement in an “old boy’s club”? Or would they have erupted in a full-blown, five-alarm rage?

Safe to say, any conservative in this situation would find their nomination dead in the water. Clubbed — like a baby seal. No question about it. I think I’m going to send Sotomayor, and her club, a bunch of vacuum cleaners to help them clean up after their meetings.

Well Rush, at least you didn’t say she was your drug dealer.

Via / Media Matters

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Latinas Want It More

December 18th, 2006

undress.JPGThe Latin Lover stereotype isn’t just for men and now a new study is being presented to prove it. According to the study which looked at the sexual habits of women in 12 countries across 3 continents, more than half of Mexican, Brazilian, and Venezuelan women said they wanted a better and more frequest sex life. The other countries in the study were France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. The study was presented in Mexico City by the big pharma company Bayer, who no doubt will now be marketing some sort of sexual aid in Spanish.

Via / Univision.com

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The Problem Of Young Latinas

July 24th, 2006

depression.jpgThe New York Times picked up on a series run by NYC Spanish language daily, El Diario/La Prensa about a crisis happening in the Latino community. Especially impacted are young Latinas. According to a Federal study:

Hispanic teenage girls attempt suicide more often than any other group. They become mothers at younger ages. They tend not to complete their education. They are plagued by rising drug use and other social problems. A federal study found that a startling one in six young Hispanic women had attempted suicide, a rate roughly one and a half times as high as that among non-Hispanic black and white teenage girls. If there was any good news, it was that these young women usually survived.

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