VivirLatino

On behalf of VivirLatino, I am proud to be a part of the 2nd annual Latina Week of Action for Reproductive Justice. This year’s theme is Caminamos: Justice for Immigrant Women.

Co-sponsored by California Latinas for Reproductive Justice (CLRJ) and the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), Latinas across the country will elevate the voices and experiences of immigrant women at community forums, letter writing events and signature collection campaigns in California, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, New York and Texas and a “What’s the Real Problem” online Blog Carnival 2011. Activists will also be collecting stories of immigrant women to change the existing negative ways in which immigrant women are viewed in the media and society.

“Mean-spirited law enforcement, workplace exploitation, criminalization of basic life including education and health care are just a few of the challenges that have forced immigrant women into the shadows and ignore the often vital, positive role they play in communities across the country”, said Maria Elena Perez, interim Executive Director, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.

Here at VivirLatino, we have written for years about sexuality, access, and our immigrant communities. I use the word “our” very deliberately. Perhaps it’s unfair to get caught up in the use of one word, but reading/writing “for” immigrant women when many of us are immigrant women or have mothers, hermanas/sisters, tias who are immigrant women. Defining immigrant womanhood from the outside complicates if not obstructs the real struggle for justice – whatever that means and all that means.

I am going to work on a post for tomorrow that looks a little further/deeper at this issue and the path we are caminando on/walking on – together.

I welcome and look forward to your thoughts.