Mexican American and Puerto Rican women have long taken up the challenge to improve the lives of Chicagoans in the city's Latino/a/x communities. Rita D. Hernandez, Leticia Villarreal Sosa, and Elena R. Gutierrez present testimonies by Latina leaders who blazed new trails and shaped Latina Chicago history from the 1960s through today. Taking a do-it-all attitude, these women advanced agendas, built institutions, forged alliances, and created essential resources that Latino/a/x communities lacked. Time and again, they found themselves the first Latina to hold their post or part of the first Latino/a/x institution of its kind. Just as often, early grassroots efforts to address issues affecting themselves, their families, and their neighborhoods grew into larger endeavors. Their experiences ranged from public schools to healthcare to politics to broadcast media, and each woman's story shows how her work changed countless lives and still reverberates across the entire city. An eyewitness view of an unknown history, Chicago Latina Trailblazers reveals the vision and passion that fueled a group of women in the vanguard of reform. Contributors: Ana Castillo, Maria B. Cerda, Carmen Chico, Aracelis Flecha Figueroa, Aida Luz Maisonet Giachello, Mary Gonzales, Ada Nivia Lopez, Emma Lozano, Virginia Martinez, Carmen Mendoza, Elena Mulcahy, Guadalupe Reyes, Luz Maria B. Solis, and Carmen Velasquez
Rita D. Hernandez is a former instructor of education and human development at Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi. Leticia Villarreal Sosa is the associate dean for research and faculty development and a professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Elena R. Gutierrez is an associate professor in the Department of Gender and Women's Studies and the Department of Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago.
Foreword Frances Aparicio Preface Introduction Rita D. Hernandez, Elena R. Gutierrez, and Leticia Villarreal Sosa 1. Yo Soy India: A Native, a Fighter, an Indigenous Guadalupe Reyes, 1918-2020 written by Mary Gonzales, daughter 2. CARPE DIEM "Seize the Day and Exploit Your Opportunities" Mary Gonzales, 1941-Present 3. Mother to Family and Community Carmen Mendoza, 1925-2000 written by Jim Hecimovich, son-in-law 4. The Accidental Public Servant: A Voice from Chicago's Southeast Side Carmen Chico, 1929-Present written by Carmen Chico and Cynthia Chico, daughter 5. Siempre en la Lucha Maria B. Cerda, 1934-2020 written by Marta Cerda, daughter, and Leticia Villarreal Sosa, Ada Nivia Lopez, Aracelis Figueroa, and Rita D. Hernandez 6. If You Survive the Teas, You Can Survive Anything Aracelis Flecha Figueroa, 1936-Present 7. The Journey Elena Mulcahy, 1939-Present 8. Being Mexican Is Who I Am! Carmen Velasquez, 1939-Present 9. Latina Health Visionary Aida Luz Maisonet Giachello, 1945-Present written by Rida D. Hernandez 10. Unfinished Business Ada Nivia Lopez, 1947-Present 11. Chicana Lawyer Virginia Martinez, 1949-Present 12. Ripples of Advocacy Luz Maria B. Solis, 1951-Present 13. Creating a World without Fronteras Emma Lozano, 1953-Present written by Emma Lozano, Leticia Villarreal Sosa, Luz Maria Solis, and Rita D. Hernandez 14. The Audacity of a Dream Ana Castillo, 1953-Present written by Leticia Villarreal Sosa 15. Weaving the Tapestry: Legacies, Intersections, and the Future Leticia Villarreal Sosa, Elena R. Gutierrez and Rita D. Hernandez Acknowledgments Contributors Index
