Chicago Latina Trailblazers: Testimonios of Political Activism

Chicago Latina Trailblazers: Testimonios of Political Activism provides fifteen personal accounts of women who have advanced social justice and equity for Chicago communities. Spanning from 1918 to the present, from Mexico to Puerto Rico, and throughout various Chicago neighborhoods, this book captures the unique journeys and legacies of pioneering Latina leaders in industries such as education, healthcare, and government. Grounded in oral history, feminist scholarship, and community-based research, the editors privilege the voices of Mexican and Puerto Rican women, perspectives that have often been at the margins of US history.In the introduction, the co-editors share their positionality to the work, modeling the book's central method, testimonio, an “act of recovering experiences that would otherwise be left untold or silenced” (p. 8). Each chapter presents a testimonio about one woman, either in her own words or through the stories of others, highlighting the testimonio as a valuable tool for exploring the complexities and intersections of the Chicago Latina experience. Sitio, “historical and geographical place,” is another significant framework (p. 9). As such, the introduction and many of the subsequent chapters provide overviews of Chicago's histories of immigration, racial politics, labor, and institutions. Lengua, “a specific language, a discourse, or literally a tongue that boldly asserts sexuality,” frames how the testimonios express intimate narratives related to place, identity, and belonging (p. 9). Through these three frameworks, the collection applies the ideologies and methods of the Latina Feminist Group to a specific and important locale in Latina history.Throughout the book's chapters, activism and collective organizing are highlighted as instrumental to responding to obstacles against Latino rights and identities. For example, chapter 8 focuses on Carmen Velásquez, founder and CEO of Alivio Medical Center, who, in her own words, describes how she fought “for the rights of Mexican children in Chicago's public schools,” especially the right to bilingual and bicultural education (p. 157). She helped mobilize educators and residents to collect data, form committees, and advocate to administrators to create an education that reflects the language and history of Mexican children in Chicago.The struggle for cultural preservation, particularly the inclusion of Spanish in institutional settings, recurs in the testimonios of María B. Cerda (chapter 5), Aracelis Figueroa (chapter 6), Elena Mulcahy (chapter 7), and Ada Nivia López (chapter 10). Cerda, the first Latina appointed to the Chicago Board of Education, moved from Puerto Rico to Chicago in pursuit of a graduate degree at the University of Chicago (p. 97). There, she faced the difficult social conditions of Latinos in Chicago, including gentrification, displacement, unemployment, and a lack of social services. Her advocacy began with ASPIRA, where she “proved to be the most effective fundraiser on the ASPIRA Board of Directors,” enabling the organization to assist thousands of high school and post-high school youth (p. 101). Her testimonio is shared by her daughter, the editors Hernández and Sosa, and Figueroa and López, two women also featured in the collection. Collectively, these women's stories reflect how female advocacy and mentorship were crucial to the continuation of Latino rights, education, and culture in Chicago.If there is a common theme that runs through this collection, it is that leadership, resilience, and community-led initiatives are essential to addressing the social, political, and economic challenges faced by marginalized communities. Chapter 1 recounts the life and achievements of Guadalupe Alcalá Reyes, as shared by her daughter, Mary Gonzalez, whose own story is featured in chapter 2. Reyes's care for her disabled son, Robert “Bobby” Abel, led her to establish the school Esperanza and the organization El Valor to address the lack of educational and social service resources for people with disabilities. This was made possible by marshaling her community to address a local need, demonstrating how her experiences as a caregiver propelled her work as an activist and organizer. In chapter 3, Jim Hecimovich recalls how his mother-in-law, Carmen Mendoza, “set an example of how you could care for your family and extend that care to your community” (p. 71). Mendoza, a mother of seven, volunteered in local committees and organizations to support Mexican immigrants, particularly in addressing healthcare needs, before becoming a labor organizer to advocate for healthcare workers’ rights.In response to the state's limited resources and attention to community needs, all fifteen women transformed their personal struggles into political action. Evident in all of the chapters are also the countless lives that have been impacted by their work and the people whose activism they have inspired, legacies that live on today. Ultimately, this collection models the importance of feminist methodology in recovering marginalized histories, making Chicago Latina Trailblazers a timely contribution in the fields of ethnic studies, women of color feminism, and oral traditions.