Feminist And Abolitionist

Feminista y abolicionista

Feminist And Abolitionist



When asked to deliver contraband papers to her native island home of Cuba in 1852, twenty-year-old Emilia Casanova gulped audibly in a most unladylike manner. This was her chance to be in the thick of the rebellion against Spanish authority instead of on the sidelines more befitting someone of her station. Even though she would be branded a traitor and endanger her family if she was caught, she pushed her fear aside and accepted the mission.



Back in Cuba following her first summer abroad, distributing seditious propaganda isn’t as easy as it had seemed while in New York. But she honors her commitment to the Junta Cubana, a group of Cuban revolutionaries living in exile in the U.S., and begins her efforts to convert compatriots to the cause of independence from Spain. She begins planting the seeds of insubordination in her social circle and enlists two of her brothers in the cause. Things become more dangerous when she targets soldiers in the garrison close to the family’s home, and it doesn’t take long for one of her brothers to be exposed. Soon Emilia’s father is forced to lead his entire family away from their home and into exile in the U. S.



Raised in an elite, slave-holding Cuban family, Emilia Casanova spent most of her adult life in New York City, where she worked passionately for Cuba’s freedom from Spain and the black man’s freedom from servitude. A wife and mother, she created the first women’s political organization dedicated to supporting the rebel cause during Cuba’s Ten Years’ War. Puerto Rican and Latino Studies professor Virginia Sánchez-Korrol introduces the fascinating but little-known story of a Latin American activist to an English-speaking audience.



Mora Design (Illustrator)

Creator: Nicolas Kanellos

Area: Houston / Third Ward-MacGregor

Contributor: Arte Público Press

Source: Center for Mexican American Studies

Uploaded by: Marisela Martinez

Copyright status: In copyright

Center for Mexican American Studies

8 Ways to Say, “I Love My Life!”

8 maneras de decir, “¡Yo amo mi vida!"

Mora Design (Illustrator) Angela Ortíz S (Arte)



“If you don’t do anything, nothing will happen.” Nancy De Los Santos Reza learned this important lesson early in life. College wasn’t an option, so she got a job as a secretary. A colleague, an older woman who had taken a liking to her, encouraged Nancy to ask her supervisor about attending a professional conference in California. “What’s the worst that could happen?” the woman asked. “They say ‘no’ and you don’t go? You’re already not going.” As a result, Nancy found herself in San Francisco on a life-changing trip. She would go on to earn two college degrees and become the producer of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel’s movie review program, At the Movies.



De Los Santos Reza’s is one of eight inspiring personal essays by Latinas included in this collection. Each contributor overcame obstacles to happiness and success, and here they share their life lessons in the hopes of motivating others. Whether overcoming fear, guilt or low self-esteem, these women seek to encourage others to discover their personal power.



With a foreword by acclaimed musician Vikki Carr, 8 Ways to Say “I Love My Life!” contains chapters by women from a variety of professional backgrounds. Contributors include Latin Heat president Bel Hernandez Castillo and playwright and author of Real Women Have Curves, Josefina Lopez.



Performed as monologues in 2009 in Los Angeles, the sold-out, ten-run show received a rave review in the Los Angeles Times and an Imagen Award, which recognizes positive portrayals of Latinos in the media. Designed to help women believe in the power of self-love and inner strength, this book will appeal to all women who seek a path to fulfillment.

Creator: Nicolas Kanellos

Area: Houston / Third Ward-MacGregor

Contributor: Arte Público Press

Source: Center for Mexican American Studies

Uploaded by: Marisela Martinez

Copyright status: In copyright

Center for Mexican American Studies

Arte Público Press

Líderes latinos hablan

Victoria Castillo (Illustrator)

Latino Leaders Speak



“People do not define you,” Soledad O’Brien’s Cuban mother repeatedly told her children. “You define yourself.” And so this mixed-race, first-generation Latina American would go on to succeed in her field, ultimately becoming an anchor for CNN. O’Brien’s remarks, like the others included in this volume, reflect on what it means to be Latino in the United States. For her, “It’s succeeding, fulfilling the dream and then turning around and grabbing everybody else and making it happen for them too.”



The importance of education is a common refrain in the lives of the leaders represented here. Many reference one particular teacher or mentor who made a difference. The late Reverend Father Virgilio Elizondo, a professor at the University of Notre Dame, said his fifth-grade teacher changed his life. She taught him to love school and learning. Others remember the sacrifices made by parents so that their children could have more opportunities for a better life. In all, these writings are both a testament to perseverance and a guide to life, for readers of all backgrounds.



Originally presented at the Latino Leaders Luncheon Series in Washington, DC, and other major cities, the personal stories included in this book are all by successful Latinos involved in a variety of occupations, from politics and sports to education and activism. Contributors include former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; former general manager of the New York Mets, Omar Minaya; and Dr. Francisco G. Cigarroa, the Chancellor of the University of Texas System. Their words will inspire readers of all ages to follow their dreams and help those less fortunate.

Creator: Nicolas Kanellos

Area: Houston / Third Ward-MacGregor

Contributor: Arte Público Press

Source: Center for Mexican American Studies

Uploaded by: Marisela Martinez

Copyright status: In copyright

Center for Mexican American Studies

We Won’t Back Down

No vamos a retroceder

James F Brisson (Illustrator)

We Won’t Back Down



On December 9, 1969, change was in the air. The small town of Crystal City, Texas would never be the same. After weeks of petitioning for a hearing with the Crystal City school board, students of Crystal City High and their parents descended on the superintendent’s office. The students had been threatened with suspension and even physical violence. Powerful members of the community had insisted they would fire the parents of students if they went in front of the school board, and still, they came. Finally, the school board removed the chairs in the gallery, and the parents and students stood until members of the school board fled to avoid the confrontation. As the students and their parents stood in front of the building, a cry rose from the crowd. “Walk out. Walk out.”



So began the Crystal City High student walk out. At the center of the fervor was Severita Lara. Called la cabezuda, or stubborn girl, by her mother, Lara bore the mark of a leader from an early age. She was not afraid to stand up to anyone: girls or boys, teachers or superintendents. She always followed her father’s advice, “If you know it’s right, do it.”



José Angel Gutiérrez, the famous civil rights leader, chronicle’s Lara’s ascent from a willful child to the mayor of Crystal City. From her father’s doting support to her mother’s steel-rod discipline, Gutiérrez offers a detailed portrait of the early family life of the woman whose continuing struggle against segregation and discrimination began while she was still a high school student in Crystal City. He also follows her attempts as a single mother to achieve her dream of being a doctor and providing for her sons.



This is the story of la cabezuda, Severita Lara, who has made an indelible imprint on American history.

Creator: Nicolas Kanellos

Area: Houston / Third Ward-MacGregor

Contributor: Arte Público Press

Source: Center for Mexican American Studies

Uploaded by: Marisela Martinez

Copyright status: In copyright

Center for Mexican American Studies