1980_11 The Daily Collegian November 1980

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Chicanas come a long way
By Yolanrla Granados
A Chicana may be rural, urban, poor,
middle-class, a high school dropout,
a PHD, a teacher, or a migrant. De¬
spite these diversities she does share
some basic, and also heterogeneous
roots in the development of Indian and
Spanish culture and history, she shares
in    the    history    past    and    present.
Mexicanas during the Pre-Columbian
period in Mexico helped her Nahua hus¬
band settle in the valley of Mexico
The Nahuas were people dedicated
to their Cods The women shared the
heavens with men. In a culture ac¬
commodating goddesses and queens,
the birth of a girl to a Nahua family re¬
gardless of social status was a joyous
occasion If a pregnant woman were
to die during childbirth, she was deified
and worshipped
To the Nahua, the family was the
single most important unit in the social
structure Education was also impor¬
tant The mother took care in teaching
the girls feminine duties from the age of
five Aztec girls were taught to speak
respectfully , to be diligent, to be honest,
and dignified, and to be a credit to their
parents
The Indian woman was encouraged to
stay home be a housewife, and be con¬
cerned with the church, and family.
But like women today, women then, also
disregared the dictates and assumed
other roles beside that of a housewife.
Indian women participated in the labor
force of textile workers, artist, artisans,
feather   craft   workers,   salespersons,
'curanderas,     midwives,     marriage
brokers, and seamstresses.
Mexicans jn Nahua society were also
Involved   in   women   rights.      Some
women in the elite classes commanded
as much respect as the man. But during
the Spanish  Colonial Period In   1519,
their lives revolved around Spalns es¬
tablished institutions.
Women saw themselves totally de-
fensless in a world of humiliation,
abuse and slavery. Women, willingly,
and unwillingly, were the creators of the
new Mestizo race in Mexico and the
Southwestern United States. The Indian
woman was at the bottom of society.
They were excluded from Societal
activities.
The Mestiza overcame a lot of the
physical sufferings, but the psycho¬
logical scars were engraved. Mexicanas
suffered the majority of the blame for
the conquest, for giving life to the chil¬
dren of the conquerors. Dona Marina
or La Malinche, is symbolically blamed
for the Mestizo race.
' An outstanding female during this
period was Sor Juan Ines de la Cruz
(1648-1695), who was a Mestiza and who
attended an integrated convent. Cruz,
a genius from early childhood, mastered
mathematics, the natural sciences,
languages, and literature. She was con¬
stantly harassed about her activities.
She died of an epidemic in 1695.
Considering all the subjugation of
most  women  during   the   period  of
colonization and acculturation in Mexico
Mexicanas were participating in the In¬
dependence movement in 1810. One of
the committed activists was Dona Maria
de Domingiwz. She gave her riches up
and helped Fr. Miguel Hidalgo, initiate
independence She was imprisioned for
doing so.
t-rom the period of Independence
(1810), Mexico passed through the
foreign intervention wars of 1848. When
Mexico lost its northern territory to the
United States.Everything seemed peace¬
ful until 1910.
In 1910, war broke out against the dic¬
tatorship system. Millions of Mexican
women fought in many ways during this
revolution. Countrywomen went beside
their men, with children and working-
gear on thier backs. They took up arms,
sometimes disguised as men fought in
the field. Many reached the rank of
colonel. These women were referred to
as Las Adelitas or Solderas. A famous
Adelita was. Carmen Robles, who reach¬
ed the rank of general.
Although women sacrificed fortunes
families, and lives during the revol¬
ution, their social and political status re¬
mained unchanged, when the 1917 con¬
stitution was drawn up and adopted.
Women began to advocate for civil
rights. Many feminists activities were
documented during 1923 to 1959.
During this time Mexican's in the
Southwest were being colonized by A-
mericans. Women were being accultur-
ated from one stage to another. Chi¬
canes suffered violence and brutal ex¬
ecutions during this period when the
Conquerors established thier hold over
the new land. But many Chicanas over¬
came the mistreatment and started
focusing on survival of all Chicanos.
They focused on labor organizing, ed¬
ucation, criminal justice, and the pro¬
tection of Chicano civil rights.
In the labor movement Mexicanas or¬
ganized farmworkers. La Confederackm
de Unions Obreras Mexicanas. In the
garment industry 1930's Chicanas, com-
prlmlsed at least one third of the work
force, took an active role in improving
their situtation. The development of
the International Ladies Garment Union
is largely due to the bodies and dues
which Chicanas provided for strikes. In
the Pecan shelling industries, Chicanas
made up 80 percent of the workers, they
went on strike and were victorious.
The war period (1940s) gave Chi¬
canas an opportunity to work in factory
related jobs. Chicanas during this per¬
iod were harassed by the American
Sailors. This led to the Zoot Suit
Riots in Los Angeles.
During the   1950s Chicanas were
again continuing to make history in
sporadic labor strikes.    Many of the
women provided the backbone for the
civic and political organizations. Organ¬
izations such as MAPA, and the UFW.
The 1960s decade is considered the
most significant period in Chicano and
Chicana history. Through the 1960
Census a lot of Chicano problems were
identified. Changes were established in
education, health, and welfare.
lily Esoinoca,
Business
Junior
"I am very, very dtsapfMairled. I (eel
non-proeressive   people   have   been
elected to office. I am disappointed in
Reagan.  Reich and  Krum.  They are
minuses for minorities. *
Kepa Kaaekuahiwi,
Maria Ramirez,
HopeDUi.
Physical Education,
Graduate student,
Bilingual Education
Junior
Liberal Studies
Junior
'I don't knew. I think that it's a bum
trip we have to go to war. I think that
Carter had more experience and Reagan
winning will be costly.*
'I fed that a lot of apathetic people
didn't bother to vote and they an the
ones who will be hurt by the new admini¬
stration. I don't fhink Reagan is going to
do much for minorities and they are the
ones who didn't bother to vote.'
"I am very dhapoekated. I can't believe
all these Deople were for Reagan. I
think all the federal programs will suffer.
Personally.   I'll   suffer   In   my   Job.*
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The
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CterUftglai
FRIDAY
California State University, Fresno
7,11
Who am I? Girl finds real parents
By Margaret Heinan
Being adopted, said Juti Kaprielian, means going through life not knowing
the two people responsible for your birth.      Last July Kaprielian, a CSUF junior,
began a search for her natural parents that was successfully concluded in August,
La  VOZ de Aztlan askS'. What are your feelings on the presidential election?    - -
•• *