Juana Ineés de la Cruz

Sister Juana Ineés de la Cruz

I enjoyed doing the Frida Kahlo post and I wanted to do another one of my mujeres role model from México. This is the amazing history and life of Sister Juana Ineés de la Cruz. Sister Juana Ineés de la Cruz was born in San Miguel Nepantla near México City. Her father, Pedri Manuel de Asbaje, was a Spanish Captain and her mother, Isabel Ramírez, was a Criollo mujer. Her father was absent from her life and her maternal grandfather raised her. She was baptized on December 2, 1651 from the Catholic Church.

            Juana was a smart and religious niña where it was often said that she hid in the hacienda chapel to read her grandfather’s book that where forbidden to girls. At age 3 she learned how to write and read. At adolescence age she said she mastered Greek logic and at age 13 she thought Latin to young children. She also learned the Aztec language of Nahuatl. She wanted to continue her education and asked her mother’s permission if she could disguise herself as a male student so she could enter the university in México City. Her mother refused and she continued her studies privately.

            In 1667 she entered the Monastery of St. Joseph as a postulant. She chose not to enter this Order because of its strict rules. In 1669 she entered the monastery of the Hieronymite nuns because it had more relaxed news. Juana entered the church because she could study as she wished and it was the only occupation, which allowed her. She stayed in México City from 1669 until her death. Juana is known for her books that she had published, while she was a nun. The Viceroy and Vicerenie of New Spain became her patrons as her supported her and had her writings published in Spain.

            She had a lot of support but she also had a lot of critics.  To respond to these critics she wrote letters about why she believes she is right. One of the most famous letters is a “Respuesta a Sor Filotea,” in which she defended mujeres right to education. A lot of her books had a feminist perspective and overall she was a strong mujer. Her work ethic and her inspiration to continue studying were amazing and can be a role model to women of color. Today she is considered to be one of the top Mexican writers and a contributor to the Spanish Golden Age.

 

Juana on a 200 Peso Bill

            Sister Juana is inspirational to me because she had a strong passion for education and believe that mujeres where entitled to receive one. Her strong dedication motivates me to continue on with my studies at San Francisco State University and had help many mujeres in México to receive one through her words. I also liked her because there is a rumor that she might have been a lesbian. Another strong mujer who is also queer like me can make it in my role model list any time.  Not all mujeres in México are what you believe them to be like. Have an open mind and remember that we are humans as well..

Resources:

http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/cruz.html

http://elclaustro.edu.mx/index.php/el-claustro/historia/biografia-de-sor-juana-ines-de-la-cruz

Chicana Ideology

            I am a Chicana, but what does that mean?  Chicana is a Mexican American mujer who is raised in the United States. This post is for the Chicanas who has a “minority” status in her own land, México, and the United States. I am proud of my brown skin and being a Chicana. I feel that Chicanas are mujeres of México, even though we where raised in the United States. México was our homeland.

The term Chicana was coined during the Chicano Movement by Mexican America mujeres. The term was made because they wanted to establish social, cultural, and political identities for themselves in the United States. The ideas and terms where taken out of umich.edu.

Chicana Ideology and Issues

So what do Chicanas believe in? Besides being Mexican American and raised in the United States, most Chicanas share some common ideologies and issues.  Here are some of them listed below.

Seed of Progress

            Chicanas had slowly evolved in living the United States society in terms of cultural norms and value. Even though they have evolved they still face cultural barriers that have prevented them from benefiting from all of the gains made by the social movements. Chicanas are faced with oppression in the Chicano movement ideology, but also with their own kind such as Mexicans, Chicanos, and Chicanas for “selling” themselves out by breaking traditional Mexican roles.

Cultural-nationalist resistance

Feminist Symbol

            A problem Chicanas faced is the attempt to expand their gender roles. The attempt is resisted within their cultural nationalist Chicano movement.  Many Chicanas are also joining their own feminist movement for notions of equality and egalitarianism. The problem is that the Chicano movement sees it as a threat to their core ideas instead of embracing or helping their Chicanas. Chicanas are desperately trying to demonstrate that it should be in the Chicano movement because feminist ideas have been “an integral part of their Mexican and Chicano heritage.” Chicanas who are feminist or who advocate for equal rights and expanded roles for mujeres have been accused of betraying their people and traditions for egoism. There are some Chicano men who still want the mujeres role to revolve around family and housework, even when they accept money brought in by mujeres working in maquiladoras or factory jobs.

Being Too Anglo:

            The idea of being “too Anglo” is seen as an obstruction for the Chicana progress. The Chicano movement sees that a Latina mujeres role is Chicana first and United States second.  Therefore some values mujeres wish to uphold from the United States, such as freedom from gender stereotypes are not “Chicano.” If someone goes under the “Anglo” model than they are seen as vendidas (sells outs.)

Social freedom through economic freedom:

Chicanas had made amazing accomplishments as members of the workforce.  Some of the jobs are consider abusive and not ideal, such as jobs in maquiladoras, food processing plants, and other factories, but these poor uneducated mujeres are making additional income that is needed.  From the money earn Chicanas have a greater autonomy for influences under their marriages and gender roles. The problem is that mujeres working outside does not match their gender role and is angering some men, still mujeres are proud. It is their belief to be able to gain social freedom through economic freedom.

Resources:

http://www.umich.edu/~ac213/student_projects07/latfem/latfem/whatisit.html

http://www.umich.edu/~ac213/student_projects07/latfem/latfem/issues.html

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo

In my biography I had said that I am pansexual. Pansexual to me means that I can fall in love with anyone regardless of their gender. Yes, I am queer. This post is based on Frida Kahlo. In my family I grew up with the belief that I should do everything in my power to become the best wife for my future husband, but what happens if I don’t marry a man? It’s okay to be who you are and it’s okay if I don’t marry a man. I choose to talk about Kahlo because she was the first Mexican person who I found out that was bisexual. Frida Kahlo is one of my mujers role model and I love her artwork as a portrait artist.

Frida Kahlo:

 

La Casa Azul near México City

Today Frida Kahlo had become a famous figure in everywhere I go in San Francisco and I want people to know who she is instead of going with the crowd. Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon was bon on July 6, 1907 to Matilde Calderon y Gonzales and Guillermo Kahlo.  She was born in La Casa Azul (The Blue House) in Coyocan, which was a small town on the outskirts of México City.

As a child Frida had poor health and contracted polio at age of 6 and had to be bedridden for nine months. The disease has caused her right leg to be a lot skinner than her left leg, which was the reason why she wears long skirts for the rest of her life. Kahlo met Diego Rivera in 1922 when she went to the renowned Prepartory School in México city.  At the same year she joined a gang and fell in love with the leader Alejandro Gomez Arias. There was a huge accident that had caused her to start painting and that was on a September afternoon when she traveled with Gomez Arias on a bus. The bus collided with a streetcar that had caused a steel handrail that impaled her through her hip. Kahlo spine and pelvis are fractured and this accident left her in a deal of pain of physical and physiological.

From this accident she had to stay in the hospital for several weeks and when she return home she had to wear a full body cast for three months. To kill time she started painting and finished her first self-portrait the following year.

Frida once said, “I paint myself because I am often alone and I am the subject I know.”

“Two Nudes in the Forest” or “The Earth Itself”

Painting of "Two Nudes in the Forest"

My favorite painting by Friday was “Two Nudes in the Forest” because it was a painting for her intimate girlfriend Dolores del Rio. She never tried to hide her bisexuality and this painting reveals that. There is two mujeres sitting in the background of a forest and in the background there is also a monkey. The monkey is said to be a symbol of devil and sin, but regardless of the monkey the mujeres are still together. The painting shows a relationship between two mujeres and it is very inspirational to me. It’s inspirational because it is a reminder that it is okay for me to like mujeres or anyone.

Resources:

http://www.frida-kahlo-foundation.org/biography.html

http://www.fridakahlo.org/frida-kahlo-biography.jsp

http://www.fridakahlo.org/two-nudes-in-the-forest.jsp

Femicide in Ciudad Juárez

The crosses represent the death of 8 mujeres in Ciudad Juárez

In my last post I talked about mujeres working in the maquiladoras, but I also brought up a link to the femicide that has been going on in the Ciudad Juárez.  Femicide is the killing of mujeres but definitions vary depending on the cultural context.  In Spanish feminicide is called feminicidio. Feminicide it can also be defines as “the misogynous murder of mujeres by men. “Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua is a border city located in northern part of México next to the Rio Grande from the United States of El Paso, Texas.

 Ciudad Juárez has an image problem known for the ongoing femicide. Since the year of 1993 they has been approximately 370 or more femicides of mujeres and young niñas killed and at least 400 missing mujeres.  About a third of mujeres suffered sexual violence and with authorities not taking proper measures to investigate and address the problem. There has been attention received from the international community due to the government not being able to prevent the violence against mujeres and niñas and bringing perpetrators to justice.

The writing on the wall says "Where are they?" on the mujeres who went missing.

There is strong evidence that a specific group of mujeres and niñas are being targeted in Ciudad Juárez.  The victims share common characteristics that most are young mujeres who work in maquiladoras as factory workers. They also come from impoverished backgrounds and have common physical attributes, including dark skin, slender physique, and dark hair. In terms of crime the similarities from cases are rape, torture, mutilation, and murder of the mujeres and niñas.

A mujer protesting against the femicide The cross says "No One More"

The question that one might ask is why is this happening in the first place, what are its contributing factors? One of the factors are the maquiladoras and North American Free Trade Agreement, because the exploited mujeres and violate basic human rights in order to get cheap labor from them. Since maquiladora employees are the many murder victims in Ciudad Juárez it could be expected that the company should try to prevent it.  They do not help out and instead they seem to encourage it as they left the mujeres walk dangerous roads by themselves and make them get out off work in the late hours. Another factor is the machismo and marianismo ideology, where in the marianismo ideology, mujeres are expected to fulfill domestic roles as wives and mothers and to refrain from paid labor outside of home. Since mujeres are working in the maquila industry it is challenging the ideology of marianismo.  Men might be challenged by the idea of mujeres working and taking their jobs, so they attack them to support their machismo. The last factors are organized crime and drug trafficking. Juárez is a city where the Mexican drug cartel takes place and the gangs create a high risk for mujeres. Misogyny can be a common trait of gang activity.

Ciudad Juárez’s image will improve when the violence toward mujeres ends and the corruption can be replaced by one of justice and fairness.

Resource:

http://www.amnestyusa.org/node/55339

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1MqELSsO8g