It pleases me beyond measure to share with you my statement on the legendary, first-published Chicana feminist, independent scholar and archivist, Martha P. Cotera. In a beautiful ceremony on Wednesday of this past week, Consul General of Mexico Pablo Marentes accorded her the Ohtli Award which is the highest award given to those who have dedicated the greater part of their lives opening pathways to people of Mexican origin.
If you want to get a glimpse at what will undoubtedly go down in history as a classic statement on being a Chingona—which Martha undoubtedly is—you'll want to link to this blog post titled, "Are you a Chingona? Check out this video to see if you are!" And then view this video, "FemBeat: Chingonas," where Martha explains the term better than anyone ever has.
In a moment of reflection in my class this week on the difficult times that racialized and minoritized peoples experience in a world of white supremacy, I asked them about their onus and responsibility to such things in life and career.
I didn't say this, but should have: Martha exhibits that what must be done if we are to make a positive difference in others' lives and how doing so, equates to a life lived abundantly.
Felicidades, Martha! Congratulations! Thank you for being you. The world is a much better place because of you.
-Angela Valenzuela
#Chingona
#ChicanaFeminism
#VivaLaMujer
MARTHA P. COTERA
Martha is also a Chicana feminist icon
to generations of Chicana activists and scholars in the United States. Since
the 1960s, she and Juan were active in the Chicano movement; Martha focusing on
recruiting and developing women, and in documenting their role
within the movement. She is best known for her books, Diosa y Hembra,
and Chicana Feminist, the first and best histories of Mexican
American women. Her writings also include more than 10 other books,
and hundreds of essays and articles on civil rights, feminism, and on Mexican
and Mexican American history and bibliography.
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| Ohtli Medallion |
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| Wednesday's Program |
In Austin, Martha has been involved in founding
the most important women’s organizations. As the
founder and first president of the Mexican American
Business and Professional Women of Austin, under her leadership, the
organization established MAP (Medical Assistance Program) in Austin, the state’s
first city/county wide public health program for the uninsured, also the Center
for Battered Women and the Rape Crisis Center (now SAFEPLACE), and led in
establishing the Austin Commission for the Status of Women. She is
also a local founder of the Austin Women’s Political Caucus, the Hispanic
Women’s Network of Texas, the Latina PAC, Latinas en Acción, and Women for Good
Government. Martha has worked on successful political campaigns
which elected the first Latinas to political office in Austin, including Amalia
Rodriguez Mendoza, District Clerk, Margaret Gomez, Travis County Commissioner,
Dolores Ortega, Travis County Treasurer, Lena Guerrero, State
Representative, Gina Hinojosa, State Representative, and Delia Garza, City
Councilwoman.
In the cultural arts Martha has provided similar
leadership, especially since 1974, working on building the multi-million dollar
Mexican American Cultural Center, one of the few in the nation. She
is also a founding member and currently active in Nuestro Grupo, which
instituted Academia Cuauhtli, a language and cultural arts academy held in the
Center, which successfully participated in establishing Ethnic Studies in
Texas. She has similarly supported academic programs at UT as founding member
of the Center for Mexican American Studies in 1972 and the Department of
Mexican American and Latino Studies, and has served for the past 50 years in
oversight committees to ensure equity for Mexican Americans and other Hispanics
at UT; unfortunately, even with decades of advocacy and service with the Austin
Independent School District, equity in the district, as in UT, is still out of
reach.
Martha
believes that the women and men in the Hispanic community are Austin’s richest
asset, and that their skills, cultural heritage, values and hard
work will help the community prevail and lead this city, state and
country. To advance this goal, Martha has collaborated with the Consulado
and with others to pass resolutions and ordinances like the Sanctuary City, the
MBE/WBE and Fair Housing, Bed Tax Ordinance, and Bond issues for our arts
institutions because she believes that it is only just, that all who
pay taxes in Austin, should all benefit from our tax dollars. She
is a tireless champion of our vulnerable communities and is never afraid to
speak or take action. She is not all MACRO, she is also a
MICRO activist, devoting hours daily helping immigrants navigate the system to
legalize their status and to reunite with their families. Esa Martha es toda una
OHTLI, abre caminos, si no se puede con cuidadito, y esmero, pues los abre por
que los abre, a fuerza de bulldozer.
Martha Cotera es
una fuerza de la naturaleza, de acciones heroicas. Ella cosecha energía del sol
y la luna porque está ocupada día y noche, luchando a favor de la
causa de la justicia social de manera grande y pequeña. Una vez, después de
ayudar a resolver un problema muy grande y difícil, me sentí tan aliviada que
expresé mi sentido de gratitud y admiración haciendo referencia al Gandalf,
desafiante de la edad, del Señor de los Anillos en un texto, diciendo:
"Martha, ¡Gracias!
Tú eres Gandalf, el gran mago, que ha venido a la Tierra Media para
mejorar la vida de todos. Como
Gandalf, Su espíritu es cálido y enérgico. Su intelecto y discurso son
agudos, dando voz a los que no tienen voz. Una verdadera Chingona! Y mas
que todo, mi amiga linda y querida. Gracias por ser quien eres.
Emilio y yo y todos de la comunidad, Nuestro Grupo, Academia Cuauhtli, te
admiramos en abundancia. Gracias por la alegría y la plenitud que traes a
nuestras vidas.
Translation: Martha is a force of nature, of heroic
stock. She harvests energy from the sun and moon because she's busy
day and night, fighting the cause for social justice in ways big and small. Once, after helping to solve a very big and
difficult problem, I felt so relieved that I conveyed my sense of gratitude and
admiration by referencing the age-defying Gandalf from the Lord of the
Rings in a text, saying, "Martha, thank you! You're
Gandalf, the great wizard, who has come to Middle Earth to make life better for
all. Her intellect and speech are sharp, giving voice to the
voiceless. A true Chingona! And most of all,
my dear friend and beloved friend. Thank you for being who you are. Emilio and
I and all of the community, Nuestro Grupo, Academia Cuauhtli, admire you in
abundance. Thank you for the joy and fulfillment you bring to our lives!
