Soldaderas and Women as Political

Soldaderas and Women as Political Icons Today

This article states about the Soldadera women. Also known as soldiers and heroes for the Mexican Revolution. Soldadera women were strong women standing beside men and even more courageous. They were deeply involved in politics and also participated on the battlefields. Chicana women, Mexican born in America are the same as their ancestors. Today there are many political figures such as Maria Echaveste and Dolores Huerta.

Soldadera women are also known as soldier women. They are not only important in politics but in battlefields as well. During the Mexican Revolution, soldadera women were the heroes of the battlefield. Any how, it is also to be said that the soldadera history carried out with the artist that painted, sang and wrote. Soldadera women believed in their will to fight. Many of the soldadera went in the battle with their children on their back. They were very courageous and also had skills to sustain the troops. Women were trusted more than man to perform a manly duty on battlefield as they proved themselves that they are equal to men's. They put their lives in danger but they also fought with bravery. Without the support of soldaders women troop, the men would not have been strong in the battlefield. Soldadera women not only went to fight in battlefield but also cooked food, distributed it and also took care of the sick or wounded soldiers. (Tereza Jandura)

How ever, a term namely "Chicana" which refers to the women of Mexican descent or the one's raised in United States. It is believed that the term Chinana is originally from Mexican tribes of Mesoamerica. In the mid of 1960's and 1970's Chicano Nationalist Movement took place which the Mexican-American women reclaimed as Chicana. Chicana Women belongs to a long political activity in history who took part in U.S. And Mexico War of 1848 and also fought in Mexican Revolution which took place in 1910. After both wars, Mexican families drove towards United States and they also settled their. They made their own colonized territories such as San Diego, San Antonio, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. The Chicana Feminist Movement began to take place in 1970's, when Chicano Nationalist Movement was on the verge of the height. Chicana women were fighting along with Chicano men to get rid of United States political and social movements as they began to realize that the inequalities of the gender were existed within and outside of the movement. In 1971, about 600 Chicana women gathered for their first national Chicana conference which was held in Houston, Texas. By the first successful gathering, they had several different kinds of revolution such as legalization for abortion; child care centers establishments and equal education. Chicana feminists did pass their voices to welcome within the Chicano National Movement or in other words White Feminist Movement as well. (Olivia C. Smith, 2002).

One of the leading political Chicana women today is Dolores Huerta; she is the co-founder of the First Vice President Emeritus which belongs to United Farm Workers of America. Born in April 10, 1930, she founded an organization namely Community Service Organization in 1955 and in 1960 she founded Agricultural Workers Association. Later on, she worked with Cesar Chavez and built an organization, National Farm Workers Association which name was changed to United Workers Organizing Committee and afterwards it became UFW in 1966. She made a contract between UFW and Schenley Wine Company for the farm workers who successfully bargained with an agricultural enterprise. Dolores directed a boycott the UFW's national grape for the farm workers to the consumers. In result for this boycott, California table grape industry signed a three years agreement with the United Farm Workers. She is highly politically active and against the federal laws of California but she also supported various laws including a bill which permitted people to take the California driver's examination in Spanish in 1960, she also appealed an extension of Aid to Families with Dependent Children for the farm workers of California. Another political chicana woman is namely Maria Echaveste who has been an advisor to Bill Clinton and White House and currently a Senior Fellow to Center for American Progress, also a co-founder of the Nueva Vista Group which an advocacy group working with non-profit and corporate clients. She was born in 1954, Texas. Maria also served as an administrator of Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor in 1993 and 1997; she was responsible for the management and to direct policies for the programs which were related to various Federal laws such as the Fair Labor Standard Act also including the Family and Medical Leave act. Later she became Director of Public Liaison at White House from February 1997 till May 1998. She also served as an Assistant to President and also a Deputy Chief of Staff as well to President Bill Clinton, showed effort within the White House for foreign and disasters also worked on the issues related to Latin America. After the end of Bill Clinton administration, she got a responsibility for the management of the White House and also for the preparation of the millennium celebration and for 2000 Presidential transition. she is currently working for her group namely Nueva Vista Group, working for the corporation on the issues of immigration, telecommunications, health care and labor and also a part time lecturer at University of California. (Wikipedia).