10 Forgotten Women of Hispanic History

In the United States, this time of year we take time to celebrate the heroes of Hispanic History. With an entire month dedicated to respecting and acknowledging the lives of hispanic people, we often find ourselves focusing on the Simon Bolivar’s, Che Guevara’s, and the Cesar Chavez’s. Today I want to take time to recognize the women of hispanic history. The mother’s of culture, poetry, revolution, and whole civilizations, Hispanic women have always taken part in altering the course of history. In no particular order, I present, the forgotten women of Hispanic History. 

1. Concepcion Piccioto– Affectionately known as “Conchita”, she moved into Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C on August 1st, 1981. Conchita had been married to an Italian immigrant, and together they adopted an infant daughter, Olga, from Argentina. After discovering that the adoption had been illegally organized by her husband, He had her rights as a mother taken away and she was never to see Olga again. Upon meeting fellow activist William Thomas, while pleading for help to reunite with her daughter outside the White House, she was inspired by his protest. She decided that if she could not be there for her child, she woud help the children of the world. Right in front of the White House, Conchita set up a peace camp in order to protest nuclear weapons. At first, she remained settled a tthe peace camp 24 hours a day, but eventually had to scale back the hours with age. This act of resistance is known as the longest standing act of political protest in the United States. Piccioto died on January 25th, 2016, but will always be remembered as a woman who fought for peace and never backed down. 
2. The Mirabal Sister’s (Las Mariposas)– Patricia (36), Maria (34), and Antonia (25) Mirabal, more commonly known as Patrisia, Minerva, and Maria Teresa are known as Las Mariposas of the Dominican Republic. Together, they fought against the dictator, Trujillo, by forming the Movement of the Fourteenth of June. Longstanding opposition of his regime resulted in them often being tortured and imprisoned. Trujillo’s fight with the Mirabal’s began when when he invited the family to dinner in order to woo Minerva. Minerva, upon realizing his motives, immediately slapped him. This action cause Trujillo to seek personal revenge against the family he ruined their fortune and constantly sexually harassed the women to the point of destitution. The girls went to a private catholic school, got married, and then as a family fought to end the Trujillo regime. After an attempt to assassinate Trujillo was discovered, the sisters were thrown into jail, only to be released due to international pressures. When Trujillo finally managed to jail all the male activists, his reign continued to falter and he blamed the Mirabal sisters for this. He had the women’s husbands moved to a far off jail, and the women, knowing it was a trap, went to visit anyways. On the way through a mountain pass, their jeep was ambushed and they were brutally beat and strangled to death before being placed back in the jeep and pushed off a cliff. Upon realizing they were about to die, Patrisia ran to the nearest truck, told the man that the Mirabal sister’s were going to be murdered, and had him spread the news. The death of the sisters radicalized the movement and Trujillo was soon removed from power. Now, every November 25th, the anniversary of the Mirabal Sisters’ deaths, the world celebrates the International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women. 
3. Dr. Ellen Ochoa– Ochoa was one Hispanic Woman who always reached for the stars. She was the first ever Latina Astronaut and an American engineer. She became the first hispanic woman Astronaut in the 90’s, when she was selected for a 9 day mission on the Discovery space shuttle. She went on to travel to space three more times, and logged more than 1,000 hours in orbit. She received her doctorate from Stanford University in Electrical Engineering and investigate “optical systems for performing information processing” at Sandia National Laboratories and NASA Ames Research Center. She has received NASA’s top award, the Distinguished Service Medal, and one of the federal governments highest awards, The Presidential Distinguished Rank Award. Today she is the Director of Johnson Space Center and is happily married to Coe Fulmer Miles; together they have two children and reside in Texas where she continues her important work.
4. Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz– Juana was born in San Miguel Nepantla, now renamed Nepantla de Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz in honor of her legacy, when Mexico was a Spanish Territory. in 1667, she took the veil of sisterhood and became a nun because she wanted “to have no fixed occupation which might curtail [her] freedom to study.” As a nun, she accumulated many books of all genres and dedicated most of her time to reading and writing. Eventually, her writing garnered the interest of the Viceroy and Vicereine of New Spain (Mexico), and they supported her throughout her life as well as published much of her work in Spain. Juana was renowned for her versatility in writing, not only did she create poetry, but she also wrote sonnets, dramas, comedies, and scholarly works on both secular and nonsecular topics. Her writing was so well received because it showed grasp of both wit and a extraordinarily wide range of themes/knowledge. One of her more famous poems, “Hombres Necios” (Foolish Men), focused on the illogical behavior of men when they criticize women. Her most important poem, and some argue her most important literary work, is entitled “First Dream,” and focuses on a both “personal and universal” account of the soul’s search for knowledge. Her success as a female righter garnered much animosity from the Church. In 1690, a Bishop of Puebla decided to publish one of Juana’s critiques of a Sermon with her consent. He chastised her for focusing on “secular” studies instead of religious ones. In response, Juana wholeheartedly defended the right for women to learn and attain knowledge by writing, “One can perfectly philosophize while cooking supper.” Juana died in 1695, but is now recognized as the first published feminist of the “New World.”
5. Eva Peron– Born on May 7th, 1919, Eva Peron grew up very poor and dreamt of becoming an actress. Her mother, Juana, never formally married, but still took the lat name Duarte for her and her four children. Eva’s father, Juan Duarte, was married to another woman and had a family with her as well.  After Duarte died, his wife and family basically exiled Juana and the children. At the age of 15, Eva moved to Buenos Aires and found work with a variety of theater companies; landing her first film role in Segundos Afuera in 1937. At 20 years old, Eva began he own entertainment company focusing on producing radio programs. In 1945, she married Juan Peron, and he became president the following year. As First Lady of Argentina, Evita used her position to fight for women’s suffrage and against poverty. During her husband’s term, she unofficially ran both the ministry of health and the ministry of labor. A talented orator, she became very popular among the poor working class, but faced her share of opposition from the military and wealthy class. In 1951, she was asked to run for vice president on the ballot with her husband, but she refused due to her battle with cervical cancer. Upon her death, she was given a funeral befitting a head of state in honor of her work for the people of Argentina. 
6. Policarpa Salavarrieta (La Pola)– Policarpa, affectionately known as La Pola, was a spy for the patriots during the Colombian Independence movement. Born in Guaduas, she postponed her wedding to the love of her life in order to move to Bogota and join the fight against Spain at 15 years old.  Posing as a seamstress in wealthy Royalist homes, she was able to collect information and use it to further the Revolution. She also helped her Patrona run an underground railroad for information, weapons, and patriots, all the while recruiting hundreds to fight for freedom. Eventually, the capture of her long time lover, Alejo Sabarain, lead to her capture as well. Sentence to die as a traitor to the crown, La Pola was given the opportunity to repent, but refused to do so because she believed in a free and independent Colombia. In the moment of her death, La Pola spat in the face on her Spaniard oppressors, refused to kneel like her compatriots, and then turned to face the firing squad head on. Today, he death is honored in Colombia as the Day of the Colombian Woman. 
7. Rigoberta Menchu– Born January 9th, 1959 to a poor Indigenous peasant family, Rigoberta was raised in the Quiche Mayan culture. In her youth, she helped with work on both the family farm and on the large plantations where children and adult would harvest coffee. Through the catholic church, Rigoberta became involved in social reform activities. As a teenager, she became a prominent member of the Women’s rights movement. As guerrilla units formed in the area, the Menchu family was accused of being involved and Rigoberta’s father was taken prisoner and tortured for alleged involvement in the death of a wealthy plantation owner. Upon his release, he joined the Committee of the Peasant Union (CUC), and was joined by his Rigoberta in 1979. That same year, her brother was arrested and killed. The next year, her father was killed when the military attacked the Spanish embassy where a group of peasant refugees had been staying.  That same year, her mother died after being arrested by the military, tortured, and raped. After this series of injustices, Rigoberta immersed herself in the CUC, becoming fluent in Spanish as well as several other mayan languages. In 1980, she was a main figure in the CUC strike for for better working conditions for farm workers; in 1981, she was part of a large demonstration in the capital. Eventually, she joined the 31st of January Popular Front, which was a radical group in which she mainly educated the Indigenous peasant’s on how to resist military oppression. By 1981, Rigberta was forced into hiding in Guatemala, before fleeing to Mexico. In Mexico, she became an organizer for the resistance movement and helped found The United Representation of the Guatemalan Opposition. Rigoberto has returned to Guatemala three time in order to represent the indigenous peasants in their struggles, and has fled back into exile overtime in response to death threats. For her work in indigenous rights advocacy and ethnocultural reconciliation, Rigoberta has received many international awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize. 
8. Sophie Cruz– Cruz was born in the United States, but her parents are undocumented immigrants from Mexico. In 2015, Cruz went to Washington D.C in order to deliver a letter to Pope Francis, who had been visiting at that time. Wearing a shirt that read, “Papa Rescate DAPA,” the young activist ran into the street to speak to the Pope as his car approached her spot. At first turned away by security, the Pope later waved her forward, hugged her, and received her note. The next day, The Pope addressed the issue of kindness and assistance for immigrants and refugees in a joint meeting of Congress. Cruz was then interviewed, and quoted saying, “I believe I have the right to live with my parents. I have the right to be happy. My dad works very hard in a factory galvanizing pieces of metal. All immigrants just like my dad feed this country. They deserve to live with dignity. They deserve to live with respect.” Cruz also noted that she had a second letter addressed to President Barrack Obama, that she one day hoped to give to him. In May 2016, Cruz was invited to visit the White House for a Cinco de Mayo Celebration. Her parents were not allowed to enter the white house because they were undocumented, so she was escorted by Alida Garcia from FWD.us and Paola Mendoza, filmmaker. Cruz also appeared in the video “11 million stories,” meant to explain the impact that mass deportation on the united states and on American children like her, with undocumented parents. On January 21st, 2017, Cruz spoke at the Women’s March in D.C, protesting the inauguration of Donald Trump. In a memorized speech, given in both English and Spanish, Cruz said, “We are here together making a chain of love to protect our families. Let us fight with love, faith and courage so that our families will not be destroyed.”
9. Eloisa Diaz–  Diaz was born on June 25th, 1866 in Santiago, Chile. Completing her initial studies at the Instituto Nacional (the National Institute), Diaz enrolled at The University of Chile, School of Medicine in 1880, right after a law was enacted that allowed women to study at the university.  Upon graduation, Diaz became the first woman in South America to study and earn a Medical License.  Her thesis was entitled, “Brief observations on the apparition of puberty in Chilean women and their pathological predispositions about sex.” In 1891, Diaz began working at a San Borja Hospital. From 1889 to 1897, Diaz also worked as a teacher and physician in Escuela Normal. In 1898, Diaz began working as the School Medic Supervisor of Santiago, and was eventually promoted to School Medic Supervisor of Chile; she held the position for more than 30 years. Diaz also founded kindergartens, clinics, and school camps for the poor.  In 1910, she was name the “Illustrious Woman of America,” while participating in a Hygiene and Medicine International Scientific Congress. In 1911, Diaz was named Director of the School Medical Service of Chile, immediately implementing school breakfasts, vaccinations of students, and various campaigns to fight alcoholism, rickets, and tuberculosis. She died in 1950, at the age of 54, after making her mark for women of science in America. 
10. La Malinche- Known as La Malinche, “The Captain’s Woman,” she has a complex history involving her role in the fall of the Aztec Empire.  Some view her as a traitor to her people, while other’s view her as a hero. Born in 1505 to a noble family, she was “a ruler over a people and country.” Later, her father died and her mother remarried. The new marriage resulted in a male heir, who they deigned to leave all their land, but they believed La Malinche stood in the way of those plans. She was sent to an Indigenous family in Xicalango, and rumors were spread that she had died. That family eventually sent her to Tabasco. The chief of Tabasco gave La Malinche, and 19 other women, as slaves to Hernan Cortes after his settlement’s defeat in battle. The women were distributed among Cortes’ chief officer, but eventually Cortes took a liking to her and claimed La Malinche as his own. These women were the first converts to christianity in New Spain. La Malinche and Hernan Cortes had a son named Don Martin Cortes, one of the first Mestizos. When the Spanish gathered the chiefs of the indigenous peoples in order to convert them to christianity, it is said that La Malinche encountered her mother and half brother, and the two parties recognized each other instantly. Although they were terrified, it is said that La Malinche, “Desired them to dry away their tears, and comforted them by saying they were unconscious of what they were doing when they had sent her away to the inhabitants of Xicalango, and that she freely forgave the past. By this means God certainly directed everything for her best, turned her away from the errors of heathenism, and converted her to Christianity.” La Malinche was also well known as Cortes’ chief translator, speaking both Mayan and Nahuatl, and eventually spanish. She was able to negotiate peace between several tribes and save many from bloodshed, as well as communicate meetings with Moctezuma. It is because of her contribution to the fall of the Aztec empire that she is regarded a traitor, that being said, many of the circumstances in her life were unavoidable. She did not choose to be exiled to Tabasco, or given into slavery to conquistadors, or converted to christianity. However, the way she responded to he rate made her a hero. She chose to forgive those that had mistreated her and never took revenge on her mother or half brother for how they wronged her. She also always sat in on the negotiations between Cortes and the indigenous chiefs, in order to avoid more war dar and death. Her conflicting history aside, it is inarguable that La Malinche is the Mother of Modern Mexico

Throughout history, women have been major players in in world events. Although Hispanic women are often forgotten, their legacies are felt everyday. From astronauts to poets, from doctors to activists, from mothers of whole nations to political icons; Hispanic women have put their mark on the world. Tell us about the Hispanic women who inspire you!

• heritage
• Latinas