OZUNA LEARNING RESOURCES CENTER / LIBRARY

Chicana Leadership
A Chicana Women's Website for Palo Alto College
By Mariana Ornelas, Assistant Professor of Humanities & IDST

This website focuses on leadership by Chicana women to develop in students a greater awareness and appreciation of local Mexican-American female role models. Chicana activists and professionals from San Antonio are profiled. Activists include: Graciela Sanchez, Executive Director of the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, Maria Berriozabal, the first Chicana city council member in San Antonio's history, Rosie Castro, a longtime civil rights advocate and key member of La Raza Unida Party, and Petra Mata and Viola Casares, co-founders of Fuerza Unida.

The professional women include: Marta Tijerina, former talk show host on KWEX TV, Maria Elena Torralva, Executive Director, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, Dr. Yolanda Santos, Director of Planning, Good Samaritan Center, and Dr. Antonia Castañeda, Chicana historian and professor, St. Mary's University.

Both sections feature narratives of the women and annotated digital images, followed by a discussion of common themes found in their leadership.

Students will expand this web site. Using the narratives as a model, and with guidance, they will research and conduct personal interviews with other local Chicana activists and professionals. This activity will serve as an option for the students' semester projects while at the same time strengthening their research skills. High achieving Chicana women who have contributed to San Antonio abound.

The development of this page was funded in part by a Success Grant from Palo Alto College.

Fuerza Unida

"S.A. Activist Heads to Talks in S. Africa" article about Viola Casares in San Antonio Express-News with photos

Colby Glass, MLIS