A Historical and Regional Overview of Latinas in the United ... - CUNY

Abarca, Apolonia “Polly” Muñoz
Las Cuatas Diego, 1980. Painting in oil on canvas by and
courtesy of Cecilia Concepción Alvarez.
cessful and reflected that “in our company my brothers
respect my decisions because I am the oldest. They
don’t treat me with any less value because I’m a
woman.”
Latinas in the Pacific Northwest continue to be divided
by cultural group, although the majority are of
Mexican birth or heritage and have some connection
to the rural areas and farm labor. Young rural Latinas,
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often reared in modest circumstances, feel torn between
embracing traditional cultural values and
wanting to further their education. In urban areas
campus women’s organizations, including Latina
sororities, seek to address the lack of substantial
women’s networks and role models. Insitutions like
Centro de la Raza also promote a sense of community.
In 1989 a group of Latinas in Seattle formed the
Hispanic Women’s Network (HWN) to promote the
personal, professional, and educational growth of its
members.
Artist Cecilia Concepción Alvarez arrived in Washington
State in 1975 and has developed a national reputation
for her paintings. Her art reflects her experiences
as a Chicana/Cubana, and [?? 102]through it she
expresses her own vision of beauty and strength. In
her opinion, people, art, and society have an obligation
to advance humanity and find solutions to problems
that threaten human coexistence and survival. Latinas
living in the Pacific Northwest reflect in a variety of
ways Alvarez’s thoughts about combining selected cultural
traditions with environmental concerns for today
and the future.
SOURCES: Gamboa, Erasmo, ed. 1992. Voces hispanas:
Hispanic Voices of Idaho. Boise: Idaho Commission
on Hispanic Affairs; Gamboa, Erasmo, and Carolyn
M. Buan. 1995. Nostros: The Hispanic People of
Oregon: Essays and Recollections. Portland: Oregon
Council for the Humanities; Valle, Isabel. 1994. Fields of
Toil: A Migrant Family’s Journey. Pullman: Washington
State University Press; Villarroel, Luz E., and Sandra B.
Fancher García. 1995. “A Cultural Profile and Status of
Chicanas in the Northwest.” In The Chicano Experience
in the Northwest, ed. Carlos S. Maldonado and Gilberto
García. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
Elizabeth Salas