Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional
Encyclopedia
The Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional (National Mexican Women's Commission, abbreviated as CFMN), is a Chicano
organization geared towards the political and economic empowerment of Hispanic
women, particularly Chicanas, in the United States
.
, than solving problems that affected women. As a consequence, other women that were not part of that original group of women also joined them in their criticisms. Many women at the 1970 National Chicano Issues Conference felt that this conference was geared towards solving problems that were more common to, and affected directly, men, instead of their own problems. This led the women to form the Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional.
In 1972, the CFMN established a learning and help center, the Chicana Service Action Center. This center helped Chicanas by finding jobs for them.
In 1973, the women belonging to the CFMN decided to hold their first conference. The event took place in Goleta, California
. During this conference, the name Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional was instituted, and some basic rules as far as the CFMN's purposes were established. It was agreed, for example, that the CFMN would help enhance the achievements of Mexican and Chicana women, and also try to forge relationships with other women organizations across the United States. Actress Carmen Zapata
and Congressman Richard Alatorre
were the keynote speakers. An important link was established with the Coalition of National Hispanic Women's Organizations.
After their first conference, the CFMN went on to create bilingual schools for children; these were named Centros de Niños, and included day care and child development centers. These services were usually offered to children of working and poor Chicano women.
The Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional had already gained national attention in the United States when, in 1975, it became involved in the case Madrigal vs. Quilligan, obtaining a moratorium on the compulsory sterilization
of women and adoption of bilingual consent forms, as well as resolving to ensure the enforcement of a 72-hour period before a woman had to make the decision whether or not to be sterilized. These steps were necessary because many Hispanic women who did not understand English
well were being sterilized in the United States at the time, without proper consent.
The CFMN then concentrated on attracting more members and obtaining political power. In 1977, representatives of the CFMN attended the National Women's Conference
in Houston, Texas
.
In Washington, D.C.
, meanwhile, the CFMN became involved in the National ERA March, and began to lobby for the Equal Rights Amendment
, all the while actively asking Chicanas to take action in decision making processes. These efforts were aimed towards making Chicana women feel more independent, among other things.
During the early 1980s, the CFMN's president Gloria Moreno-Wycoff met with former United States President Jimmy Carter
in Washington, D.C.
By 1985, the CFMN had taken on other feminist causes, such as aid for teenage girls who were involved with the criminal justice system. To that end, the CFMN inaugurated the Casa Victoria center. A newsletter, La Mujer, started publication, and the CFMN spread to 23 chapters nationally. Having achieved many of the goals set during their first conference, the Commission stopped holding the annual conferences during this year. Business meetings, however, continued to be held for another decade.
's Davidson Library. Although the national organization eventually waned, the CFMN still has local chapters that actively work on Chicana issues. In 2003, CEMA hosted the CFMN's 30th anniversary conference, with Representative Nell Soto
scheduled as keynote speaker. The student group MUJER (Mujeres Unidas para Justicia, Educación, and Revolución) coordinated the involvement of local high school girls as a means to inspire, educate, and demonstrate the achievements of which women are capable with education, organization, and dedication.
Chicano
The terms "Chicano" and "Chicana" are used in reference to U.S. citizens of Mexican descent. However, those terms have a wide range of meanings in various parts of the world. The term began to be widely used during the Chicano Movement, mainly among Mexican Americans, especially in the movement's...
organization geared towards the political and economic empowerment of Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
women, particularly Chicanas, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
The Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional has its origins in October 1970. During the National Chicano Issues Conference of that year, a group of women expressed their worries about issues that were important to Chicanas. They felt, however, that the conference participants were more worried about other issues, such as immigrationImmigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
, than solving problems that affected women. As a consequence, other women that were not part of that original group of women also joined them in their criticisms. Many women at the 1970 National Chicano Issues Conference felt that this conference was geared towards solving problems that were more common to, and affected directly, men, instead of their own problems. This led the women to form the Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional.
In 1972, the CFMN established a learning and help center, the Chicana Service Action Center. This center helped Chicanas by finding jobs for them.
In 1973, the women belonging to the CFMN decided to hold their first conference. The event took place in Goleta, California
Goleta, California
Goleta is a city in southern Santa Barbara County, California, USA. It was incorporated as a city in 2002, after a long period as the largest unincorporated, populated area in the county. As of the 2000 census, the Census-designated place had a total population of 55,204, however, a significant...
. During this conference, the name Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional was instituted, and some basic rules as far as the CFMN's purposes were established. It was agreed, for example, that the CFMN would help enhance the achievements of Mexican and Chicana women, and also try to forge relationships with other women organizations across the United States. Actress Carmen Zapata
Carmen Zapata
Carmen Margarita Zapata is an American actress. Zapata was born in New York City to a Mexican father and an Argentine mother. She has been in over one hundred movies and shows, including Batman: The Animated Series, Married... with Children, Sister Act, and she was Carmen Castillo in Santa Barbara...
and Congressman Richard Alatorre
Richard Alatorre
Richard Alatorre is an American politician from California. He served as a prominent member of the California State Assembly from 1973 to 1985, and as a noted member of the Los Angeles City Council from 1985 to 1999.-Background:...
were the keynote speakers. An important link was established with the Coalition of National Hispanic Women's Organizations.
After their first conference, the CFMN went on to create bilingual schools for children; these were named Centros de Niños, and included day care and child development centers. These services were usually offered to children of working and poor Chicano women.
The Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional had already gained national attention in the United States when, in 1975, it became involved in the case Madrigal vs. Quilligan, obtaining a moratorium on the compulsory sterilization
Compulsory sterilization
Compulsory sterilization also known as forced sterilization programs are government policies which attempt to force people to undergo surgical sterilization...
of women and adoption of bilingual consent forms, as well as resolving to ensure the enforcement of a 72-hour period before a woman had to make the decision whether or not to be sterilized. These steps were necessary because many Hispanic women who did not understand English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
well were being sterilized in the United States at the time, without proper consent.
The CFMN then concentrated on attracting more members and obtaining political power. In 1977, representatives of the CFMN attended the National Women's Conference
National Women's Conference
In the spirit of the United Nations' proclamation that 1975 was the International Women's Year, on January 9, 1974, U.S. President Gerald Ford issued Executive Order 11832 creating a National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year "to promote equality between men and women"...
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
In Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, meanwhile, the CFMN became involved in the National ERA March, and began to lobby for the Equal Rights Amendment
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
, all the while actively asking Chicanas to take action in decision making processes. These efforts were aimed towards making Chicana women feel more independent, among other things.
During the early 1980s, the CFMN's president Gloria Moreno-Wycoff met with former United States President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
in Washington, D.C.
By 1985, the CFMN had taken on other feminist causes, such as aid for teenage girls who were involved with the criminal justice system. To that end, the CFMN inaugurated the Casa Victoria center. A newsletter, La Mujer, started publication, and the CFMN spread to 23 chapters nationally. Having achieved many of the goals set during their first conference, the Commission stopped holding the annual conferences during this year. Business meetings, however, continued to be held for another decade.
Current status
In 2000, the CFMN's archives were established at the California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives (CEMA) of UCSBUniversity of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
's Davidson Library. Although the national organization eventually waned, the CFMN still has local chapters that actively work on Chicana issues. In 2003, CEMA hosted the CFMN's 30th anniversary conference, with Representative Nell Soto
Nell Soto
Nell Soto was an American politician. Soto represented the 61st Assembly district from 1998 to 2000 and again from 2006 to 2008...
scheduled as keynote speaker. The student group MUJER (Mujeres Unidas para Justicia, Educación, and Revolución) coordinated the involvement of local high school girls as a means to inspire, educate, and demonstrate the achievements of which women are capable with education, organization, and dedication.
Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional presidents, by year
- 1970-1971 Francisca Flores (founding president)
- 1971-1972 Francisca Flores
- 1972-1973 Josephine Valdez-Banda
- 1973-1974 Anita Ramos
- 1974-1975 Yolanda Nava
- 1975-1976 Gloria MolinaGloria MolinaJesus Gloria Molina is an American politician, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and the current chairwoman of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.-Background and career:...
- 1976-1977 Gloria Molina
- 1977-1978 Sandra Serrano Sewell
- 1978-1979 Sandra Serrano Sewell
- 1979-1980 Christine Fuentes
- 1980-1981 Gloria Moreno-Wycoff, who met Jimmy Carter
- 1981-1982 Leticia Quezada
- 1982-1983 Angie Cisneros
- 1983-1984 Beatriz Olvera-Stotzer
- 1984-1985 Beatriz Olvera-Stotzer
- 1985-1986 Beatriz Olvera-Stotzer
- 1986-1987 Carmen Cantu
- 1987-1988 Carmen Cantu
- 1988-1989 Carmen E. Luna
- 1989-1990 Carmen E. Luna
- 1990-1991 Magdalena Cervantes
- 1991-1992 Magdalena Cervantes
- 1992-1993 Desiree Portillo-Rabinov
- 1993-1994 Desiree Portillo-Rabinov
- 1994-1995 Desiree Portillo-Rabinov
- 1995-1996 Desiree Portillo-Rabinov
- 1996-1997 Nina Sorkin
- 1997-1998 Nina Sorkin
- 1998-1999 Julia Vera-Andrews
- 1999-2000 Julia Vera-Andrews
External links
- "Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional" at the California Ethnic and Multicultural ArchivesCalifornia Ethnic and Multicultural ArchivesCalifornia Ethnic and Multicultural Archives is an archival institution that houses collections of primary source documents from the history of minority ethnic groups in California...