I had the privilege of attending a poetry event at my school we call Noche de Poetas, where the theme for the night was “A Movement to Empower Sisterhood”. It was the perfect theme considering the celebration of National Women’s Day and a Day Without Women. All night, there was wonderful poems and stories of what sisterhood, feminism, and women mean to each person. Going home that night (the night I had to submit this article in all honesty, but I was so inspired I had to change my topic), I could not stop thinking about how despite the oppression women have had to constantly fight through, we still do it. It is the reason why there’s no doubt that a woman’s place is in the revolution.

Women have always been at the forefront of movements, generating change politically. Specifically within the Chicanx movement, women have always been involved, even if they weren’t given credit for anything. All throughout Chicanx political movements, there has always been a misogynistic components that degrades women in their place. Women were not given leadership roles, and if they did, they had domestic and feminine jobs. They were told to make food and watch kids during events, but were never allowed to take part in constructing policies for change. But despite this limited opportunity, women have always been the backbone of change.

If it was not for the Chicana mothers who supported their children in the Chicano Student Movement through all the strikes and protests, would have there even been change for the education of Mexican students? If it were not for the hard work of Chicana activists in La Causa newspaper, what networking or communication of the movement would have happened? Who would have ran the free clinic that provided some form of healthcare for supporters, or who would have assembled all the events for their Chicanx rallies? Without women, the Chicanx movement would have been nothing.

More importantly, there is still a misogynistic element and machismo sense in Mexican culture, and Latinx culture in general. As women, we’re told by men to be pure, do what we’re told as wives and mothers, and remain quiet. (Calladita se ve mas bonita, am I right?) However, women are more than just that. Women are loud, and we do have voices that deserve to be heard. No more of this machismo that tells us what to do because we’re women, and we’re the patronas.

There can never be a day without women, especially as a Xicana. Women deserve to be celebrated, and they should be celebrated everyday. I would be nothing without mi mami, mi abuelita, or my tía’s. They taught me what it is like to be a strong woman because they never had the choice to be anything else. I am so glad to have been surrounded by wonderful women because without them, I would not be where I am today. It is with the strength of my foremothers that I get through college and help others have a better life.