Arte y Acción

This year, the Proyecto Juventud teens initiated an art therapy program in collaboration with the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. Schweitzer Fellow Amy Cavazos from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago educates our teen girls every Friday on the importance of self-expression through art. The art program allows the participants to express themselves through their visual images.

The teen girls are in the process of transforming a storage closet into an art studio so that they have a space to draw and display their artwork. Additionally, the teen girls are creating a mural that depicts a tree surrounded by butterflies and symbolizes growth. The girls’ artwork displays their creativity, talent, and inner strength.

Through this art program, our teen girls navigate through our rich culture and explore the visual and narrative work of other Latina artists. The art of painting has allowed our teens to explore their inner selves, embrace their own creations, and build group support that will enable them to empower the community.

Art is an important characteristic of our culture; it conveys history and prevents our youth from being involved in violent activities. Art also gives them an opportunity for personal growth. Moreover, it enables them to present their ideas to their Pilsen community and build cultural awareness.

We invite you to view the creativity and talent of our Proyecto Juventud participants by visiting the youth program office.

Sincerely,

Maria S. Pesqueira

Una Compañera/ A Friend

 

Exactly one year ago, a compañera (a friend) Alicia Amador left this world behind; however, she will never be forgotten because she will live in our hearts every day that passes by.

More than a friend, Alicia was a mentor and a mother to the children and youth in our programs. Many witnessed her love for children, her connection to families and her support to the community.

Alicia had a brightness about her that was contagious.  It was uplifting to be in an environment with a woman who was full of laughter. Her positive energy was quickly transmitted. She left behind many lessons for us to continue on with life.

Alicia was a strong advocate in the community. She was a pioneer for improving our youth programs and a champion in changing the lives of many children and their families.

Let us celebrate today, the life of a compañera; a mentor and a strong advocate who will live on forever in our hearts.

Sincerely,

Maria S. Pesqueira

Going green, being healthy and having fun.

Educating our children on how to take care of our environment, their bodies and themselves are all important components of Mujeres’ Peace Program.  This summer, the Peace Program participants beautified our community and learned ways to stay strong and healthy, while having fun at the same time.

Every month during the summer, the Peace Program participants took a trip to our main office and recycled paper from our staff members. This once-a-month recycling pick-up activity not only saved paper but also reminded the participants and staff of the small things we could do to preserve our planet.

The average American uses seven trees a year in paper, wood, and other products made from trees. This amounts to about two billion trees per year nationwide. Nevertheless, if all Americans recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25 million trees a year. One person, one program and one community can make a difference.

To teach our children another way of being green, our Peace Program partnered with the Orozco Elementary School in a summer gardening program. There, children learned basic gardening skills and healthy eating habits.  The Peace Program also planted colorful flowers outside our building.

Peace Program participants practiced a one-hour yoga routine every day, which allowed them to undertake an active lifestyle, seek spiritual tranquility and reach a state of relaxation.

I commend the Peace program staff for accomplishing these tasks during the summer and for being a Latino example to our children.

As summer comes to an end soon and a new school year starts, let us continue on by building a stronger beginning for our children, which will project a strong future for tomorrow.

Maria S. Pesqueira

Women’s Equality Day

Today marks the 91^st anniversary of the women’s right to vote.  A theme that ran across today’s celebration on the women’s suffrage movement at the Richard J. Daley plaza was not to take for granted our right to vote. Moreover, the difficult road that our suffrage leaders undertook to be where we are at today. As we celebrate this accomplishment let us not forget the many challenges that we have ahead of us.

Let us use this celebration as an inspiration to other challenges that we have to overcome. Latinas continue to face disparity in the workplace, lower levels of education and language barriers frequently leading to lower wages and fewer opportunities for advancement.

Our vote is our voice, and Latina women play an important role in the economic and social development of this country. I encourage you today, to advice other Latinas on the importance of becoming active engaged citizens in the democracy of our nation. We have a voice and together we can create change to better our community.

Maria S. Pesqueira

A fighter/una luchadora is celebrated today

On this day, four years ago, a woman of power left behind a strong legacy. Maria Mangual, founder of Mujeres Latinas en Acción, is celebrated today for her strong dedication to helping the Latina community.

Mangual’s passion and perseverance to keep and fight for women’s rights and equality made her a luchadora.  Her vision to have a safe place for women and their families made her a dreamer; her want for others to succeed made her a strong mentor and her humble ability to help others for nothing in return made her a true leader.

In an effort to continue on with Mangual’s legacy and leadership we are proud to hold Maria’s vision up high by celebrating her passionate work on behalf of the Latina community.

For the past two years, Mujeres has held the Maria Mangual Leadership award ceremony and has honored community leaders who have made a difference in the community and sought to improve the lives of Latinas and their families.

This year, we proudly announce the inaugural Maria Mangual Leadership Conference and Awards Ceremony in tribute to Maria’s desire to fight for our daughters and granddaughters rights. We are extending the celebration of Mangual’s passion and historic triumph to the community and to all those who will continue on with her vision to empower the Latino community.

Let us celebrate her joy in helping others.

Sincerely,

Maria del Socorro Pesqueira

 

 

Keeping the dream alive

At a young age I moved to the United States in search of the “American Dream.” I quickly realized that in order to see this dream come true education was going to be the vehicle that would help me get there. I attended DePaul University and today I work for a great organization that allows me to enact my goal and passion every single day. Because of my own life journey, I understand first-hand the importance of education and what it means to be given the chance to follow one’s dream. Unfortunately, many hardworking students are denied the opportunity to attend an institution of higher learning, and ultimately continuing with a chosen career path. This is one of the reasons why the DREAM Act is crucial for not only the community we live in, but to all those students in search of a better life. The Illinois DREAM Act, signed into law on Monday, makes me very hopeful for the future; however, it is important to keep lobbying for the bill at the federal level as well.

Advances toward equal education rights were gained in 1982 when the Supreme Court ruled that schools could not deny students in grades K-12 the opportunity to an education. However, this is not the case for universities. Undocumented children brought to the US by their parents are left in the dark regarding their future academic and career goals. It was not until 2001 that the DREAM Act was first introduced to Congress with Congressman Luis Gutiérrez being the biggest advocate of the bill. For ten years the bill has seen many variations and has been introduced in both the Senate and the House at different times with the help of Senator Dick Durbin. The bill continues to remain at a standstill.

Federal DREAM Act eligibility requirements:

· Came to the United States at age 16 or younger before the date of the bill’s enactment.

· Be between the ages of 12 and 30 at the time of bill enactment.

· Have graduated from an American high school, obtained a GED, or have been admitted to an institution of higher education.

· Have “good moral character.”

· Have registered with the Selective Service, if male.

While the Illinois DREAM Act does not promise legalization, it does focus on giving DREAM youth the opportunity to attend a college or university and access to different resources that can make this a possibility.

Illinois DREAM Act:

· Does not offer students legal status.

· Since undocumented student are not eligible to apply for financial aid and different grants such as the Pell Grant, the state will distribute privately funded collage scholarships to as many as 95,000 undocumented students.

· Will make college-saving programs such as College Illinois a possibility.

· The Illinois DREAM Act advocates the training of school counselors to help DREAM youth find the best educational opportunities possible. This, in turn, will help decrease the high school dropout rate which has been exceptionally high in the Latino community.

· Helping students to get to and from school, the DREAM Act will enable them to receive a driver’s certification.

In order for a person to fully become an integral member of the United States’ society and enjoy its opportunities, they first need to gain full citizenship. If full citizenship is not gained, there will always be limitations placed on a person. This is why it is important to keep lobbying for the federal passage of the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act at the federal level would give students the “conditional” status and, after a period of time, would allow them to apply for permanent residency and citizenship. Lastly, while Illinois youth will certainly benefit from the DREAM Act, there are thousands of immigrant students out there waiting for the opportunity to see their dreams come true.

I see the benefits of the Illinois DREAM Act here at Mujeres Latinas en Acción where many of our youth have joined the “DREAMers.” From the get- go we learn the goals an aspirations of these young girls that become part of our programs. Every single one of them dreams of the day when they get that acceptance letter of a university in the mail. Now, this dream can come true and they can reach their full potential. While other states are passing increasingly anti-immigrant legislation, I am particularly proud of the passage of this bill in the state of Illinois. Illinois has given a voice to many DREAMers, hopefully this will be an example to other states for the signing of similar bills and ultimately the passage of the DREAM Act at the federal level.

Maria Pesqueira

A word to every woman…

Today, on International Women’s Day, I want to emphasize how proud I am to be a part of Mujeres Latinas en Acción. To staff, I hope that you also feel proud for your tireless efforts to help women reach their fullest potential. To all of the women and men who have provided the impetus for change and empowerment to Latinas and their families, I thank you.

To our many supporters – board of directors, Young Professionals Advisory Council, Emeritus board members, community organizations, and donors- thank you for being a part of something that is so much bigger than each and every one of us.

At Mujeres Latinas Acción, we strive to make every woman feel exceptional and able to surpass any obstacle that stands between them and success with guidance and support; above all, we help women rediscover their self-esteem as well as their collective voice to work towards powerful and lasting change in their lives, families, and communities.

As part of today’s celebration, I encourage you to keep supporting women locally and around the world, as there are yet many challenges that women need to overcome in order to erase the disparities that still exist.

On behalf of Mujeres Latinas en Acción, I also encourage women who are not yet citizens of the United States to follow the path to legal residency so that they can gain the power of the vote. Let your voices be heard. Speak up for your rights and those of others who cannot.  Walk strong with your sisters and brothers to make sure that our children inherit a fair and equitable future.

Sincerely,

Maria Pesqueira