Edited by Karen J. Blair

This new edition of Karen Blair's popular anthology originally published in 1989 includes thirteen essays, eight of which are new. Together they suggest the wide spectrum of women's experiences that make up a vital part of Northwest history.

A Chicana in northern Aztlan: An oral history of Dora Sanchez Trevino by:Jerry Garcia

The following interview with Dora Sanchez Trevino elaborates on issues of gender in the workplace, of being Chicana in an Anglo-dominated community, and of her life as a woman.28 Dora provides a glimpse of her childhood and the dynamics of a traditional patriarchal Mexican family. Her relationships with her brother and eventually with her husband depict some of the cultural norms within this patriarchal system. Starting at a very young age, Dora has been employed weeding sugar beet fields, as a teacher's aide, and as a professional employee with a state agency. From this background, she has witnessed the position of Chicanas in the workplace in Quincy. Dora's description of her high school experiences in Quincy contributes to our understanding of the type of race and class relations that existed between Anglos and Chicanos in the early 1960s. Her involvement with Chicano organizations and union activism as well as her continued role in politics illustrate all those issues from a Chicana perspective. Dora Trevino's life in Quincy may not be representative of all Chicanas in the community, but through her eyes we can begin to see a portion of the overall experiences of Chicanas in Quincy.

I chose to feature the history and experience of Dora Sanchez Trevino because she has lived in Quincy since the early 1960s and has firsthand knowledge of the growth and development of the community. Additionally, she has been the only woman of color to hold political office in Quincy, that of councilwoman. Specifically, I wanted to glean information from Dora on her experience as a Chicana in Quincy, to examine what kind of differences or similarities might emerge between her experience and those of other Chicanas in Quincy and of Chicano men.29 Although it is only one example, Dora's family history provides insight into the type of Chicano families arriving in Quincy during the early 1960s. Finally, Dora's personal journey-as a Chicana, mother, wife, and professional worker-provide her with a variety of views and experiences.

Pub Date: 2001 ISBN: PAPER:    0-295-98046-X    9780295980461 Price: Paper: $22.50 Subject Listing: Western History Bibliographic information: 334 pp., 27 illus., 5 in color, 6" x 9"