Mexican American Business and Professional Women's Association Records

Chapters of the Mexican American Business and Professional Women's Association (MABPWA) were founded in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio between 1972 and 1974. The Austin chapter of the organization was founded in March 1974. The name for the group was chosen in April of 1974, and the original Steering Committee for the Austin chapter included Annabelle Valle, Amalia Rodriguez-Mendoza, Marta de Luna, Sylvia Anita Garcia, Inez Garcia, Hermelinda Rodriguez, Mary Helen Valadez, Martha P. Cotera, Norma Carreon, Susana Elizondo, Ora Gloria, and Carlota Cardenas Dwyer. The Austin Chapter held their first annual meeting on June 27, 1974 with more than 100 women in attendance. At the meeting, they formally adopted the name Mexican American Business and Professional Women's Association. MABPWA was the first Texas-based professional organization for Mexican American women that was also run by women.

The three chapters of MABPWA established the following objectives for their organization:

1. To promote a high level of community involvement among Mexican American business and professional women;

2. To become a viable vehicle for expressing the needs and aspirations of the group;

3. To promote the acquisition of organizational skills, public relations and advocacy skills;

4. To effectuate local change affecting Mexican American women through group action;

5. To promote the image of Mexican American women; and

6. To promote communication among women across business and professional lines.

Each club sought to accomplish these goals in ways best suited to their communities. In Dallas, MABPWA focused on rape prevention, career development, and hosting employment workshops for members. It also ran an annual scholarship fund, worked with local girls' clubs, created charity projects and organized celebrations of September 16th, Mexico's Independence Day. The Dallas and San Antonio MABPWA chapters also affiliated with the National Federation of Business Women's Clubs.

In Austin, MABPWA worked to establish a Mexican American library at the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection. They also started La Semana de la Mujer Chicana (“Chicana's Week”) in 1976, an annual event of cultural activities and seminars that ended with a banquet to honor outstanding Hispanic women of the community. Over time, the project was endorsed by city and county officials, as well as women in the League of United Latin American Citizens and Mujeres Artistas del Suroeste. The Austin group also sponsored a S.I.S. (Stay-In-School) mentor project with Austin Independent School District.

Many of MABPWA's early leaders were also politically active. Over time, this lead to MABPWA becoming more involved with local political campaigns and issues. The three chapters pressed for protection of civil rights and condemned the police violence alleged in the Jose Campos Torres case in Houston in 1977. The groups also participated in international celebrations like International Women's Year in 1977, and International Year of the Child in 1979. With MABPWA campaigning for her, Maria Antoinetta Berriozabal, was elected to the San Antonio city council in 1981. In Austin, MABPWA provided public testimony on women's issues such as the Equal Rights Amendment, educational needs for divorced or widowed women and single mothers, abuse, discrimination and rape. They also lobbied city officials for increased representation of Mexican Americans.

References:

- Acosta, Teresa Palomo, and Ruthe Winegarten. Las Tejanas: 300 Years of History. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2003.

- Garcia, Sonia R., et al. Politicas: Latina Public Officials in Texas. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2008.

- Mexican American Business and Professional Women's Association Records, Benson Latin American Collection, University Libraries, the University of Texas at Austin.

- Teresa Palomo Acosta. "MEXICAN AMERICAN BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/vum01). accessed October 07, 2013. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.

Martha P. Cotera

Writer and political activist Martha Cotera, née Martha Piña, was born in Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico, on January 17, 1939 and moved to El Paso, Texas, as a child. Cotera earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Master's in Education from Juárez-Lincoln University in Austin, Texas. She has worked as a librarian and consultant in Crystal City, Mercedes, and Austin.

Cotera founded Information Systems Development, a consulting firm in Austin and was publisher of the Austin Hispanic Directory. Cotera was active in Raza Unida Party politics, the feminist movement, the Mexican American Business and Professional Women's Association, and other educational and social agencies. Cotera is also the author of several books and articles on Chicanas.

References:

- Martha Cotera Papers, Benson Latin American Collection, University of Texas Libraries, the University of Texas at Austin.