This chapter explores the leadership experiences of Latinas in Wisconsin and Iowa from a variety of occupational and ethnic backgrounds. Drawing on oral histories and archival documents, it places gender at the center of the analysis of twentieth-century migration of women and their families into the Midwest - first from Mexico and Texas and later from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Central America. Understanding the leadership work of these Latinas in communities, organizations, and homes, as well as their advocacy for civil rights and women’s rights as professional and blue-collar workers, helps reshape and enrich the narrative of the history of the Midwest.
Till-Retz, and anonymous reviewers for reading earlier drafts of this essay and making helpful comments and suggestions. Thanks also to Shelton Stromquist and Omar Valerio-Jiménez, faculty members of the University of Iowa history department, and Kären Mason, curator of the Iowa Women's Archives, for critiquing late drafts of this essay.
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