Chicanas in charge

In honor of Women's History Month, the Business and Fine Arts division sponsored a panel discussion featuring women highlighted in the book Chicanas In Charge: Texas Women in the Public Arena.

Chicanas In Charge was compiled by Jose Angel Gutierrez, Michelle Menendez, and Sonia Adriana Noyola. The book profiles the careers of the female community and political leaders from Texas' Chicano community.

Guest panelists included Anita Martinez, first Hispanic on the Dallas city council; Mercedes Olivera, Hispanic writer for the Dallas Morning News; the honorable Lena Levario, first Hispanic appointed to the state district court bench in Dallas county; councilwoman Pauline Medrano, representative for district two; Elvira Reyna, first Republican Hispanic woman elected to the House of Representatives and Martha Sanchez Metzger, district four trustee for the Dallas County Community College District.

The purpose of the panel discussion was to illustrate the importance of the core curriculum and careers in politics, education, journalism and history.

The presentation, moderated by ESOL advisor Yolanda Roncal, was opened by asking each panelist to discuss their greatest influence on the road to success.

Each panelist cited family members and the close-knit communities in which they grew up as their greatest influences.

Olivera was raised by a supportive family that taught her a strong work ethic is the hallmark of the country. Olivera's greatest influence came from her grandmother, who was the matriarch of her family.

Levario was largely influenced by her father, who wanted her to become a civil rights attorney to fight the social injustices that plagued west Texas. In earlier decades, Hispanics in west Texas had to abide by the same harsh Jim Crow laws as African-Americans.

Metzger, who started at EFC as a volunteer, says it was her parents who instilled in her the importance of pursuing new educational experiences.

When Roncal asked the panel their views on the importance of education, Reyna said, "just finishing high school was 'the dream." Receiving a high school diploma was what her mother expected her to do, which makes Reyna increasingly proud of her college degree.

From an early age, Medrano was equally aware of the importance of education.

"Education was a must in our home," Medrano said. "The question was never 'if' you were going to go to college; the question was 'which college are you going to."

Martinez, who was the only child in her family to finish high school, said you have to be self-motivated in regards to your education".

Many students who attended the discussion benefited from the information presented by the panelists.

Forensics major Lindsay Files said, "I learned from the women that you can reach your goals no matter the circumstances."

When asked how the discussion affected her outlook on Hispanic women in the public arena, Files said, "I think that it doesn't matter what race you are; you can still make a difference."

Contact Candace at etc4640@dcccd.edu