The voices of more than 30 activists, mothers and scholars bring light to maternal resistance to border violence in "Frontera Madre(hood): Brown Mothers Challenging Oppression and Transborder Violence at the U.S.-Mexico Border," an anthology edited by New Mexico State University professor Cynthia Bejarano and University of Texas at El Paso professor Maria Cristina Morales.
The book and its authors were recognized Feb. 28 at the Southwest Book Awards ceremony at Ardovino's Desert Crossing. This is the second award for their book. It earned a gold award last fall in the "Best Women's Issues Book" category at the International Latino Book Awards.
"For several years, Cristina and I have noted the incredible experiences of people living on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, and the role that women have as leaders and scholars in shaping their communities," said Bejarano, an NMSU Regents professor in gender and sexuality studies. "We documented the everyday stories that inspired us across the nearly 2,000-mile span of the border and identified women scholars, community members and activists conducting research or writing their testimonio/es on the distinctive forms of mothering occurring at the borderlands. As we worked to articulate how motherhood takes shape differently in border regions, we also spoke of the volatility and simultaneous beauty of the border, and the indelible imprint it leaves on its people and places. This uniqueness prompted us to develop what we call Frontera Madre(hood), which is the title of the book."
"'Frontera Madre(hood)' created a space for women from the U.S.-Mexico border, like us, to voice their own stories and lived experiences," said Morales, UTEP professor of sociology. "Usually, outsiders paint quick and inaccurate pictures of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands that tend to shape negative perceptions of the border and its people, both politically and in popular culture. In 'Frontera Madre(hood),' through a collection of testimonios, lived experiences and research, we learn about the unique challenges of mothering at the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as the resistance and resilience that create a better world for youth and entire communities."
"Frontera Madre(hood)" has representation from both sides of the border, from academics to community advocates and mothers who are activists and struggling against environmental issues that are impacting them, such as poor health care, inadequate education and pervasive violence. One such activist is on the cover of the book.
"Paula Flores Bonilla is an inspiration to me. She's a mentor," said Bejarano. "I refer to her as our muse because of her bravery. Her daughter, Sagrario, was killed in Juárez in 1998, and she has been fiercely committed to finding justice in her case ever since. She founded an organization called Voces sin Eco and has done so much for her family and her community, even before Sagrario was killed. She migrated with her family to Juárez to work in the maquiladoras, just a few years before their tragedy."
Flores' daughter was among hundreds of women whose lives were taken in what is known internationally as the femicides in Ciudad Juárez, a long-standing epidemic of gender-based violence that has plagued the city since 1993.
Violence is among many topics in "Frontera Madre(hood)." To break down the meaning of the title, Bejarano explained that "frontera" represents cultural, social and psychological boundaries that form insider and outsider relations and relationships. "Madre" represents mothering in a geographical context that also influences how children are raised, while "hood" represents the neighborhood, the barrio, community work and community engagement by women.
The different themes in the book evolved naturally from the concept of caring for children, and not just biological children.
"We feel adamantly that people can mother in multiple ways," Bejarano said. "You don't have to have biological children to mother. For instance, one of our contributors, an anthropologist, wrote about her advocacy work with young migrant men and how when she would go and visit them, they would call her mother. I was so moved by that chapter because they were not her biological children, but she cared for them as if they were."
Women whose work is represented in the book discuss their lived experiences, research or community work, challenging multiple layers of oppression, including militarization of the border, border security propaganda, feminicides, drug war and colonial violence. They also talk about their personal experiences grieving the loss of a child, challenging racism against them as Indigenous mothers, their work in maquiladoras, queer mothering, academia and motherhood, and institutional barriers erected by government systems to access affordable health care and environmental justice.
"Every time I present, discuss or even re-read 'Frontera Madre(hood),' it feels like opening its pages for the very first time," Morales said. "The stories shared by our women contributors move me deeply. They stir a full spectrum of emotions: sadness and anger at the injustices they confront, as well as a profound admiration for their strength, resilience and unwavering love. Amid the layers of structural inequities that shape 'madre'-work along the border, these women carve out spaces not only to survive but to thrive, to love and to empower their families and entire border communities. Their actions remind us that resistance can be tender, communal and transformational."
"We are thrilled that the book has been recognized with these two awards," Bejarano said. "I'm grateful that the women represented in this book are receiving the attention they deserve for their compelling and inspiring work and the courage and resilience that they demonstrate each day."
The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/-frontera-madre-hood---receives-international-latino-book-award--southwest-book-award/s/e152ab24-1645-49bf-95d2-488cde742d2a
