Voices of Resistance: Testimonies of Cuban and Chilean Women

by Judy Maloof

Overview

Latin American women were among those who led the suffrage movements of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and their opposition to military dictatorships has galvanized more recent political movements throughout the region. But because of the continuous attempts to silence them, activists have struggled to make their voices heard. At the heart of Voices of Resistance are the testimonies of thirteen women who fought for human rights and social justice in their communities. Some played significant roles in the Cuban Revolution of 1959, while others organized grassroots resistance to the seventeen-year Pinochet dictatorship in Chile. Though the women share many objectives, they are a diverse group, ranging in age from thirty to eighty and coming from varied ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The Cuban and Chilean women Judy Maloof interviewed use the narrative form to reinvent themselves. Maloof includes narratives from a poet, a tobacco worker, a political prisoner, an artist, and a social worker to demonstrate the different faces of their struggle. In the process, these women were able to begin to put together their fragmented lives. Speaking out is both a means for personal liberation and a political act of protest against authoritarian regimes. The bond that these women have is not simply that they have suffered; they share a commitment to resisting violence and confronting inequities at great personal risk.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813120799
Publisher:	University Press of Kentucky
Publication date:	12/23/1998
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

Editorial Reviews

Recipient of an outstanding book award from the Gustavus Myers Center.

From the Publisher

Maloof's juxtaposition of Cuban women's memories of participation in the Revolution with more recent stories that Chilean women tell of their political resistance is original and intriguing.

Amy Kaminsky

Contains the testimonies of thirteen Cuban and Chilean women who fought for human rights and social justice in their communities.

Educational Book Review

There women bear witness and serve as agent—not just mere representative—of a collective memory and identity constructed in social movements against oppression and exploitation.

Choice

From active roles in the Cuban Revolution to grassroots resistance against Pinochet, these women have also worked tirelessly for women's and workers' rights. Finally, these voices — despite attempts to silence them — can now be heard.

Feminist Bookstore News

More than narratives of personal experience, each was a testimony on the way historical events had impacted their daily lives—in most cases, with tragic results.... An important book.

Journal of the West

Thirteen Cuban and Chilean women tell of their struggles for human rights and social justice in their communities. Some played significant roles in the Cuban Revolution of 1959, while others organized grassroots resistance to the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile. They range in age from 30 to 80, and come from varied ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Among them are a poet, a tobacco worker, a political prisoner, and a documentary filmmaker. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknew.com)

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