Ladina Social Activism in Guatemala City, 1871-1954

By: Patricia Harms

Sign Up Now! Already a Member? Log In
You must be logged into Bookshare to access this title. Learn about membership options, or view our freely available titles.

Synopsis: In this groundbreaking new study on ladinas in Guatemala City, Patricia Harms contests the virtual erasure of women from the country&’s national memory and its historical consciousness. Harms focuses on Spanish-speaking women during the &“revolutionary decade&” and the &“liberalism&” periods, revealing a complex, significant, and palpable feminist movement that emerged in Guatemala during the 1870s and remained until 1954. During this era ladina social activists not only struggled to imagine a place for themselves within the political and social constructs of modern Guatemala, but they also wrestled with ways in which to critique and identify Guatemala&’s gendered structures within the context of repressive dictatorial political regimes and entrenched patriarchy. Harms&’s study of these women and their struggles fills a sizeable gap in the growing body of literature on women&’s suffrage, social movements, and political culture in modern Latin America. It is a valuable addition to students and scholars studying the rich history of the region.