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163 7 On Women in the Revolution When the New York Young Lords organization was founded in the summer of 1969, it filled a need for progressive Puerto Rican activism that had been created when the first generation of militants was driven underground by McCarthyism in the 1950s. In the beginning, however, some of their goals vis-à-vis gender equality were not yet being enacted. Women in the Lords confronted their male leaders with a simple demand: start promoting women’s equal agency in the revolutionary struggle. The selections in this chapter explore the various ways in which the Young Lords publicly articulated their demand for equality and their critique of a dominating masculinity known as machismo . Women’s Oppression: Cortejas (From the newspaper Palante, 22 May 1970, volume 2, number 3) It is a well known fact that in our Puerto Rican culture married men are encouraged to have a woman on the side, or what we call “una corteja.” It is a fact of our society that we try to hide, yet it is there and is clearly oppressive to our women. The wife is there to be a home-maker, to have children and to maintain the family name and honor. Therefore she must be “pure” for the rest of her life, meaning no sexual pleasure. The wife must have children in order to enhance the man’s concept of virility and his position within the Puerto Rican society. La corteja becomes his sexual instrument. The man may set her up in another household, paying her bills. The man may have children with this women, but they are looked upon as by-products of a sexual relationship. Both women must be loyal to the man. Both women are exploited, neither being allowed to develop as total human beings and being forced into dependency on a man for status. Also both sets of children grow up very confused and insecure and develop negative attitudes about the role and function of women as well as a messed up concept of what manhood is. We know that under capitalism, manhood is defined according to the amount of money a male has. Puerto Ricans, since they are exploited by capitalists, have no money, and as a result no status or prestige. As Eldridge Cleaver puts it, our men are “deballed.” Since they can’t prove manhood economically, they try to do it sexually at the expense of their women. We say that for our men to have a corteja is oppressive to women. The 10th point of the YOUNG LORDS ORGANIZATION Platform states: “WE WANT EQUALITY FOR WOMEN. Machismo must be revolutionary and not oppressive.” The exploitation of Puerto Rican women on the part of Puerto Rican men must stop; Puerto Rican men must realize that machismo is an extension of capitalism and must be gotten rid of. Puerto Rican women must realize that the main oppressor is u.s. capitalism. As Puerto Rican people, we must not allow this racist decadent system to rule over our lives because it destroys us. There- 164 On Women in the Revolution fore, we must destroy it first. We have to control our own destinies and determine our lives in order to be free to create a new and equitable system for women and men. Our people must pick up the gun and say to the pig, Basta ya! FORWARD SISTERS IN THE STRUGGLE! MACHISMO IS FASCISM! SELF-DETERMINATION FOR ALL PUERTO RICANS! Connie Morales Education Ministry YOUNG LORDS ORGANIZATION Bronx Branch Revolutionary Sister (From the newspaper Palante, 19 June 1970, volume 2, number 5) On October 29, 1950, in the town of Jayuya, a group of Puerto Rican nationalists were meeting to discuss and decide on a plan of action. The Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico was undergoing a great deal of repression. They knew that orders had come down from Washington to arrest the members of the Nationalists Party and destroy, once and for all, the only source of opposition to amerikkkan colonization of Puerto Rico. The patriots of Jayuya arrived and as the meeting began, the room became filled with an air of tension and an uneasy silence was felt by everyone present. A small, medium-build woman presided over the meeting, and all attention became focused upon her. A soft-spoken woman, Blanca Canales possessed those qualities of Puerto Rican womanhood at its highest level—courage, dedication, and moral strength. Thoughherphysicalappearancegavetheimpressionofadelicateandfragileperson,Blanca maintained the inner control to remain calm in...

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