Human Tradition Summaries 1-10

By Vanessa Hebert

Section 1: Maria Antonia Muniz-Frontier Matriarch

Lived 1762 – 1870 in Uruguay (which was caught in conflict between Brazil and Argentina

Status of frontier civilian / widowed matriarch

Chief activities of raising 13 children and managing family estates

Maria Antonia Muniz (cont’d) General History:

Issues of royalism vs. patriotism & empire vs. independence overshadowed by conflict between countries and frontier life

Land of opportunity = land of danger

Lived during Spanish – American wars of 1810 brought profit due to Brazilians moving across the borderland

Cattle and land were their livelihood

Suffered watching murders among children ultimately due to political and economic unrest

Left a legacy of frontier, hard intense life, and maintaining culture and family tradition in spite of hardships

Section 2: Carlota Lucia de BritoWomen, Power and Politics in

Northeast Brazil Lived during mid-1800’s in Brazil

Mistress of Paraiban politician in small town of Pernambuco, Brazil

PERNAMBUCO (home) >>

<< Pedro II (ruler of Brazil

during Carlota’s life)

Carlota Lucia de Brito (cont’d)

General history: Gained political power through politician boyfriend Survivor or refugee from drought in small town (1854) which

severely altered social and political conditions Incurred conservative thirst for vengeance upon the plot of the

murder of a politician (fighting for honor) Relevant to historical context due to the issues of:

Women’s rights Family-based politics of Brazil at the time Unrest of deciding between old ways and new ways Mirrors impact of liberal vs. conservative and European versus

Iberian influences in Brazil

Section 3: Nicolas Zuniga y Miranda – Mexican Sartre on the

Zocalo Lived 1856 – 1927 during the rule of Porfirio Diaz in

Mexico

Earned prestige based on scientific inventions and earthquake prediction jests (acquired the wealth of politician status and ran against Diaz in 1896 and 1900)

Explanation of “bad faith” in the midst of political growth (town drunks, negative impacts, etc.)

Nicolas Zuniga y Miranda (cont’d) General History:

Represents one facet of political inconsistency and satire during the turn of the nineteenth century (standing against mainstream values)

Comical characteristics that deflected criticism of colleagues and political opponents

Utilized streetcorner preaching and melodrama tactics

Represents an important stand against serious political actors of his day – “sanctioned or not – he’s nobody’s fool” ( Beezley, 74)

Section 4: Pedro Crespo – The Rough and Tumble Career

Grew up in Temax, Mexico near the Gulf of Mexico and lived from 1870 to late 1940

Humble village origins >> revolutionary prominent military player

Stood with the establishment

<<Temax, Mexico (near Merida)

in the Gulf of Mexico >>

Pedro Crespo (cont’d) General History:

Prime example of the conflict regarding what type of people should be considered Mexican – the seriousness of the conflict of the Mexican Revolution

Rising military leader able to bridge gaps between villagers and political ends

Crespo = cautious policeman turned vengeful revolutionary

Became the Yucatan’s most successful insurgent at a time when it was a political vacuum at the fall of Diaz

Represents a regional revolutionary hero who left a legacy that remains critical to politics in Mexico

Section 5: Pagu: Patricia Galvao -Rebel

Lived 1910-1962 in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Public Figure status – gained through her published writings and politically agitating public displays

Occupied her life with absorbing political taboos and turning contemporary ideologies of Sao Paulo around

Patricia Galvao (cont’d) Monumental figure for:

Women’s rights

Elimination of poverty and class exploitation

Liberation from social norms

View of bourgeoisie politicians as “parasites”

Independence from “rich” aristocracies

Never shrank from consequences of idealism

Galvao lost friends, but impacted the “mental horizons” of hundreds of thousands of people

Section 5 – Ofelia Dominguez Navarro: The Making of a Cuban

Socialist-Feminist Lived in Cuba during 1930’s through the global

frustrations of the depression

Politically active Cuban Woman, an example of political voice - the prime of which was 1923-1946

Childhood = Cuba’s struggle for independence

Fought against “political immunity”

Ofelia Dominguez Navarro (cont’d)

Known for her political attitudes of

Significant for raising the question of women’s rights in newly independent Cuba

Spoke before political assemblies about women’s rights

Helped form Union Laborista de Mujeres (REFORM)

Noted for understanding the psychology of her jailers while imprisoned for political activism

Ofelia’s personal honesty and passion was an example of horrendous political terror , as well as opportunity, for a person who was meant for revolution regardless of her circumstances

Section 5 – Ligia Parra Jahn: The Blonde with the Revolver

Lived in Post WW2 Venezuela (late 1940’s)

During transformation to iron-fist gov’t of Jiminez

Part of the modest middle class, originally unaware of political issues – but moved to awareness through a government position of dental aid and social security

Ligia Parra Jahn (cont’d) Significance of her story: Mirrored conflicting old and new values of honor and

shame in tradition Venezuelan families through illegitimate sexual relations

Acted “for all women” politically by shooting her ex-partner on a personal account

Was released from jail early out of political discussion being raised about women’s rights and her motivations for killing Josebo

“In part, she was killing herself” by having sex before marriage (Ewell, 221) – Shows the state of women’s rights in the societal context of her relationship with Josebo

Section 6: Irma Muller Lived through the 1980’s in Chile

Lost her son and future daughter-in-law in “deseparacidos” during The Dirty Wars

Became a representative for justice through relatives’ associations of the “disappeared”

Irma Muller (cont’d) Her story helped me to see that “what is political is

also personal”

Example of the intense sociopolitical climate that caused the future election of a Marxist president in Chile (Gossens in 1970)

“…silence is our worst enemy” – Muller

Spent her life committed to the exposure of the severe torturous acts of the Chilean government during this season of her life for the sake of the vindication of her son and his fiancee

Section 6 - Leticia: A Nicaraguan Woman’s Struggle

Lived through the 1980’s in Esteli, Nicaragua (two hours from tobacco country) – a place of symbolic significance for the excessive amount of conflict it endured due to its opposition to the Nicaraguan gov’t

Grew up impoverished

Family tortured for opposing Somoza government

Life often touched by U.S. Contras vs. Nicaragua war

Leticia (cont’d) Historical Significance of Leticia’s Story: Demonstrated how politics is always personal

Showed the modern role of females at the time

Leticia left Nicaragua for emotional reasons relating to her family, but ultimately the problems were caused by tense and difficult external political circumstances

Esteli, her hometown, was a place that she was driven out of due to political strains, but desired to return to because for hope of a future

“Leticia’s problems are not separate or isolated from those of her country”…The struggle continues.

Section 6 – Maria Ferreira dos Santos

Set during early 1960’s in Sao Paulo Brazil

Member of Christian Base Community (normally the least privileged class of society)

Concerned with stimulating political awareness and action in her community through CEBs

Maria Ferreira dos Santos (cont’d) Member of CEBs – social/politically active church

Maria was part of this religious response to oppression

Committed to the cause of justice through social action through catholic church

Sees Jesus Christ as the “liberator of the poor and oppressed” therefore He is the one who cultivates and motivates her political action

Significant because these groups will never be internationally recognized as political players – but through people like Maria we see a huge role in “the individual” and awareness raising in Latin America…Maria shows that when people turn to Jesus for solutions, he shows up. Religion is inseparable from people and politics