Viola Casares (born 1944) was the founder of a group called Fuerza Unida, an activist group in San Antonio, Texas.[1]
Viola Casares | |
|---|---|
 Petra Mata and Viola Casares | |
| Born | 1944 (age 79–80) Mexico |
| Known for | Activism with Fuerza Unida |
| Movement | Fuerza Unida |
| Awards | Ohtli Award |
| Website | http://www.fuerzaunida.org/ |
Life and Activism
editIn the 1990s, Viola Casares and 1,250 Mexican and Mexican-American women workers at Levi Strauss & Company[2] were laid off overnight.[3][4] Together, Viola Casares and Petra Marta, also laid off from Levi, started Fuerza Unida[1][5] and co-directed the grassroots co-operative. The group coordinated protests against Levi Strauss & Company for the lack of corporate responsibility to workers. In the late 1990s, Levi did a second round of lay off and this time offered workers a severance package of roughly $30,000 per worker. Casares representing Fuerza Unida asked the company to negotiate a similar package for the 1990s former employees.[6][7] She received the Ohtli Award for her work in community activism from the government of Mexico at the National Convention of League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in San Juan Puerto Rico on July 17, 2009.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c April Lopez (2009-08-20). "Viola Casares: 'It comes out of your heart' - San Antonio Express-News". Mysanantonio.com. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
- ^ Kara, Zugman (2003). "Political consciousness and new social movement theory: the case of Fuerza Unida". Social Justice. 30 (1): 153.
- ^ Janet L., Finn (Winter 2002). "WOMEN CREATING CHANGE Fuerza Unida". Affilia.
- ^ Mata, Jennifer Rebecca (2004). Creating a critical Chicana narrative: Writing the Chicanas at Farah into labor history. Washington State University: ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. p. 157.
- ^ "Fuerza Unida: The Focal Point of Activism, Honorable Recognition of Petra Mata" (PDF). LULAC News: 11–11. Winter 2010.
- ^ Medaille, Bill (December 1997). "Faded denim NAFTA blues". Multinational Monitor. 18 (12): 23–26.
- ^ M.L., Yoon (2001). "Migrating from Exploitation to Dignity: Immigrant Women Workers and the Struggle for Justice. (INTERVIEW)". Multinational Monitor. (10): 25.
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