Tuesday 8/11, 8a: We continue our look at the history of women's suffrage in New Mexico and the ultimate ratification of the 19th Amendment, including an intriguing corrido about women and the vote.
In the first episode we explored the history of suffrage in the West, including its links to colonization and white supremacy, and how New Mexico’s history differed sharply from those other Western states. In this episode we pick up the thread after the 1910 constitutional convention ahead of statehood in 1912 which gave women limited suffrage by allowing them to vote in school elections.
From there, we will introduce some of the key individuals who used a variety of methods and strategies to push New Mexico over the finish line toward ratification.
We will also share a hidden gem uncovered during our research, a rare and unique song, called “El corrido de la votación” or The Ballad of the Vote and explain why this piece in and of itself was such a strong argument for gender equality.
Resources
- A Centennial Glimpse into New Mexico’s Suffrage Movement through “El corrido de la votación” - Smithsonian Folklife Magazine
- Suffrage in Spanish: Hispanic Women and the Fight for the 19th Amendment in New Mexico - article by Cathleen Cahill
La Votación Corrido - new arrangement by Enrique Lamadrid, performed by Jordan Wax of Lone Piñon and Lara Manzanares
Guests
- Cathleen Cahill, Associate Professor of History, Penn State
- Dr. Sylvia Ramos Cruz, retired physician and women’s rights advocate
- Meredith Machen, Executive Team, Education Chair, Immigration Chair, Past President, League of Women Voters of New Mexico
- Carmella Scorcia Pacheco, PhD Student in Border Studies in the Spanish and Portuguese Department in the Border Studies program, University of Arizona
