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Axios Latino is the newsletter that summarizes the key news for Latino communities in the hemisphere every Tuesday and Thursday.
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1. The theme to highlight: Few historical sites honor Latinas and Latin Americans
There are few statues dedicated to influential Latinas or who have defended civil rights in the United States, according to a count by Axios Latino.
In Latin America, although there are some monuments of group iconography of female fighters, the numbers are also very low.
Why It Matters
: The women who make history are rarely commemorated in public spaces.
And even less if they are Latino, black, Asian or indigenous.
A 2021 count found that a mermaid sculpture is easier to find in the United States than a real woman with historical impact, according to the nonprofit group Monument Lab.
It found that only three of the 50 most monumentally registered historical figures in the US are women, including abolitionist Harriet Tubman.
In contrast, 25 of the honored figures were slaveholders.
The Intrigue
: A review of Axios Latino focused especially on Latinas found few sites dedicated to them in the United States.
Dolores Huerta in 2017 Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
There is no monument or plaque that speaks of Maria Moreno, an Apache and Mexican-American labor organizer who once spoke along with Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy.
There are plaques in honor of the Texan activist Emma Tenayuca, although they are not very easy to find.
This January San Antonio announced that it will name a street in honor of Tenayuca, who died in 1999, following an initiative by students from St. Mary's University.
We found a plaque dedicated to the Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos... but in the Dominican Republic, not in the US.
There is a statue of Dolores Huerta in downtown Napa, California, but she does not appear alone but with César Chávez, with whom she founded the United Farm Workers.
Beyond
: Although there is no regional database of monuments in Latin America, local data yields few statues that honor real-life women (although there are many of religious iconography or inspired by Greco-Roman deities).
In SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil, only eight of more than 140 statues honor women;
in Bogotá, Colombia, there are also eight, but with more than 700 monuments.
In Chile, only 4.7% of the monuments represent real-life women... although half of them are dedicated to just one, the poet and Nobel Prize winner Gabriela Mistral.
There are usually more group monuments.
Among them, Women in Memory, which honors the victims of the dictatorship in Chile;
Las Residentas, which commemorates the Paraguayan women who helped rebuild the country after the War of the Triple Alliance in the 19th century;
and HeroĂnas de la Coronilla, which captures the 300 women, mostly indigenous, who fought Spanish colonizers in Cochabamba during the independence of what is now Bolivia.
2. Environmental injustice in pregnancy
Exposure to air pollution and psychological stress among low-income Hispanic pregnant women can have a large negative effect on fetal growth, according to a study.
Overview
: Latino populations are among the groups most consistently exposed to smog, lead poisoning, unsafe water, and toxic waste in the United States.
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Recent studies, including a Guardian analysis published last week, have found that Black and Latino people live in US cities and neighborhoods with the worst pollution rates, such as Houston and parts of Los Angeles.
Such exposure can aggravate the risks of premature death or chronic diseases such as asthma and heart conditions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Those risks may be worse for low birth weight babies.
Details
: The fetal growth study, published on the JAMA Network, looked at 628 Latinas who were pregnant and visited clinics in California between 2015 and 2021.
It found that exposure to a slightly higher level of PM2.5 (particles that result from burning diesel or gasoline fuel) at the midpoint of pregnancy meant a 9.5-gram/0.33-ounce lower birth weight.
If the women reported additional psychological stress, their baby's birth weight dropped from one ounce (34 grams) when PM2.5 levels were high to four ounces.
(117 grams) when exposure to nitrogen oxides caused by burning fossil fuels was also high.
Current Status
: The EPA announced a rule Wednesday as part of its Good Neighbor Plan, which the agency says will reduce smog and nitrogen oxide pollution for communities living near power plants in 23 states.
The budget proposed by the Joe Biden Administration for fiscal year 2024, presented last week, seeks $52 billion for environmental investments, such as low-emission public transportation.
The EPA also announced in January that it would distribute $100 million in grants to community nonprofit organizations and local governments to address environmental issues.
3. In Her Words: Josie Lopez
This is the first in our series on Latinas influencing their industries and communities, in observance of Women's History Month in the United States.
Who I am
: Josie Lopez, 41 years old.
I live in Los Angeles.
What I do
: I am a co-founder of Advancio, a provider of IT solutions committed to sustainability, diversity and inclusion.
What motivates me
: I have overcome challenges that make me very aware that time flies;
my father was diagnosed with colon cancer 15 years ago and he passed away shortly thereafter.
In honor of that I want my life to have an impact.
How is my day
: It starts at 5 in the morning when I meditate for about 20 minutes.
I feel like that sets me up for the day and whatever challenges I may face.
Courtesy of Josie Lopez
My mom comes to our house around 7 in the morning to help with the four children.
The morning routine for them to wake up and go to class is crazy.
I work from 8 to 5 between meetings, networking and so on.
We have dinner as a family, we clean up and I'm ready for the next day.
My goal is
: Touch the lives of 10,000 people through technology.
I would like people who are similar to me to have more access to these positions and salaries, to be empowered, because with this they will give back and reinvest where they came from, and a positive circle will be created.
My "mission to 10,000" is basically to give all those people, albeit indirectly, more opportunities, which I didn't initially have.
4. A boost for Latino businesses
American payment processing company Square announced a new program on Thursday that seeks to help Latino and black retail business owners obtain funding and training.
Why it matters
: Latinos are opening small businesses in the United States at a faster rate than other demographic groups, but they have a difficult time accessing capital.
Details
: Through a program called Forward, Square will provide funding, training, collection equipment and access to savings accounts to 25 diversely owned businesses that have been in business for less than three years.
Select companies will also have access to mentorship from celebrities such as Rosario Dawson and Dwyane Wade.
Businesses must have orders for food and beverages, household items, health and beauty, or clothing and accessories.
5. Summary of key news in Latin America and the Caribbean
1. Peru entered into an emergency declaration
for at least two months, which includes the suspension of classes and face-to-face work for a few days, after the passage of Cyclone Yaku, which has caused heavy rains and flooding, especially in the northern area where it Find the capital, Lima.
The northern region and especially Lima, which is located in a valley and is technically a desert area, had not seen such intense rains since 1970, according to local media.
The passage of Cyclone Yaku has left at least 60 dead in Peru, including two children
March 16, 202300:49
2. The majority of Salvadorans
say they would support the president, Nayib Bukele, in next year's elections, despite the fact that the Constitution prohibits re-election, according to a new survey published by local media.
Bukele has already said that he will run thanks to a decision by the constitutional court, whose judges were appointed by the ruling party, which said he can serve two terms even if the constitution is not reformed.
Pachanga Thursday
Every Thursday we publish our Pachanga to highlight reader achievements.
If you have just celebrated an anniversary, adopted a pet or had a job success and you want to celebrate it, send an email and photo to axioslatino@axios.com
A well-deserved round of applause for Dawn MartĂnez Oropeza, executive director of Al Éxito, a group that helps young people achieve academic and leadership success.
Courtesy of Chris Irvine.
Background Illustration by Axios Visuals
The Iowa-based organization works with 800 Latino students from high school through college to prepare them for their careers with a focus on civic engagement.
Al Éxito recently passed one of its goals, distributing $60,000 in scholarships.
Thanks for reading us!
We return on Thursday.
Do you want to read any of the previous editions?
This Latino launched his film studio to finance the projects that Hollywood ignores: "I got tired of waiting"
World Baseball Classic: fans say they doubt whether to cheer for their country due to political situations
Latinas are thriving in the United States, although they still face economic obstacles