Unidos Por La Justicia and Mujeres Fuertes: Grassroots groups shaping Mexican immigrant women's activism in San José, California

Abstract

This article analyzes how two grassroots groups in San Jose, California – Unidos Por La Justicia and Mujeres Fuertes – shape women's politicization and consequent activism. Using Mexican immigrant women's narratives and ethnographic fieldwork, I argue that women's activism and emerging political consciousness arises from their grounded experience as Mexican immigrants struggling to understand their new place of residence as it relates to their immigration status and rights. This article contributes to the growing literature on Latina community politics.