D. Jill Savitt
This unit speaks about the differences in males and females in Latin culture, tracing the differences back to the Iberian Peninsula with its Moorish-Islamic tradition, through the settling of Latin America, on the Hispanics in the U.S. After a somewhat historic summary of what being female in a Latin setting has meant and means today, three women are presented in biographical sketches. These women are Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz (Mexico),Eva Peron (Argentina), and Julia de Burgos (Puerto Rico). In both Sor Juana and Eva Peron’s case, original writings by them are presented (with permission) as a base for lessons. Julia de Burgos’ biographical sketch is followed by resources and lesson ideas based on her poetry. An additional lesson on the Early Feminish Press in Brazil is also included, using original work that appeared in a Brazilian newspaper in the 1890’s. Other activities and resources are provided for the lessons.
I am advocating the use of the book, “Women in Latin American History: Their Lives and Views,” edited by June E. Hahner (1976) (see Bibliography), as the main resource, as it is very readable for our students. It presents a broad range of writings by and about Latin American women. This book should be available in the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute office for use with the unit.
(Recommended for Social Studies, History, and ESOL classes, grades 6 through 12; and Spanish classes, grades 9 through 12)
Key Words
Language Skills Spanish Foreign Instruction General Women Hispanic Latin-American