Teresa Villarreal González in Lampazos de Naranjo, (born 1883

Nuevo León Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. With a ...

Mexico – died, date unknown

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

), was an active revolutionary labor and feminist organizer, who supported the

Partido Liberal Mexicano The Mexican Liberal Party (PLM; es, Partido Liberal Mexicano) was started in August 1900 when engineer Camilo Arriaga published a manifesto entitled ''Invitacion al Partido Liberal'' (Invitation to the Liberal Party). The invitation was addr ...

(PLM) during the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...

of 1910–1917. She was the sister of fellow activists and prominent PLM members

Andrea Villarreal Andrea Villarreal (1881–1963) was a Mexican revolutionary, journalist and feminist. She was most known for her work with the ''Regeneración'' newspaper and '' La Mujer Moderna''. Biography Andrea was born in January 1881 in Lampazos, Nuevo Le ...

and General Antonio Irineo Villarreal González.

Biography

Her father, Prospero Villarreal Zuazua, founded the Society of Lampazos Workers,

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

in 1887 and immersed the family in political activity from an early age. She supported the liberal/radical Partido Liberal Mexicano (PLM) which opposed the dictatorship of President

Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori ( or ; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915), known as Porfirio Díaz, was a Mexican general and politician who served seven terms as President of Mexico, a total of 31 years, from 28 November 1876 to 6 Decem ...

(1876–1911). She was forced to flee Mexico in April 1901, with her father, sister and brothers to

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

because of repression of their activity by the Diaz regime. In February 1905 they moved on to

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, taking advantage the

Expo An expo is a trade exposition. It may also refer to: Events and venues * World's fair, a large international public exposition * Singapore Expo, convention and exposition venue ** Expo Axis, one of the world's largest membrane roofs, constructe ...

which had attracted a community of radicals from many causes. Here they developed friendly relations with U.S. organizations with whom they shared interests, such as the

Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of th ...

, the

American Federation of Labor The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutu ...

(AFL) and the

Industrial Workers of the World The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), members of which are commonly termed "Wobblies", is an international labor union that was founded in Chicago in 1905. The origin of the nickname "Wobblies" is uncertain. IWW ideology combines genera ...

(IWW). By 1909, Andrea Villarreal, and his sister Teresa, found a fertile environment in

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, Texas, to spread their ideas against the dictatorship of Diaz regime through the Mexican press in exile which served the Mexican community in the southern United States. There she published two newspapers, the feminist newspaper '' La Mujer Moderna'' (''The Modern Woman'', 1910) and the revolutionary ''El Obrero'' (''The Worker''). As the male leadership of the PLM was continuously under surveillance, the Villareal sisters and other women like them played key roles in the revolutionary cause. They performed tasks such as carrying messages, supplies and intelligence reports. One observer recalled how women like Andrea and Teresa Villareal took on responsibilities that men feared because of the heightened threats of the revolution: ''"Women in Texas were particularly active . . . had to continue the work men were now too intimidated to do."'' The sisters also made public speeches alongside

Mother Jones Mary G. Harris Jones (1837 (baptized) – November 30, 1930), known as Mother Jones from 1897 onwards, was an Irish-born American schoolteacher and dressmaker who became a prominent union organizer, community organizer, and activist. She h ...

demanding the release of Mexican revolutionaries imprisoned in San Antonio.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Villarreal, Teresa 1883 births Year of death missing People from Lampazos, Nuevo León People of the Mexican Revolution Mexican emigrants to the United States Mexican exiles Mexican anarchists Chicana feminists Mexican women journalists Women in war 1900–1945 Women in war in Mexico 20th-century Mexican women writers People from Nuevo León Chicano American women writers Hispanic and Latino American writers Magonism Writers from Nuevo León Mexican feminist writers Mexican feminists 20th-century deaths

Biography

See also

References