1. Emma Beatrice Tenayuca was an American labor leader, union organizer, civil rights activist, and educator.
27 Facts About Emma Tenayuca
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Emma Tenayuca is best known for her work organizing Mexican workers in Texas during the 1930s, particularly for leading the 1938 San Antonio pecan shellers strike.
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Emma Tenayuca was known for her involvement with the US Communist Party to advocate for Mexicans and Mexican Americans.
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Emma Tenayuca was born into a Mexican-American family, and their lineage in South Texas predated both Mexican independence and the Mexico-United States War.
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The Tenayuca family were hit hard by the Depression, and all around her, Emma began to see the suffering of low class workers.
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Emma Tenayuca divorced Brooks in 1941 and left her hometown in order to attend San Francisco State College where she majored in education.
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Emma Tenayuca divorced her husband and distanced herself from communism as well after learning of Joseph Stalin's terror regime.
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Emma Tenayuca later earned a master's in education from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio.
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Emma Tenayuca joined because the Communist Party shared her beliefs in equality and support for struggling minorities.
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In 1940, Emma Tenayuca was the Communist Party nominee for the US House of Representatives in Texas's 20th congressional district.
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Emma Tenayuca finished third to the Democratic and Republican candidates, winning 76 votes out of 56,447 cast.
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In 1946, Emma Tenayuca decided to leave the Communist Party because of disappointment.
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Emma Tenayuca became interested in activism and was a labor activist before graduating from Brackenridge High School in San Antonio.
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Emma Tenayuca was just 21 years old when the strike occurred in the community.
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Emma Tenayuca worked tirelessly to ensure that the workers' demands were met.
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Emma Tenayuca organized picket lines, delivered speeches, and used her communication skills to garner support from other unions and organizations.
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Emma Tenayuca gained the respect and admiration of her coworkers and the larger labor movement because of her persistence and unflinching dedication to the cause of workers' rights.
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Emma Tenayuca constantly fought to organize employees and advance the objectives of the organization as a prominent and outspoken WAA member.
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Emma Tenayuca was a member of the Woman's League for Peace and Freedom, a worldwide feminist group that was established in 1915 with the mission of advancing social justice, equality, and disarmament.
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In 1942, while serving as the National organizer for the Workers Alliance of America, Emma Tenayuca led a demonstration in San Antonio against the US Border Patrol's brutal beating of a group of Mexican migrants.
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In 1944, Emma Tenayuca again demonstrated against the Border Patrol's violent treatment of migrants.
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Emma Tenayuca's rally in San Antonio, attended by over 1,500 people, was a powerful condemnation of the cruel and inhumane practices of the Border Patrol.
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Emma Tenayuca developed Alzheimer's disease after retirement and died on July 23,1999.
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Emma Tenayuca continued to inspire activists until and beyond her death.
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Emma Tenayuca's story is seen through play-dramas written to honor her dedication and contributions.
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The South Texas Civil Rights Project has dedicated an annual award, The Emma Tenayuca Award, given to individuals working to protect civil rights.
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Emma Tenayuca earned the nickname "La Pasionaria de Texas" due to her many demonstrations in the face of numerous arrests.