‘Missing
Women of Juarez’ in prose
By Christine G. Adamo
On-line Forty-Niner
The
audience sat in stunned silence as Jackie
Joice read her powerful, perceptive poetry
aloud.
“Not too far from here, the women are expendable;
last-page news, equivalent to the peso,”
Joice read.
 The
seats in the Karl W. E. Anatol Center at
Cal State Long Beach were near full for
the poet’s 7 to 9 p.m. presentation of “The
Missing Women of Juarez II.” Footage from
Joice’s trip to Juarez, Mexico, flashed
on a projection screen to her right as she
spoke.
Joice wrote “Not Too Far From Here” as an
ode to the women in the border city of Juarez
who have been found with their hands tied
behind their backs, some butchered, some
left naked in a shallow grave — all dead.
According to Joice, Juarez is just a one
hour flight from Los Angeles to Phoenix,
another hour by plane to El Paso, Texas,
and a 20-minute drive from there.
The poet spoke of the work that has been
done, and still needs to be done, on behalf
of the more than 300 women murdered there
since 1993. Lorena Mendez-Quirago, co-founder
of the Coalition for Justice for Women’s
Rights in Ciudad Juarez, echoed Joice’s
concern.
“The most vulnerable women in society are
the victims in these brutal murders,” Mendez-Quirago
said. “Their sins are being poor and coming
to a border town [looking for work].”
Mendez-Quirago urged audience members to
take a close look at appliances in their
homes such as hair dryers made by American
companies like Phillips and Thompson in
Juarez-based maquiladoras - assembly plants.
“Chances are,” she said, “the girl who gave
her life made that product.”
“A lot of people don’t really know about
what’s going on over there,” said Stacy
Zar, a marketing major in her first semester
at CSULB who attended the event.
Maria Correa, an English literature major,
said she felt compelled to attend after
watching the film “Senorita Extraviada,”
Part 1 of this two-part series on Juarez.
Correa said she was angered to think that
the Mexican and American governments are
doing nothing about this situation. Jose
Alvarado, majoring in anthropology, said
he and other members of La Raza Student
Association felt the same way Correa did.
“The maquiladoras, which are the employers
along the border, should take precautions
since they use that labor,” Alvarado said.
“They should provide for [their workers],
in terms of security.”
Upcoming activities include a demonstration
at the Mexican-American Consulate in Los
Angeles Nov. 13 from 8 to 10 a.m. and a
vigil and procession for peace that begins
at Union Station near Placita Olvera on
Dec. 12. The Coalition for Justice and Women’s
Rights in Ciudad Juarez can provide additional
information at (323) 661-0475 or (818) 842-3895.
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