Francisca Flores

Biography

Flores had a difficult life. She suffered from TB and was laid up in a rest home from the age of 15 to 26 (3). Although Flores was in a rest home for 11 years of her life, that is where she became interested in politics and where she formed a group for Mexican women to converse about politics. Flores became aware of chicana’s women's oppression and clearly states that opinion in telling her nephew Dr. Bill Flores, Associate Dean School of Social Sciences California State University, Fresno, "I knew that the men didn't take us seriously. They only wanted us to make tortillas. They couldn't accept that we had our own ideas."(3).

Today Flores is remembered as a chicana feminist who sought out to liberate Mexican American women. Flores came up against heavy criticism aimed at the chicana feminist movement. Flores is famous for her quote regarding chicana feminists being referred to as betraying chicano culture and heritage, Flores says, "Betrayal of chicano culture and heritage," Flores states, "our culture hell," which was used as a slogan for the chicana feminist movement (2).

Flores was an editor on"Regeneración which covered the advance of the chicana feminists movement. "Chicanas can no longer remain in a subservient role or as auxiliary forces in the Chicano movement. The must be included in the front line of communication, leadership and organizational responsibility.... The issue of equality freedom, and self-determination of the Chicana-like the right of self-determination, equality, and liberation of the Mexican Chicano community- is not negotiable". (1).

Flores was also involved in the Chicana Organization, Comision Femenil Mexicaca, whose members would organize and train women to assume leadership in the community. It was at this time that Francisca Flores was elected President of the organization, which eventually gave birth to the Chicana Service Action Center. (1). This organization "is one of the largest employment centers in Los Angeles," (1).

Flores was also a strong activist for women's rights when it came to making contraceptive more available and for making it the women’s right to an abortion if she wants: "Abortion, in our opinion, is a personal decision. The women must be allowed to make it without legal restrictions," (4).