Why Latinas Should Read We Will Be Jaguars by Nemonte Nenquimo
Nemonte Nenquimo’s We Will Be Jaguars tells a powerful story of Indigenous resistance, identity, and environmental justice making it essential reading for Latinas today.
Since 2010, the ‘Ovas’ as they like to call themselves, have been fixing bikes, fixing each others bikes and having deep sisterhood conversations we can only imagine must be woke AF. They are not misfits of society, hard lives, yes, many of them gone through traumas, victims or survivors. Like the ‘freedom riders‘ of the early civil rights movement, these mujeres ride bikes current day in activism against injustice. Bad asses, indeed.
“It’s my responsibility to unite with these women.”
Today, March 27th 10pm on PBS/Independent Lens premieres a much anticipated documentary OVARIAN PSYCOS on the ‘Ovas’ – the bicycle brigade of women of color who build each other up and create a safe place for others in total camaraderie – they are all about feminism, brown and black, indigenas who rise against injustices including men’s violence against women. (You see what we did here? We added ‘men’ to ‘violence against women’ because who commits the violence: men.) Moving forward , feel free to point to the ‘men’s’ part, mujeres. Las Ovas ride through Los Angeles neighborhood streets including the birthplace of Chicano rights, East Los Angeles.
The ‘Ovas’ give us life! We would ride with these ‘modern-day charras on steel horses’ anyday!
SISTER, ARE YOU PSYCO? YES. YES. WE ARE.
Ovarian Psycos filmed by Joanna Sokolowski and Kate Trumbull-Lavalle
