THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT
Ruth Mojica-Hammer
January 19, 1926 – November 12, 2022
“I carried double load in the women’s movement—my constituency was Chicanos/Hispanics. In the Chicano movement, my constituency was my Hispanic and Caucasian sisters.”
Trailblazing Latina on television, in politics and religion, fearlessly moving through the complex environment of Chicago and the national arena of the Chicano and Women’s movements of the 1970s. First Latina to run for Congress in Illinois and campaign manager of the first Latina elected in the state, Irene C. Hernandez, Cook County Board of Commissioners. Vice-chair of the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC), 1973-1977. Member of the Census Advisory Committee on the Spanish Origin Population for the 1980 U.S. Census. Appointed by President Carter to the Commission for the Observance of International Women’s Year, National Women’s Conference. Founded the Chicago chapter of Mexican American Business and Professional Women Club.
Photo. Ruth Mojica-Hammer with her daughter, Linda Garcia Merchant, filmmaker and founder of production company Voces Primeras, who creates documentary features of U.S. Latina leaders.
More About Ruth:
- Obituary
- The Radical Roots of the National Women’s Political Caucus, featuring panelists Susan Smith Richardson (chair), Karen Engle, Sissy Farenthold, Ruth Mojica-Hammer. The panel presented as part of “A Revolutionary Moment” at Boston University, March 30, 2014.
- “Moving Latinas Beyond Bella, Betty and Bra Burning,” by Linda Garcia Merchant March 20, 2014
- “Las Mujeres de la Caucus Chicana’ Trailer. The Chicana Caucus of the NWPC was formed by a group of Chicanas that made a name for themselves during the Chicano Movement and the Women’s Movement in the 1970s by Linda Garcia Merchant.
- The Chicana por mi Raza Digital Memory Project and Archive
- Records of the National Women’s Political Caucus, 1970-2006, Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute
- Veteran Feminists of America honors Ruth Mojica-Hammer, Chicago, IL August 2004
- Cited in Barbara Love’s book, Feminists Who Changed America 1963-1975, page 319
