From the WWC Commemorative Book...
MESSAGE FROM THE
NATIONAL /
INTERNATIONAL FOUNDER OF
LAS COMADRES PARA LAS AMERICAS
Dr. Nora de Hoyos
Comstock
IN GRATITUDE,
Twenty-one years! Can
you believe it? It feels like it was just yesterday that Las Comadres movement
began building community, preserving and celebrating culture, opening doors,
and supporting each other, sharing social capital, y mucho mas! The expansion
of the internet via email to general audiences made it possible for me to take
advantage of the new tool to build virtual connections, albeit via text only at
that time. It was labor-intensive work, requiring many, many hours to build the
foundation. Today, largely due to the Coronavirus-19 pandemic, we “are gaining
on the future”!!! The videoconferencing platforms which were slowly getting
traction have allowed us to maintain contact and build new connections in ways which
were not easily accessible before. We can provide access to each other via many
virtual platforms and we can service many more via the World Wide Web. But when
we first started, it was basically an email network and I have been called a
pioneer in this work for the Latinx/a/o community.
It has been a wild
ride! We have done so many things, learned so much from each other, and built
lasting friendships. Las Comadres is not the story of one person. We are mucho
mas than the sum of our parts. You are Las Comadres and our coordinators and I
have been the glue. Without your unflagging support as members of this vast
social network, without your patience as we built it, we would not be here
celebrating 21 years! There are so many of you that I must thank for
contributing to the success of Las Comadres that it would fill pages (actually
your names up to the year 2012 appear in the Acknowledgments in our book, COUNT ON ME: Tales of
Sisterhoods and Fierce Friendships, published by Simon and Schuster in English
in 2012/Spanish in 2013). There are many names to add to the list after
publication. And with the addition of new leadership for Las Comadres,
especially the energetic and vibrant, Maria Ferrer, with her new ganas,
together we will change the face of Latinx/as in this nation and around the
world. The stories and memories will fill books and bring us closer together
and make us stronger.
The next twenty years
are a new chapter in our journey to securing our place as indelible contributors
to the US American experience. It will not be an easy chapter but it must be written
and spoken by us—you, our Latinx/a/o communities, and me. Each and everyone of you
has a special role to play and we are here to help, as always.
With heartfelt
gratitude to all of you and to my husband, Jack Bell, without whose support, we
would not have made to it Year 21! And to Maria Ferrer without whom there would
be a questionable tomorrow for Las Comadres.
Con mucho carino,
Nora
SPONSORS
Platinum: St.
David’s Foundation
Silver: MOLA Market Research; Mona’s Family
Emporium, Primavera Strategic Planning; The Resurrection of Fulgencio
Ramirez
Bronze: The Arreaga Agency/ Farmers Insurance;
Casa de la Familia Counseling; CasaQ by Darlene; DonateWay; KCasati; MUNDU
Media; Pitikin Learning Projects; Positive Directions Co.; Ramos Admin.
GOODIES!
Commemorative Book – a gift to all Comadres & Guests. Best to print front & back.
WWC Holding Slides with Nora Award winners and Comadres in their WWC T-shirts.
Note: Subscribe to Las Comadres Para Las Americas’ YouTube channel today. WWC recordings and videos coming soon!
Worldwide Comadrazo Committee
Thank you to the following Comadres for their outstanding work, especially Laura and Monica. And, many thanks to Comadre Yvonne Tapia for the beautiful design of the WWC21 logo.
Maria C. Ferrer –
Producer
Laura Esparza – Stage
Manager
Monica Peňa –
Technology Manager
Rosa Beato – Raffle
Coordinator
Nydia Marsella –
Anniversary Video
Tess Tobin – Awards
Coordinator
Tania Solė – Advisor
Dr. Charley Ferrer –
Website Designer
#LasComadres
#WWC21
#WorldwideComadrazo
#FierceFriendships
