De Colores Means All of Us: Latina Views for a Multi-Colored Century

by Elizabeth Martínez

A radical Latina perspective on race, liberation, and identity.

Elizabeth Martínez’s unique Chicana voice has been formed through over thirty years of experience in the movements for civil rights, women’s liberation, and Latina/o empowerment. In De Colores Means All of Us, Martínez presents a radical Latina perspective on race, liberation and identity. She describes the provocative ideas and new movements created by the rapidly expanding US Latina/o community as it confronts intensified exploitation and racism.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Race, Politics, Gender, History, Latinx

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1998

About the author

Elizabeth "Betita" Martínez (born 1925) is a Chicana feminist and a long-time community organizer, activist, author, and educator. She has written numerous books and articles on different topics relating to social movements in the Americas. Her best-known work is the bilingual 500 years of Chicano History in Pictures, which later formed the basis for the educational video ¡Viva la Causa! 500 Years of Chicano History. Her work has been hailed by Angela Y. Davis as comprising "one of the most important living histories of progressive activism in the contemporary era ... [Martínez is] inimitable ... irrepressible ... indefatigable."

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to read a snapshot from the 90s (and reflection on the 60s and 70s) in today's climate. A lot of interesting examples and narratives that I hadn't been exposed to before (probably not surprising). I found the author's writing quick and incisive and the collection-of-essays mode not difficult to follow. Would love to know how a HS teacher might feel about incorporating some of these essays (or if that is already common practice). A lot of useful analysis on youth organizing, too.

(Edit: okay, reading other people's reviews, seeing that teachers have been using it since it was first published. Cool!)

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Betita is a master at telling stories about controversial topics in a way that anyone can understand and relate. I especially like the one about Rainbow Warriors, I still use that in my class every year. This book is very accessible for high school students and others. Some of the stories are a little repetitive, but still worthwhile

[Karina Calderon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great at placing historical events into context. Really enjoyed the history of Latinas/os in the US, which was covered briefly and to the point in this book.

[Jacob Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Martínez writes:

In this spirit Cherríe Moraga remains “passionately committed to an art of resistance to domination by Anglo-America.” And what is her vision for the future? She says the words few people utter aloud: “If the Soviet Union could dissolve, why not the United States?” Why not, indeed? And why not a new confederacy of equal, mutually respectful cultures and peoples? “The road to our future is the road from our past.”

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This confirmed how little I know about Latinx issues in the US. I'm disappointed to learn this is a classic and how i've never heard of Elizabeth Martinez. This doesn't just focus on discrimination from white people, it focuses several topics such as racism within minority groups and our own community. It also focuses on other topics such as colorism, nationalism, LGBTQ+ discrimination, sexism, as well as historical events. I wish more people read and talked about this.

[José · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book on and by one of the most impressive activists out there - Elizabeth Martínez, with a struggle in activism spanning generations and movements. It reads fascinatingly as a book on how to unify the left in a way that achieves a coexistence and symbiosis - but not a forced synthesis - of the oppressions that motivate so many struggles in the left. Several examples are provided of why we should incorporate different struggles and recognise a common root cause for a lot of the problems being faced at the moment - the exploitation of the people by capitalists.

One of the things I truly appreciated is how uncomplicated the language is - Martínez is writing about complex topics with an eloquence and vocabulary that exude simplicity, understanding and empathy. By not trying to speak for anyone, Martínez is able to both provide her valuable input and explicate through anecdotes and testimonies what the struggle is like and where it can be improved. It really is a book that, I think, can be read by anyone despite its complexity in terms of discussing intertwining systems of oppression and analysing their manifestations in the shaping of the cultural hegemony. A really good read for anyone looking to get a better glimpse into how an activist can be both supportive and critical of the movement, of how movements can also evolve and become better, fairer and more inclusive, and of how, while the form of the activism may change with younger generations, there still is a thirst for change.

[Ola Hol · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring read on activism. I would have expected more theoretical considerations. A motivational piece not meant as such - but tales of women-led horizontal leadership, about activism of young people and the power of the communities, even if dispossessed - might fill frustrated activists or critics of society with a dose of oprimism and enthusiasm for work.

[lilia]

this book is so unappreciated, but i found it to be very insightful.

[Cindy]

For Isabel

[Sonia Allison]

Read De colores /song illustrations by David diaz

[Elizabeth Marino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essay collection that consistently challenges, and holds up to re-reading.

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The basis for unity should be: who is actually doing the work? – with the understanding that everyone is needed.” “De Colores Means All of Us" brims with power and nuance despite being over twenty years old. Whether it's exposing ties between environmental racism and economic extortion, or detaching homophobia and patriarchy from Chicano nationalism, Martinez models the careful work of untangling America’s knot of overlapping oppressions. She writes: “Small rainbows of our own making are everywhere.” The work ahead of us - on every level, every day - is to refract these rainbows into expansive, beautiful worlds.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so much of the '90s in terms of the events and the movements it describes, and yet it feels so timely.

In many ways the focus is on organization, but the title refers to that need for unity and cooperation. That means between genders and sexual orientations and races, of course, but also that pro-labor and pro-environmental activists have commonalities that serve as a way to combine strength.

It feels very fresh.

[Ara Acosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written in the 90’s and it’s still VERY much relevant to 2021. It discusses how women are left out of Latino movements. It also discusses racism, police brutality, capitalism, immigration, and the need for radical movements. I wrote notes on every single page. Elizabeth offers amazing and thought provoking ideas on Latina struggles.

[Mabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very interesting to learn so much about the Chicano culture, and the people that have fought for its rights.

[Josephine Maes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book. I appreciated some essays more than others. Martinez is a great writer though, I always appreciate when authors write about academic topics in a way that a lot of people can understand.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This essay collection is a great one to pick up. I enjoyed it immensely and would definitely pick up something else written by Elizabeth Martínez. She covers a lot of important points surrounding racism, anti-racism, misogyny, environmental justice, and intersectionality.

I did a longer video review of this book here.

[Josie Rushin · Rating 3 out of 5]

non-fiction about intersectional / latinx feminism.