Cotera, Martha (1938–)

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Cotera, Martha (1938–)

Chicana feminist and civil-rights activist. Born Jan 17, 1938, in Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico; attended college in Texas, earning MA in education; m. Juan Cotera; children: Juan Javier Cotera (murdered in a carjacking, 1997).

At 8, moved to El Paso, Texas, with family; for over 30 years, worked as a librarian and information specialist at city and state libraries in Texas; became a leader in the Chicano movement (1960s) and published Diosa y Hembra: The History and Heritage of Chicanas in the U.S.; co-founded the La Raza Unida Party (1970); owned and directed the Chicana Learning and Research Center.