Jovita Idar
Encyclopedia
Jovita Idar was an American journalist, political activist and civil rights worker, born in Laredo, Texas
in 1885. Idar strove to advance the civil rights of Mexican-Americans.
Jovita Idar and two of her brothers, Eduardo and Bobby Brown, worked for the newspaper La Crónica [The Chronicles]. The paper, edited and published by their father Nicasio Idar, advocated for civil rights and social justice for Mexican-Americans. Jovita wrote articles under a pseudonym, exposing the poor living conditions of Mexican American workers and supported the Mexican Revolution
which started in 1910.
According to Laura Gutierrez in volume two of Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage, the newspaper La Crónica
Idar earned her teaching certificate in 1903 from the Holding Institute
in Laredo. She taught in a school in Los Ojuelos, located approximately 40 miles east of Laredo.
Idar served as the first president of the League of Mexican Women (La Liga Femenil Mexicanista). It was founded in October 1911 in Laredo to offer free education to Mexican children. Additional goals of the organization were to "unify the Mexican intellectuals of Texas around the issues of protection of civil rights, bilingual education, lynching of Mexicans, labor organizing and women's concerns."
It developed into a social, political and charitable organization for women that in part provided food and clothes to those in need. She also participated in the Primer Congreso Mexicanista, an organization dedicated fighting inequality and racism.
In 1913 during the Mexican Revolution
Jovita and a friend entered Mexico to help care for the wounded along the border region. She later joined a medical group called the White Cross (La Cruz Blanca) which was similar to the Red Cross relief organization. After returning to Laredo Idar worked for the newspaper El Progreso but eventually returned to La Crónica.
In May 1917 she married Bartolo Juárez, who worked as a plumber and tinsmith. She moved with her husband to San Antonio in 1921. Idar also worked as a newspaper editor and publisher. She founded the weekly paper Evolución in November 1916 which lasted four years. In 1940 she co-edited the journal El Heraldo Cristiano.
Jovita Idar died on June 15, 1946 in San Antonio, Texas.
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
in 1885. Idar strove to advance the civil rights of Mexican-Americans.
Jovita Idar and two of her brothers, Eduardo and Bobby Brown, worked for the newspaper La Crónica [The Chronicles]. The paper, edited and published by their father Nicasio Idar, advocated for civil rights and social justice for Mexican-Americans. Jovita wrote articles under a pseudonym, exposing the poor living conditions of Mexican American workers and supported the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
which started in 1910.
According to Laura Gutierrez in volume two of Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage, the newspaper La Crónica
"...included a wide variety of articles dealing with current events, news from Mexico, local and regional news, biographical and historic essays, poetry, literary essays, commentary, and, of course, lots of advertisements. More importantly, however, La Cronica gave voice to the serious social and economic disparities suffered by Mexicans in Texas and the U.S."
Idar earned her teaching certificate in 1903 from the Holding Institute
Holding Institute
Holding Institute is a United Methodist-affiliated community center in Laredo, Texas, originally founded in 1882 as a kindergarten and primary school. For nearly a century thereafter, Holding was a state-accredited boys’ and girls’ boarding school...
in Laredo. She taught in a school in Los Ojuelos, located approximately 40 miles east of Laredo.
Idar served as the first president of the League of Mexican Women (La Liga Femenil Mexicanista). It was founded in October 1911 in Laredo to offer free education to Mexican children. Additional goals of the organization were to "unify the Mexican intellectuals of Texas around the issues of protection of civil rights, bilingual education, lynching of Mexicans, labor organizing and women's concerns."
It developed into a social, political and charitable organization for women that in part provided food and clothes to those in need. She also participated in the Primer Congreso Mexicanista, an organization dedicated fighting inequality and racism.
In 1913 during the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
Jovita and a friend entered Mexico to help care for the wounded along the border region. She later joined a medical group called the White Cross (La Cruz Blanca) which was similar to the Red Cross relief organization. After returning to Laredo Idar worked for the newspaper El Progreso but eventually returned to La Crónica.
In May 1917 she married Bartolo Juárez, who worked as a plumber and tinsmith. She moved with her husband to San Antonio in 1921. Idar also worked as a newspaper editor and publisher. She founded the weekly paper Evolución in November 1916 which lasted four years. In 1940 she co-edited the journal El Heraldo Cristiano.
Jovita Idar died on June 15, 1946 in San Antonio, Texas.