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Mayra AvilaThe Museum of South Texas History welcomes scholar Mayra Avila to the Sunday Speaker Series presentation, “Finally, Our Stories: How the Bracero Program Impacted Mexican Women,” at 2 p.m. May 7.

The Bracero Program, which ran between 1942 and 1964, was established between the United States and Mexico to ease the labor shortage during World War II and into the early 1960s. The program not only impacted Mexican workers but the women who were left behind. Many women were forced to take responsibilities outside of the traditional homemaker role in order to make ends meet. It also created a rift among working women and society’s patriarchal expectations for women. This presentation will highlight some of these experiences.

Ávila earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Dominguez Hills. She later enrolled at the University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP), and earned a master’s and doctorate’s degree in borderlands history. Ávila is a scholar of Latin American history, specializing in modern Mexico, focusing on issues of gender, labor and migration. Currently, her research focuses on immigration and retirement.

This program is made possible by the generous support from the Carmen C. Guerra Endowment. Mrs. Guerra was committed to educational causes in the Rio Grande Valley. This named endowment was created by her family to honor her memory and to continue providing educational opportunities for the community.

The Museum of South Texas History is located downtown Edinburg at 200 North Closner Boulevard on the Hidalgo County Courthouse square. Founded in 1967 as the Hidalgo County Historical Museum in the 1910 Hidalgo County Jail. For more information about MOSTHistory, including becoming a FRIEND, visit MOSTHistory.org, like us on Facebook and Instagram, follow on Twitter, find on YouTube or call (956) 383-6911.

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