Virginia Espino first heard about coerced sterilization of poor Latina women at LAC + USC Medical Center in the 1960’s and 70s as a student at Claremont Graduate University. The historian has dedicated her career to researching a moment in history she considers a turning point for women in the Chicano Movement for civil rights.
Espino’s research is the basis of the film “No más bebés,” which she co-produced with director Renee Tajima-Peña and screens in two Los Angeles area locations this month.
When the film premiered last year in Boyle Heights at the Ambulante Film Festival, Espino told BHB that the film highlights the role women played in bringing justice to the sterilized women.
I wanted to show how women fought back and to build on that legacy of Mexican women, Chicana women, as activists and as people who fought back against injustice,” Espino said.
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The first screening this month is on Thursday, January, 14th, at 6:30 p.m. at the California Endowment, 1000 North Alameda St., Los Angeles. The free event includes a panel discussion with Laura Jimenez and Gabriela Valle of California Latinas for Reproductive Justice and filmmakers Virginia Espino and Renee Tajima-Peña. It is a free event but RSVP is required. Information in the event’s Facebook page.
The second screening will be on Tuesday, January 19, at 6:30 p.m, at the Cal Poly Pomona Bronco Student Center, Ursa Major C. After the screening there will be a Q&A session with Espino, Jiménez from California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, plaintiff Consuelo Hermosillo and Dr. Gwen D’Arcangelis, Asst. Professor, IGE Department. Free and open to public, information in the event’s Facebook page.
Photo above: plaintiff Consuelo Hermosillo in the documentary. Photo by Claudio Rocha.
