The Memorialization of Emma Tenayuca: A Labor Activist’s Imprint on San Antonio, Texas

Abstract

This thesis examines how public opinions pertaining to Emma Tenayuca changed throughout her life, starting with the Pecan Strike in San Antonio, Texas in 1938 until her death in July of 1999. It argues that public records starting in 1938 actively misrepresented Emma Tenayuca as she made her way into the public sphere of civil and labor rights. During Tenayuca’s first major strike as strike leader, newspaper editors and journalists flooded their readers with stories about Emma Tenayuca’s appearance, character, and anything they could latch onto in order to misrepresent her. The thesis further demonstrates that Tenayuca never left the public eye. By tracing how narratives of Tenayuca evolved, this thesis reflects how shifting contexts over the course of a person’s life changes how they are remembered by the public and offers lessons for public historians as they interpret and commemorate complex, multi-faceted individuals.