Owl-woman

by Julieta Corpus

Dedicated to my friend and mentor, Enriqueta Lopez Ramos.

She has been blazing trails for over sixty years,

"I help Chicanas achieve their dreams through 

an education—the power to unlocking a much

brighter future." Fierce madrina-mentor from 

San Benito, Texas: Queta, owl-woman.

She learned that hard work equals success, thanks

to loving parents. They owned Lopez Bar, where 

gente trabajadora sipped a cold one and danced to 

Flaco Jimenez y su Conjunto after backbreaking days

Of picking cotton or working in construction. 

At a young age,  Queta's curious mind hungered for 

Knowledge, pero en dos idiomas, "Si eres bilingüe vales 

mucho más." She was relentless and did not rest until

becoming the first Latina to earn a doctorate.

¡Sí se puede y sí se pudo!

Mujer-tecolote who defied the odds, battled

stereotypes about all Latinas, "We're not just

housewives. We also have a brain and need to 

start using it."  Her students were watching.

A true educator.

She never minced words, "Nunca se apendejen.

Be proud Chicanitas and brave Chicanitos. Our

color is beautiful. Our language is rich."

Her students were listening to their dear professor,

Queta, owl-woman, sharing her experiences.

Madrina. Mentora. Mother. Wife. Hermana, "Age

is just a number. There's so much to do!"

Woman of the Year, "Soy Americana y también

Chicana." She walked with Cesar Chávez y Dolores

Huerta." Profesora Ramos, incandescent heart.