Womanf of Conscience: an interview with Victoria Alvarado.

Victoria Alvarado, born and raised in San Francisco, California, grew up in a socially active home environment. Her father was conscripted into both the Federal Army and the Revolutionary Army of Poncho Villa during the Mexican Revolution, but fled to San Francisco with his mother and two younger brothers when their father was killed in the revolution in 1913. For many years, Alvarado's father worked as a chef for the American President Lines Ltd., often traveling to the Orient. Her mother, a native of Leon, Nicaragua, came to San Francisco in 1930 and was a mother and homemaker. During the 1940s and 1950s, both of her parents became social activists and were involved in San Francisco's labor movement.

After Alvarado graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in psychology, she attended graduate school at California State University, Hayward (now East Bay), where she studied educational psychology. Inheriting her parents' ethical values and social concerns, Alvarado's professional life has been devoted to addressing social disparities found in all communities of need. As a project manager for California's Department of Health Services, she coordinated the state's Latino Media Campaign for the immunization programs and also coordinated media and coalition efforts for Contra Costa County Health Services.

All of these experiences unknowingly prepared Alvarado for her project Mujeres de Consciencia/Women of Conscience (2006), a forthcoming book consisting of portraits of California's socially conscious Latina women combined with brief biographies. Some of the women are nationally known while others are known only in their immediate communities; however, all have made significant contributions. The layout of the book is designed to appeal to both Spanish and English readers. An introduction written in Spanish by Silvia Molina, a well-known Mexican writer, presents her perspective of these distinguished women. There is also an introduction in English by Helena Maria Viramontes, presenting a Chicana perspective of these same women. Each page of the book has a full portrait juxtaposed on the adjacent page with a brief biography in both Spanish and English.

Traditionally in American culture, Latina women were not expected to be achievers. Alvarado shows us the faces of American women of Latina descent who have challenged this notion and done the unexpected. Alvarado should be viewed in the same light as her Latina sisters, for she, too, has done the unexpected; without her interest, tenacity, and creativity this project would not have been realized. These portraits transcend the mere document and become more than a record. Because of the power of Alvarado's message, it is easy to overlook the inherent beauty of these photographs. Alvarado has skillfully integrated natural light and composition with her subjects, resulting in a remarkable body of work. Alvarado's photographs, at times, bring to mind the photographs of August Sander, who in cataloging German society, also transcended his original intent--resulting in documents that are memorable and beautiful portraits. The following interview was conducted in Moraga, California, on March 29, 2006.

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Darwin Marable: Did your family's involvement in the labor movement in San Francisco influence your own social concerns?

Victoria Alvarado: I saw that my parents were very involved. There was a lot of activity by blue-collar workers to have their salaries reflect their talents, to have health care, to earn enough, so that their families could have enough money to provide clothing, a home, and tuition to attend Catholic schools. When we were children we were taken along with my parents to the strikes, demonstrations, marches, and the May Day parades. I can remember, when I was quite young, walking the whole length of Market Street in the protests and Labor Day parades. I'm sure that affected my values and involvement in community issues.

DM: How did the idea for this project develop?

VA: Being bilingual and bicultural was a real plus, but this wasn't appreciated by others. And I thought, others are missing something. I am very American, but because my parents taught me Spanish and I was also surrounded by their culture, I took that in. Having two perspectives, I feel that I am a deeper person and have more than one way of seeing things. There are nuances that both cultures possess and I have them both.

DM: What is the intent of your project?

VA: I believe that the contributions of the Latino culture are not known very well. Prior to this project, I was watching some attractive young Latina women who were dancing on television. I thought that is how Latinas are projected on television. But I know many Latinas who are doing many significant things for communities in need and are impacting society as a whole, but that is never projected. And I thought that is not right. I am getting old and I want to address that issue. I was sixty-five when I embarked on this project.

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DM: How did you begin the project?

VA: About five years ago I began by talking to John [John Spence Weir, Alvarado's husband], who is recognized as an outstanding photographer. I talked to him about doing a book that would highlight the fact that Latinas are doing wonderful things. He was the first one to tell me that I could do it. I was taken back by this as I did not see myself as doing this. I thought that he and I could do it together. He said, "No, you can do it. Just take classes from me in darkroom skills." It was the era of the wet darkroom still. I took two courses from him at Diablo Valley College. He taught me a lot about printing. I knew what I wanted, but often wasn't always able to get technically beautiful prints that also captured the essence of the woman being photographed.

DM: Have you studied art formally?

VA: I have been married to a fine artist for forty-seven years and one can't be surrounded by art for that many years without it affecting you. Also, as a youngster, I did have a talent for drawing and painting. During the early years of our marriage, we lived in the heart of the Haight-Ashbury district while John was a graduate student at San Francisco State University, and we had wonderful gatherings at our apartment where art and photography were both discussed and shown.

DM: How did you know whom to select for your subjects?

VA: It started with those whom I knew personally I started out with fifty subjects. I did a lot of research on women who were in the fields that I thought were important. I started learning more about writers, politicians, etc. I then developed categories: artists, writers, doctors, politicians, community activists, and businesswomen. I started researching these Latina women who were doing great things, not just in the local Latina community, but throughout California.

DM: How many women have you photographed?

VA: Originally, there were fifty women, but there was so much pressure to expand the book because I was leaving out many women. There are thousands of socially concerned women who could have been included in the book based on my criteria. It is one of the many difficulties that I encountered. The final project has been expanded to include seventy-five women. When I contacted the women, I did inform them that they were only being considered for inclusion in the book.

DM: Who are some of the women and what are their contributions?

VA: I love talking about these incredible people. Some of the women in the book are famous, like [author] Isabel Allende, and others are known only in their immediate communities. I wanted a mixture of personalities. Some of the women can reach a lot of people because of their powerful positions, but I also wanted to include women who were only known in their own communities, for example Maria Andrade de Ochoa, who was one hundred when I photographed her. She was from a remote part of Northern California. Her son had special needs and the local schools would not accept him. She found another woman in a similar situation, so they raised money together and hired a teacher to teach in the home. Maria was known for her tamales, so she sold tamales to pay for the teacher. Later the school district changed their position and established programs for special needs children. She did what she could. With her tamales, she started something special. One of my favorites from the Bay Area is Margaret Cruz who is known for her tenacity and strength. She is a real fighter for social and political issues and well known in San Francisco's City Hall. If you need someone to stand up for an idea or cause, you can call on Margaret.

DM: Discuss your technique in completing the project.

VA: I used a 35mm camera, which is unusual for portraiture, but I used what I had. I used available lighting because I liked the drama that it creates. I love the warm tones in black-and-white photography. And this all directed me toward available lighting. I was looking for the sense of the woman I was talking to. I used a normal and a wide-angle lens when I thought it was needed to include their environment. If I were to start the project today, I might consider doing it in color, as color can also be dramatic.

DM: I understand that like a film director you were actively involved in directing the subjects photographed.

VA: I laugh at myself because I am not normally like that, but I was so enamored with the project and I believed so much in its importance that I felt that I had to do whatever I needed to in these sessions with the ladies. I found myself often telling them that I wanted a thoughtful expression, so I would tell them to think of something that is important to them. I would ask them to think about something that they had accomplished and their struggle. Maybe the drama in me was also operating, but I think it worked as I wanted them to reflect on their important work.

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DM: When you began the project were you planning a book?

VA: It began as a book project. I really wanted this to be in the hands of our youth. One of the determining factors for me was that I read about a study by the Department of Education in Sacramento and Alameda Counties to determine how to combat rising violence among youth. One of the first things mentioned in their report is the need to present positive images to minority youth. And that is exactly what my project is about. I wanted the world to know about the strength and intelligence of these Latina women.

DM: How was it that you selected Silvia Molina, the Mexican writer, to write the introduction to the book?

VA: I have received help from many who know famous women authors from Mexico. With this guidance and my own research, many Mexican women authors were identified and it became apparent that there was a wealth of possible partnerships. Silvia is the Director of the Mexican government's Center of Literature. She is also a specialist in the Nahuatl (Aztec) language, is interested in indigenous cultures, and is recognized for her intellectual perspective. I feel very honored to have worked with such a writer.

DM: What are some of the problems that you encountered during the project, besides the financing?

VA: At first, I approached all the large publishers, and I thought I would be fighting them off; I was really so naive. Publishers take into consideration the financial return for their monetary investment and a book of this kind is expensive to print. I am not taking any money from royalties, but it has cost me and my family dearly to complete the project. I never returned to work full time and I lost my retirement. I have had two strokes. However, my husband has a decent retirement and we are doing O.K. [The Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco is seeking a publisher in Mexico.]

DM: How has the project been funded?

VA: We funded it. I gave myself two years, not knowing what was ahead of me, and then I would return to work. I still needed to work. I quit a very responsible job that. I had with the state of California as a manager for an outreach program to Latino communities in California. I loved the job, but I decided to quit to complete the project. I was approaching a time when I would have to retire and planned to return to the job after working on the project, but I did not return. The project took two years to complete, but it has taken much longer to get it into the hands of a publisher. The campaign to get this published has been a difficult process, but it has been beautiful in another way. People have recently been stepping forward to say that this project is really important and we are going to be there to help you.

DM: How much of your own money have you contributed to the project?

VA: In addition to my lost wages, well over $100,000. There was the loss of income from taking off work from my part-time job; there were materials, airline tickets, motels, and so forth. However, I need to give credit to a great supporter of the project. When I was finishing the project, I heard that if I could show I had completed a large part of the project myself then I might be able to obtain a grant. I applied to Ford Motor Company and they generously granted me $15,000 to complete the project.

DM: You have also been exhibiting your photographs. I understand that you had an exhibition at the Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco.

VA: Yes, that is the first major exhibition of all of the photographs, so far. There was a much smaller exhibition at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts in San Francisco in 2005. I am also very excited, as I have an upcoming exhibition at the Arte Americas Museum in Fresno, California, that will also be combined with a fundraiser organized by ladies from the League of Mexican American Women.

DM: Do you have any other projects planned?

VA: I am pushing seventy and arthritis is setting in, and I can no longer do a photo shoot jumping on tables to get better angles or carry all of the equipment. There were days when I hardly ate because I was so excited meeting all of these wonderful ladies--all possessing commitment, intelligence, and the heart to extend themselves to others. I don't think that I can do another project, but I can support it. There is a lot of interest in doing a second edition of the book. I will be there as an adviser and consultant. Since I am not taking the royalties, we could use the money to develop scholarships for young women who are studying writing, art, and photography and provide them with a grant.

DM: Thank you for this interview and for your stunning portraits.

DARWIN MARABLE is a photo historian, lecturer, writer, and independent curator based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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For more information about the Mujeres de Conciencia/Women of Conscience project visit www.LatinasForJustice.org.