Curanderismo, the Healing Art of Mexico

04/21/2026

Join me for this special class on Sunday, May 17, 2026, from 10 am to Noon, Pacific Time, on Zoom. Use the QR code on the last image to register at Eventbrite. The class is open to everyone and together we will set guidelines for respectful, candid, and open-hearted exploration and discussion of this important subject.

You can also register here, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/becoming-good-relatives-foundations-of-indigenous-protocols-tickets-1986354720440?aff=oddtdtcreator

Please share.

04/15/2026

"We live in a kind of dark age, craftily lit with synthetic light, so that no one can tell how dark it has really gotten. But our exiled spirits can tell. Deep in our bones resides an ancient, singing couple who just won't give up making their beautiful, wild noise. The world won't end if we can find them."
— Martin Prechtel

Artist: Pedro Rafael González Chavajay -Tz’utujil Maya, San Pedro la Laguna, Guatemala. https://www.artemaya.org

03/19/2026

Before going to sleep tonight, take a few minutes to cleanse your spirit and your corazoncito from the heaviness of the day.

May our prayers on this new moon night be seeds that grow and bring healing and better, kinder, days for all.

03/18/2026

This is the original article by the New York Times where Dolores Huerta and other women was interviewed about being s*xually assaulted by Cesar Chavez.

“The reporters interviewed several women who told their stories for the first time, as well as more than 60 other people, including Cesar Chavez’s top aides and relatives. The reporters also reviewed hundreds of pages of union records, confidential emails, photographs and other material.”
March 18, 2026
Updated 2:52 p.m. ET

“Ana Murguia remembers the day the man she had regarded as a hero called her house and summoned her to see him. She walked along a dirt trail, entered the rundown building, passed his secretary and stepped into his office.

He locked the door, as he always did when he called her, and told her how lonely he had been. He brought her onto the yoga mat that he often used in his office for meditation, kissed her and pulled her pants down. “Don’t tell anyone,” he told her afterward. “They’d get jealous.”

The man, Cesar Chavez, one of the most revered figures in the Latino civil rights movement, was 45. She was 13. Ms. Murguia said she was summoned for s*xual encounters with him dozens of times over the next four years.

Recently, more than 50 years later, Ms. Murguia learned that a street near her home in the Central California city of Bakersfield was in the process of being renamed. City officials want to name it in honor of her abuser.”

Source, the New York Times

An investigation by The New York Times found extensive evidence that the United Farm Workers co-founder groomed and s*xually abused girls who worked in the movement.

03/18/2026

I deeply respect Dolores Huerta. This morning my heart feels heavy for her and everyone else who was s*xually abused by Cesar Chavez, co-founder of the UFW.

To think that she worked tirelessly to improve the working conditions, health, and lives of generations all while carrying this burden….

Most of us women are taught to place the needs of others ahead of our own; as an idealistic young woman Dolores Huerta did what she thought was necessary at the time for the sake of her family and the farmworker cause and community.

Today, the knowledge that Cesar Chavez, the person who was doing good work in public was doing so much harm to young women in private has stunned our hardworking community.

Cesar Chavez is one more “leader” in a long list of men who have recently been shown as having abused their position of power and authority. So many questions and feelings arise. No matter who they are they must be held accountable.

My heart and prayers are with Dolores Huerta and the women harmed by Cesar Chavez —ALL women who have experienced similar abuse and trauma.

May they receive the compassion, understanding, healing, support and justice they deserve.

May our Gente continue the critical work of advocating for betterment of living and working conditions and fair wages for farmworkers and day laborers.

Together, may we learn to treat each other with respect, harmlessness, kindness, mutual support, and understanding.

Fuerza, luz, y amor.
Maestra Grace
Curanderismo, the Healing Art of Mexico

EDIT: link to the New York Times multi-year investigation article on this,
“An investigation by The New York Times found extensive evidence that the United Farm Workers co-founder groomed and s*xually abused girls who worked in the movement.”
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/cesar-chavez-s*xual-abuse-allegations-ufw.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

March 18, 2026

Today, civil rights leader Dolores Huerta issued the following statement:

“I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for.

I have encouraged people to always use their voice. Following the New York Times’ multi-year investigation into s*xual misconduct by Cesar Chavez, I can no longer stay silent and must share my own experiences.

As a young mother in the 1960s, I experienced two separate s*xual encounters with Cesar. The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having s*x with him, and I didn’t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to. The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped.

I had experienced abuse and s*xual violence before, and I convinced myself these were incidents that I had to endure alone and in secret. Both s*xual encounters with Cesar led to pregnancies. I chose to keep my pregnancies secret and, after the children were born, I arranged for them to be raised by other families that could give them stable lives.

Over the years, I have been fortunate to develop a deep relationship with these children, who are now close to my other children, their siblings. But even then, no one knew the full truth about how they were conceived until just a few weeks ago.

I carried this secret for as long as I did because building the movement and securing farmworker rights was my life’s work. The formation of a union was the only vehicle to accomplish and secure those rights and I wasn’t going to let Cesar or anyone else get in the way. I channeled everything I had into advocating on behalf of millions of farmworkers and others who were suffering and deserved equal rights.

I have never identified myself as a victim, but I now understand that I am a survivor — of violence, of s*xual abuse, of domineering men who saw me, and other women, as property, or things to control.

I am telling my story because the New York Times has indicated that I was not the only one — there were others. Women are coming forward, sharing that they were s*xually abused and assaulted by Cesar when they were girls and teenagers.

The knowledge that he hurt young girls sickens me. My heart aches for everyone who suffered alone and in silence for years. There are no words strong enough to condemn those deplorable actions that he did. Cesar’s actions do not reflect the values of our community and our movement.

The farmworker movement has always been bigger and far more important than any one individual. Cesar’s actions do not diminish the permanent improvements achieved for farmworkers with the help of thousands of people. We must continue to engage and support our community, which needs advocacy and activism now more than ever.

I will continue my commitments to workers, as well as my commitment to women’s rights, to make sure we have a voice and that our communities are treated with dignity and given the equity that they have so long been denied.

I have kept this secret long enough. My silence ends here."

If you are a survivor or if you have been impacted by any type of s*xual violence, please visit the Dolores Huerta Foundation website, where you will find a list of resources for support. https://doloreshuerta.org/s*xual_assault_resources/

Read the full statement and Spanish-language version here: https://medium.com/p/e74c20430555?postPublishedType=initial

MEDIA CONTACT

Fenton Chief of Issue Advocacy & Crisis Management Lead Erik Olvera | eolvera@fenton.com | 415-994-3242

Lara Berthold | larabergthold@gmail.com

03/17/2026

Repost from
•
They weren’t born Mexican… but they died defending Mexico 🇲🇽☘️

Today we don’t just celebrate green—we honor a powerful story of courage, faith, and loyalty that history doesn’t always tell.

The St. Patrick’s Battalion, known as Los San Patricios, were mostly Irish immigrants who originally served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War in 1846. But when they witnessed injustice, mistreatment of Mexican people, and attacks on their shared Catholic faith… they made a bold decision.

They switched sides.

Led by John Riley, these men chose to stand with Mexico—not because they had to, but because they believed it was right. They fought under a green flag with the Irish harp and the words “Erin Go Bragh” (Ireland Forever).

They showed true bravery in battles like Monterrey and Churubusco, where they fought until the very end. Many were captured… many were executed… and others were permanently marked.

To some, they were traitors… but to Mexico, they are heroes 🇲🇽

Today, we honor Los San Patricios—men who proved that loyalty isn’t about where you’re born… it’s about what you stand for.

Honor and glory to Los San Patricios ✊🏽☘️

03/16/2026

A reminder that you're invited to join our virtual Cafecito & Plática this Sunday from 10 am to 11:30 am Pacific Time. Bring your good heart, open mind, and inner wisdom (and your cafecito) and contribute to our collective understanding if you feel comfortable doing so. The platica will not be recorded to encourage safe, thoughtful, and open communication. The plática will close with a Spring Renewal guided visualization to cleanse our "otro yo," our energy field, and bring forth a sense of hope and renewed energy.

Together, we will ensure our time is nonjudgmental, compassionate, and rooted in mutual respect. Registration is by donation at
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cafecito-platica-with-maestra-grace-sesma-tickets-1983489154455?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

03/11/2026

The important role of practitioners of Curanderismo, as practiced in Mexico, in our US communities and as cultural preservation.

Curanderismo practitioners are more than just healers; they are nurturers of balance and inner and outer harmony. Each practitioner has their own unique calling, journey, and customs.

03/11/2026

Romana Acosta Bañuelos

🇲🇽🇺🇸 The Mexican-American Woman Who Went From Washing Dishes to Signing U.S. Money

Long before her name appeared on American currency, Romana Acosta Bañuelos was just a young Mexican-American woman trying to survive.

Her story begins during a painful chapter in U.S. history when many families of Mexican descent were forced out of the country during the Mexican Repatriation era of the 1930s. As a child, Romana and her family were sent to Mexico.

But that was not the end of her story.

Years later she returned to the United States with very little — no wealth, no powerful connections, and no easy path forward. Like many immigrants and working-class families, she took whatever work she could find, including washing dishes for low wages.

Instead of giving up, she decided to build something of her own.

With determination and a small loan, Romana started a tortilla factory in East Los Angeles called Ramona’s Mexican Food Products. What began as a small operation eventually grew into a successful multi-million-dollar business supplying Mexican food products across the country.

Her success caught national attention.

In 1971, President Richard Nixon appointed her Treasurer of the United States, making her the first Latina to ever hold the position.

And here’s the moment that makes history:

The Treasurer of the United States signs the nation’s paper money.

That meant the name Romana Acosta Bañuelos appeared on millions of U.S. dollar bills.

Think about that for a moment.

A Mexican-American woman who once struggled to find work…
who built a business from the ground up…
who refused to let obstacles define her future…

ended up placing her signature on the currency of the United States.

Her journey represents the strength, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit found in so many Mexican-American communities.

Romana didn’t just build a company.

She broke barriers.
She represented a generation.
And she showed that heritage, determination, and hard work can shape history.

🇲🇽 Stories like hers remind us that Mexican-American women have long been leaders, builders, and pioneers in the United States.

Their contributions are not just part of the community’s story —
they are part of American history itself.