Aurora Lucero-White Lea facts for kids

Aurora Lucero-White Lea (born February 8, 1894 – died 1965) was an important American woman. She was a folklorist, which means she studied and collected old stories, songs, and traditions. She was also a writer and a suffragist, meaning she fought for women's right to vote.

Aurora was very proud to be a Nuevomexicana, a person from New Mexico with Hispanic heritage. She believed it was important to teach in both English and Spanish. She also worked hard to keep the traditions of the Hispanic Southwest alive.

She is best known for her book from 1953, Literary Folklore of the Hispanic Southwest. This book is a collection of cultural traditions, songs, and stories. She gathered these while traveling around northern New Mexico.

Early Life and Education

Aurora R. Lucero was born in New Mexico on February 8, 1894. She was the first child of Julianita Romero and Antonio J. Lucero. Her father later became New Mexico's first Secretary of State from 1912 to 1916. Her family was well-off and had strong connections in politics.

Aurora went to public schools in Las Vegas. She started her college studies at New Mexico Normal University. When her father became Secretary of State, her family moved to Santa Fe. She worked in her father's office there. She even went with him to Washington, D.C., and became a delegate for a group called the Ladies Delegation Aides.

In 1919, she married George White and they had a daughter named Dolores. Aurora Lucero-White returned to New Mexico to continue her studies. She earned a teaching degree in 1915 and a bachelor's degree in 1925 from New Mexico Normal University. In 1916, Lucero moved to Tucumcari. There, she took her first teaching job as the head of the Spanish department in the local schools.

Fighting for Change (Activism)

When she was a teenager, Aurora gave a powerful speech. This was during a speaking competition at New Mexico Normal University in 1910. She spoke about why Spanish should be used in public schools. Her speech was a strong response to a new rule. This rule said that any New Mexican official had to speak English perfectly. Many Nuevomexicanos felt this rule was unfair and a form of discrimination.

On October 21, 1915, about 150 women marched through Santa Fe. They walked around the Capitol building and to the home of Senator Thomas B. Catron. They hoped he would support the Susan B. Anthony Amendment. This amendment was about giving women the right to vote.

Ella St. Clair Thompson from the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage knew it was important to work with Spanish-speaking women. So, she asked Aurora Lucero and Nina Otero-Warren to speak at the event. Aurora and Nina insisted that information about voting rights should be available in both English and Spanish. Aurora said, "I speak for the Spanish American women who, while conservative, want the best possible laws where their home life is the question at issue." Even though Senator Catron did not support the amendment, the event was widely reported in the news.

Collecting Stories and Writing

From 1925 to 1927, Aurora Lucero-White Lea worked as the superintendent of schools for San Miguel County. Her job involved traveling all over the state. During this time, she started writing down the cultural folktales, songs, dances, and stories from Hispanic villages.

In 1927, she became an assistant professor of Spanish at her old university, New Mexico Normal University. She earned a master's degree in Spanish literature from that school in 1932. Her master's paper was about "Coloquios de los Pastores," which was a traditional Christmas folk play. In 1934, she became the assistant superintendent of instruction for the New Mexico Department of Education. This important role allowed her to include traditional folklore in the state's school lessons.

She wrote several historical plays. One was Los Pastores (1936), which was based on an old Spanish folk-drama. Another was Kearney Takes Las Vegas (1934). This play was based on the true story of the U.S. army taking over New Mexico under General Stephen W. Kearny. She also wrote an article called More About the Matachines. This article explored where the Matachines dance, performed by both Hispanic people and Pueblo Indians, might have come from.

Her most famous work is Literary Folklore of the Hispanic Southwest (1953). This book is a collection of dances, folk-plays, children's games, songs, and more. In 1935, she helped start La Sociedad Folklorica with Cleofas Martínez Jaramillo. This organization in Santa Fe was dedicated to keeping the customs and traditions of the descendants of Spanish settlers alive.

Aurora Lucero-White Lea stopped teaching in 1960 and passed away in 1965.

Her Lasting Impact (Legacy)

In February 2020, the New Mexico legislature passed a special bill. It was called "Centennial Of 19th Amendment." This bill honored six New Mexican women who fought for women's right to vote. Aurora Lucero-White Lea was one of them. The other women honored were Laura E. Frenger, Nina Otero-Warren, Ina Sizer Cassidy, and Julia Asplund.

See Also

• List of suffragists and suffragettes
• Timeline of women's suffrage