La Cruz Blanca facts for kids
La Cruz Blanca Neutral (which means The Neutral White Cross) was a special volunteer group. It was formed during the Mexican Revolution to help people wounded in the fighting. The Red Cross at that time refused to treat some fighters. So, La Cruz Blanca Neutral was created to help everyone who was hurt, no matter which side they were on.
After its first success in Ciudad Juárez, this group grew quickly. It spread to 25 states across Mexico during the war. It continued helping people for many years. By the 1940s, it changed its focus to helping children. Today, the organization is still active in Mexico City.
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How the White Cross Started
La Cruz Blanca Neutral was a volunteer group that helped the sick and wounded. Elena Arizmendi Mejia founded it in 1911. She was studying nursing in San Antonio, Texas, when the Mexican Revolution began. Her school was near the home of Francisco I. Madero, a family friend. Madero was challenging Porfirio Díaz for the presidency of Mexico.
Elena heard about the war and the many injured people. She also learned that the Red Cross would not treat the revolutionaries. So, Elena decided to return to Mexico City in April 1911. She met with the head of the Red Cross there. When he confirmed they would not help revolutionaries, Elena decided to start her own group. She wanted an organization that would treat all Mexicans.
Elena and her brother, Carlos, gathered medical students and nurses. They formed an association following the rules of the Geneva Conventions. Elena worked hard to raise money. She got help from famous people like María Conesa and Virginia Fábregas. After many fundraising events, they had enough money for a field hospital.
On May 11, 1911, the first group left for Ciudad Juárez. Elena, Carlos, and doctors and nurses formed this first team. More groups followed in the next few days. When they arrived in Ciudad Juárez, they found a lot of damage. Elena had to raise even more money to help.
Helping in Ciudad Juárez
The volunteer teams quickly started working in Ciudad Juárez. They used buildings like the Hospital de Jesús and Hospital Juárez. They also used medical student dorms and pharmacies. American doctors from nearby El Paso, Texas, also set up a hospital. They called it the Hospital Insurrecto (Insurgent's Hospital).
The city was badly damaged, and many people were wounded. This put a lot of strain on their supplies. Elena Arizmendi had to ask for more donations again.
A doctor named Laglera opened Hospital Libertad (Liberty Hospital). He treated wounded people and those with typhus. Many nurses helped him, including Rebeca Guillén and the Vélez sisters. Nurses like Rhoda Miller and Tomasa Villareal formed the surgical team. About twenty nurses worked in Ciudad Juárez. Other nurses visited people who could not go to hospitals.
Growing Across Mexico
On June 7, 1911, a huge earthquake hit Mexico. Members of the White Cross quickly went to Iguala, Guerrero, to help. By the end of 1911, La Cruz Blanca Neutral had set up 25 teams across Mexico.
Elena Arizmendi was honored for her work. She received a gold medal for helping the wounded. Later, in 1912, the International Red Cross gave silver medals to nurses who served with the White Cross.
However, in 1913, some male doctors did not want to follow orders from a woman. This caused a split in the organization. Elena Arizmendi decided to leave and moved to New York City.
Another important group was started by Leonor Villegas de Magnón in 1913. Her team helped soldiers near the Texas-Mexican border, close to Laredo, Texas. A group of women and American doctors treated the wounded in Magnón's home. She believed it was important to save Latino history. So, she had a special photographer for Cruz Blanca. Magnón also wrote a book called The Rebel about the group's activities. Her book was finally published in 1994.
The White Cross Today
In 1948, Elena Arizmendi changed what the White Cross focused on. The government was not providing much support. Since 1942, the only money had come from a generous helper, Rodulfo Brito Foucher.
Today, the White Cross still exists in Coyoacán, a neighborhood in Mexico City. The organization now helps children who have severe problems with malnutrition. They work to care for and help these children get better.
See also
In Spanish: Cruz Blanca Neutral para niños
- Jovita Idar
- Mexican Revolution
- María Arias Bernal
