National Hispanic Heritage Month

By Zesong Yu
November 3, 2023

National Hispanic Heritage Month takes place from September 15th to October 15th every year as a time to recognize and celebrate the many contributions, diverse cultures, and extensive histories of the American Latino community. My choice for who to represent this month is an icon named India Juliana. 

India Juliana, the Christian name of a Guaraní woman, resided in early-colonial Paraguay, Asunción, and was accused of killing a Spanish colonist between 1539 and 1542. She was one of the numerous indigenous women who were taken by the Spanish or given to them and made to work and procreate for them. Since the region did not contain as many minerals as the Spaniards had hoped, colonists relied on the forced labor of native people, particularly the sexual exploitation of women who were of child bearing age.

The memoirs of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca from 1545 and those of his scribe Pero Hernández, who briefly controlled the region between 1542 and 1544, are where the tale of the India Juliana is found. These versions claim that India Juliana confessed to the murder of a Spanish settler named Ñuño de Cabrera by way of poison. He was either her spouse or her master; she subsequently freed herself by killing him. Cabeza de Vaca learned about her situation upon his arrival in Asunción, and she reportedly boasted about her deeds to her other peers. As a penalty for the crime and a warning to other indigenous women not to do the same, he ordered her execution by dismemberment.

India Juliana, one of most important women in Paraguayan history. The revolt she inspired among other women to kill their masters is regarded as one of the earliest indigenous revolutions ever documented. Her narrative has been told in many different ways, each with a different ideological undertone. Although the main aspects of her story are frequently consistent, there are variations in the dates of the incidents- how she killed Cabrera, and how she was put to death. She has been claimed as a rebel and a symbol of indigenous resistance to colonization. She is characterized as an early feminist in a number of contemporary interpretations, with both activists and academics claiming association with her. The Indian nation's history and many historical fiction works have focused on Juliana. She has had a street in Asunción named after her since 1992, making it one of the few to be named after a single indigenous person rather than an entire community.

Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the unique voices and experiences of Hispanic/Latino Americans and recognize their history, journeys, and achievements. And an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the rich culture and diversity of Hispanic Americans.