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This project examines how first and second-generation Mexican American women utilized their local church- Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Oakland neighborhood of Topeka, Kansas as a site to forge new identities in Eastern Kansas. Confronted with the racial dynamics of the heartland and navigating their family’s gendered expectations, women of Mexican descent reshaped a patriarchal and religious structure to meet their needs as they became increasingly aware of their converging Mexican and American identities. Through this process, Mexican American women ultimately celebrated their newfound identities and created cultural visibility for women like them in the conservative heartland.

 

This project highlights the histories of lesser-explored enclaves in Eastern Kansas such as Topeka. The heartland contains longstanding and sizable Mexican American communities that have been significantly understudied and not sufficiently documented. By examining the history of Topeka’s Mexican community, this project reveals more complex community formation processes in areas not traditionally thought of as hubs for Mexican migration. This project contributes to a growing body of Midwestern Mexican American scholarship while primarily focusing on the everyday experiences of women. Ultimately, this project reveals how the conservatism of the heartland provided Mexican American women with limited yet critical spaces, such as the Catholic Church, to shape their own distinctive identities and a sense of belonging.

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