The University of Arizona Press

April 4, 2023

The National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies (NACCS) presented their book award to Michelle Téllez, for her book Border Women and the Community of Maclovio Rojas.

The NACCS selection committee said, “This is a unique contribution to community studies as Téllez tells the story of a community creating a space for survival and opportunities to thrive within the colonial space of two countries. Téllez provides us with how agency is created by women in places like the US-Mexico border.” The author is pictured above holding the poster for her book, with University of Arizona Press Editor-in-Chief Kristen Buckles.

Near Tijuana, Baja California, the autonomous community of Maclovio Rojas demonstrates what is possible for urban place-based political movements. More than a community, Maclovio Rojas is a women-led social movement that works for economic and political autonomy to address issues of health, education, housing, nutrition, and security.

Border Women and the Community of Maclovio Rojas tells the story of the community’s struggle to carve out space for survival and thriving in the shadows of the U.S.-Mexico geopolitical border. This ethnography by Michelle Téllez demonstrates the state’s neglect in providing social services and local infrastructure.

Congratulations Michelle Téllez!