Have you ever wondered about the untold stories of women whose voices are often silenced by societal structures?

Under the Shade of the Guamuchil Tree: Life Stories of Indigenous and Peasant Women in Prison, by the Sisters in the Shadow Editorial Collective, reveals the gripping experiences of indigenous and mestizo women at Cereso Morelos. This book brings to light the struggles of 206 women and 15 children imprisoned by a system that fails to address the root causes of crime, resorting instead to punitive measures.

Through nine powerful narratives collected in Life Stories workshops over nearly three years at the Atlacholoaya women's detention center, this book offers a profound look at inequality and social injustice.

Ideal for readers interested in social justice, human rights, and gender studies, as well as educators and students exploring these themes, this book is a crucial resource for understanding and addressing systemic inequalities.

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Acknowledgements
• Abstract
• General learning objective
• Table of Contents
• You no longer sing for me at night
• Introduction: Stories of exclusion
  • Under the shade of the guamúchil
• 1 Flor de Nochebuena: You were born women, resign yourselves
  • A woman with a lot of fear
  • Today I face pain with courage
• 2 Altagracia: I agreed to do it, despite my fear
  • A beautiful school
• 3 Morelitos: Their word against mine
  • Immortal legacy
    • In memory of Morelitos
• 4 Leo: A swan’s dreams in the swamp
  • I am your daughter
• 5 Luz: Watching life go by from a wheelchair
  • Sisters in the shadow
• 6 Perla Negra: Since I was born, violence has been part of my life
  • With pen and paper
• 7 Sol: You have just lost everything. May God bless you!
  • The wronged lover
  • To the left of God
• 8 Martha Elena: Prison taught me who I was
  • Opening windows
    • Galia Tonella
  • My mother tongue
    • Martha Elena Bermudez
• 9 Victoria: My grandmother’s curse has followed me
  • Privileged
  • Our own books
• 10 María: I am innocent
  • María
    • I’m going far away
  • My pretty girl
    • Rosa Salazar
  • The shadow of guamúchil
• 11 Eva: I don’t want any more scars
  • Honor every word
    • Amatista Lee
  • Prisons without walls
    • Amatista Lee
• 12 Rosalba: The protection of the wrong man
  • Birth of talent
• 13 Tamar: Waiting for divine forgiveness
  • Messengers from other worlds
    • Amatista Lee
• 14 Epilogue: We remain in the shadow of the guamúchil
  • Under the shade of the guamúchil
• Notes
• Index

The Editorial Collective Sisters in the Shadow, formed by women inmates from CERESO Atlacholoaya, Morelos, has been working since 2008 to dignify imprisoned women through publishing and media, aiming to challenge misconceptions and foster societal respect.