Talk:Elena Torres

I think we have a mixup with Rosa Torre

@Ipigott: @Rosiestep: I am working on a piece on Rosa Torre González and I find multiple sources that say SHE was the first woman elected to the Merida City Council. [1] [2] The Rappaport source says it is Elena Torres [3]

So, I backtracked. The Japanese source shows Elena established the Montessori School and I find no ties to Rosa with regard to that. So, I think that is accurate. This source [4] says Rosa was a delegate to the Pan American Conference in Baltimore, but I find no other reference to Rosa being there. The Japanese source says it was Elena.

My instinct is telling me that Rosa had ties with Yucatan and Rosa was a business partner with Felipe Carrillo Puerto (Yucatán's governor)'s sister. She seems logical for the first woman in politics. I am deleting the information on Elena being on the City Council, but the question is, since Rappaport is wrong on that, do we need to double check all her other info? I'm doubting that it was Elena who helped Carrillo Puerto establish socialism in Yucatan. Seems to me most of Elena's work was in Mexico City and northern Mexico, while all of Rosa's appears to be in Yucatan. SusunW (talk) 04:42, 22 March 2015 (UTC)

Positive Rosa is the councilwoman. I just found her account of her tenure. [5] still not sure which of the two women organized the socialist party with Carillo Puerto, but am reading Rosa's report now. SusunW (talk) 05:08, 22 March 2015 (UTC)

Positive that Elena attended the Pan-American Conference of Women, per the Boletín de la Unión Panamericana, Volume 55, page 135 and page 115, which also includes her photo. --Rosiestep (talk) 05:16, 22 March 2015 (UTC)

Like 99% sure it was Elena who established Montessori. All sources agree on that and none even mention Rosa. Found one more source in Spanish [6] that says basically: "Readers will recall that General Alvarado arriving to Mérida invited this prominent Mexican feminist to found the first Montessori school in Mérida (Elena Torres is not the same that Rosa Torre, revolutionary, teacher and propagandist, friend Elvia Carrillo Puerto) ... Elena Torres will become the delegate of Yucatán, under the governorship of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, to the first Pan American Conference for women ... Rosa Torre who is chosen proprietary councilor of the city of Mérida."

It does not clear up which of them helped found the socialist party, as it says Elvia fled to Mexico City with Elena who put her in touch with communists. Maybe someone who is more fluent will get a clearer read as to whether it was Elena or Rosa who helped Felipe establish the socialist party. SusunW (talk) 06:15, 22 March 2015 (UTC)

There does indeed seem to be considerable confusion between these two ladies, no doubt triggered by the name. When I started the article on Elena, I already began to wonder whether the sources were reliable. I don't think knowledge of Spanish is much of a help here either. In order to sort it out properly, I think it would be necessary to go back to the press reports of the times but unfortunately they are not available online. Maybe some keen Mexican librarian could sort it out? There is also an interesting book in English on the subject: "Emergence of the modern Mexican woman: her participation in revolution and struggle for equality, 1910-1940", see here which might help.--Ipigott (talk) 07:41, 22 March 2015 (UTC)

I'm not a keen Mexican librarian, but I contacted a friend who is going to take me to 1st the Mérida city archives and 2nd UADY to see if we can sort it out. I live in Mérida, so am hoping if I cannot find info here on Elena, I can find enough data on Rosa to clarify the situation. Will work on it next week. SusunW (talk) 13:26, 22 March 2015 (UTC)