From My Grandmother’s Fields to Our Fight for Justice

by Claudia Cuéllar, Poderosas Fellow

As we close Women’s Month, Claudia Cuéllar, a Poderosas Fellow from Texas, reflects on what it means to grow up on the frontlines of environmental injustice and how those realities have shaped the health, resilience, and advocacy of women in her community. Through a deeply personal lens, she connects generational stories, lived conditions, and urgent policy gaps, reminding us why environmental justice is inseparable from women’s health, dignity, and collective power.

“Growing up and living on the Texas-Mexican border, I have seen firsthand the environmental impacts on my community and particularly on women in my community. My grandma was born and raised here and was a farm worker from the time she was 8 years old. She was working in the fields, inhaling unsafe pesticides, and she eventually developed a rare disease called sarcoidosis in her lungs.

 There are many other women in my community who face higher rates of cancer and other diseases, such as dementia. This is what I found out: “Starr County has the highest known rate of dementia in the state of Texas, with an alarming 1 in 4 adults over the age of 65 (25%) affected by the condition. This rate is well above the national average and signals a major public health emergency in the Rio Grande Valley. While aging is a natural risk factor for dementia, researchers have increasingly linked environmental exposures, such as air pollution, contaminated water, and pesticide exposure, to cognitive decline and neurological disorders.”

This is why it is imperative that we act and demand that our local, state, and federal politicians start having stricter regulations on corporate pollution.

This is not just Claudia’s grandmother’s story. It’s the story of too many women in her community. We cannot ignore it, nor accept as normal. They deserve clean air, safe working conditions, and a future where their health is not the cost of survival.

But change doesn’t happen in silence. Our stories matter, and they carry power. When we speak up, organize, and demand better, we begin to challenge the systems that have ignored our communities for far too long. Sharing these experiences is about awareness, but also about building the collective strength needed to protect our families and our future.

We also need real accountability. Stronger protections, responsible corporate practices, and leaders who prioritize people over profit are necessary. Urge your local, state, and federal officials to take this seriously and act with urgency.

And stay informed and engaged with your commuity, and speak up. Ask questions. Share your story. Support one another. Because protecting our communities starts with all of us.

Our health should never be negotiable. Our communities are worth protecting and the time to act is now.

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