Maria Cano Bribriesco
Maria Cano Bribriesco is a proud Chicana from Mercedes, Tejas. She has a law degree from the University of Iowa. She is a retired government attorney. She is a community activist and a rabble rouser. She ran as a Democrat for the Iowa House of Representatives and the Iowa State Senate in a solid, red district. She is a Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt and Wife who loves to dance, garden and be with people.
University of Iowa, College of Law, JD, 1983
Artist Statement
I attended public schools in South Texas, in a small town that prided itself with having a Confederate Air Force base. I wrote “Nuestro Despertar” (“Our Awakening”) from a deep desire and sense of urgency to express my anger when I learned about “manifest destiny”. I needed to tell that I and others in my situation can learn … become aware of the psychological oppression of racism and that we CAN break free! My optimism and belief in the people’s power to change our lives for a better future had to shine through. I could not ignore my feelings and had to write.