Rosie Jimenez was a young mother in McAllen on the road to becoming a teacher. As a child of migrant farmworkers living in poverty, she didn’t want her child to experience struggle like she did.
In late September 1977, Jimenez sought abortion care with her doctor, but she was turned away because the Hyde Amendment, which took effect only two months prior to Jimenez discovering her unplanned pregnancy, did not allow Medicaid coverage of abortion services. Henry Hyde’s motives for this amendment were the closest he could get to banning abortion after the Supreme Court’s 1973 landmark decision Roe v. Wade. Instead, he just made accessing abortion much more dangerous.
Ultimately, Jimenez received an unsafe abortion and contracted an infection from the unsanitary tools used. On Oct. 3, 1977, she passed away from sepsis at McAllen General Hospital. Jimenez is the first person recorded to have died as a result of the Hyde Amendment. We mourn her life, future and motherhood, but we also celebrate them. Jimenez’s story could be the story of all women and people, in the past and today, who risk their lives for their reproductive autonomy. She, like, countless others, should be here.
These distressing political moments demand we reflect not only on the future of reproductive autonomy, but also the barriers poor women of color have had to resist and overcome for ages.
To honor the life of McAllen native Rosie Jimenez, Frontera Fund will host a vigil titled, “Roses for Rosie,” from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Archer Park in McAllen.
Cathryn Torres
Sociology senior
