El Placio Plática: The women of the Chicano Movement

A group of people sit and stand in a crowded room, some clapping and others talking; artwork hangs on the walls in the background.
By Myrriah Gómez and Emily Withnall

On February 22, 2026, 120 people in Las Vegas, NM, attended the El Palacio Plática at the New Mexico Highlands University Donnelly Library. The plática featured writer Myrriah Gómez and photographer and activist Adelita M. Medina. Medina was an activist during El Movimiento in Las Vegas in the 1970s and she shared her memories of the women who shaped the movement and created a school and farm in Montezuma. Many people in the audience shared their memories of that time too, and young people in the Brown Berets showed up, too.

To watch the video recording of the plática, see the link in the comments — and please subscribe to the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs YouTube channel so you don’t miss future recordings.

Myrriah Gómez, author of “Art and Activism at Highlands University,” speaks at the El Palacio Plática held February 2026.
The former cook at the Escuelita raises her hand. Women of the Chicano Movement created Escuela Antonio José Martínez to provide culturally responsive education to youth in Las Vegas, NM.
Miguel Medina, son of photographer and activist Adelita M. Medina, shares his childhood memories of attending the Escuela Antonio José Martínez that his mom helped created with other women in El Movimiento.

Emily Withnall (opens in a new tab) is the editor of El Palacio and the host of Encounter Culture. Prior to stepping into the editor role, she wrote for the magazine for eight years. Emily has also been published in The New York Times, Al Jazeera, High Country News, Orion Magazine, Tin House, The Kenyon Review, Gay Magazine, Source New Mexico, and other publications. She lives and writes in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Myrriah Gómez (opens in a new tab) is from El Rancho in the Pojoaque Valley. She earned her bachelor’s degree at New Mexico Highlands University. She is an associate professor in the Honors College at the University of New Mexico and the author of Nuclear Nuevo México. She thanks Dr. Ray Hernández-Durán, Juanita J. Lavadie, Francisco Lefebre, Adelita M. Medina, and Dr. Irene Vásquez for sharing their time and knowledge with her.