Women's Activism NYC

Carmelita Torres

1895 - 1960

Date Added:

On Jan. 28, 1917, 17-year-old Carmelita Torres led the Bath Riots at the Juarez/El Paso border, refusing the toxic “bath” imposed on all workers crossing the border. Here is what the El Paso Times reported the next day: “When refused permission to enter El Paso without complying with the regulations the women collected in an angry crowd at the center of the bridge. By 8 o’clock the throng, consisting in large part of servant girls employed in El Paso, had grown until it packed the bridge halfway across. “Led by Carmelita Torres, an auburn-haired young woman of 17, they kept up a continuous volley of language aimed at the immigration and health officers, civilians, sentries, and any other visible American.”

click here

Share This Story

We'd Love Your Feedback

Share your thoughts on this story with us. Your comments will not be made public.

Email

WomensActivism.NYC is a project of the NYC Department of Records and Information Services