Emma Beatrice Tenayuca (December 21, 1916 – July 23, 1999) was an American labor leader, union organizer, civil rights activist, and educator.

[7] Less than a year later, she was scheduled to speak at a small Communist Party meeting at the Municipal Auditorium permitted by the San Antonio Mayor, Maury Maverick.

In the 1930s, San Antonio was a significant hub for the garment industry; however, the workers were subjected to deplorable working conditions, received low earnings, and were not guaranteed employment.

[13] During the strike, up to 12,000 workers at over 130 plants walked off the job in protest of a salary reduction of one cent per pound of shelled pecans and terrible working conditions.

[14] For the duration of the strike, Tenayuca and the employees were subjected to a variety of hardships, including violent encounters with law enforcement and company goons.

[4] The WAA was established in 1935 by the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) as a front organization to mobilize the unemployed, underemployed, and unskilled workers who were shut out of traditional unions during the Great Depression.

[17] The organization's goal was to promote government-funded unemployment insurance, employment aid programs, and the defense of workers' rights.

[18] Emma Tenayuca was also a member of the Woman's League for Peace and Freedom (WLPF), a worldwide feminist group that was established in 1915 with the mission of advancing social justice, equality, and disarmament.

In 1940, she attended the international convention of the Women's Liberation Movement for Peace (WLPF) in Washington, D.C., as a delegate, representing the San Antonio branch of the organization.

Tenayuca's participation in the convention allowed her to discuss the importance of peace and disarmament amidst the hostilities of World War II.

In 1942, while serving as the National organizer for the Workers Alliance of America, Emma Tenayuca led a demonstration in San Antonio against the US Border Patrol's brutal beating of a group of Mexican migrants.

Tenayuca's outrage over the incident led her to organize the demonstration, which drew attention to the inhumane treatment of migrants at the US-Mexico border.

These protests reveal Tenayuca's strong commitment to fighting against injustices faced by Mexican migrants and her unwavering determination to create a more just and equal society.

Emma Tenayuca's Struggle for Justice, a bilingual children's book that tells the story of her contributions to the pecan sheller strike.

[22] Tenayuca earned the nickname "La Pasionaria de Texas" (Spanish for "The Passionate One") due to her many demonstrations in the face of numerous arrests.