Matters of Choice

Iris Lopez is the director of the Latin American and Caribbean studies program and an associate professor in the department of sociology at the City College of New York. She is coauthor of Telling to Live: Latina Feminist Testimonios.

• The globalization of sterilizationThe birth control movement in Puerto RicoGender awareness across generationsCultural continuities and urban changeThe Velez family: poverty, the cancer scare, and hysterectomiesThe Robles family: social change and gender struggleThe Gomez family: under the knife again-reversing la operaciónThe Morales and Rivera families: tough love and sterile choicesReproductive rights and an integral model of reproductive freedomIdeologies and inequities in the health care systemToward an integral model of reproductive freedom

In this unique and compelling book, Iris Lopez not only encourages a rethinking of reproductive models but features women's own voices and life experiences. I recommend Matters of Choice to anyone interested in learning more about how the national, class and racist legacies of reproductive policies influence the lives of women today. - Dr. Alice Col=n Warren (Researcher, Social Science Research Center, University of Puerto Rico) "In Matters of Choice, Iris Lopez presents a nuanced analysis of themultiple forces that lead to high sterilization rates of Puerto Ricanwomen. Using their voices, Lopez illuminates women's reproductive agency, pushing us to think more deeply about the meaning of laoperaciÓn. - Patricia Zavella (professor of Latin American and Latino Studies, University of California, Santa) "A heart-wrenching look at US domination over working-class Puerto Rican women that has been largely unexplored until now." - Juan Flores (author of The Diaspora Strikes Back) "Matters of Choice is that rare work of scholarship whose ideas and rich findings are central to the literatures on social movements and gender studies. Lopez explodes the usual binary of victim vs. free agent and helps us to imagine what real reproductive justice might look like" - Rosalind Petchesky (Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Hunter College) "Lopez presents an integrated model that moves beyond the binary of choice and constraint to locate the experiences of Puerto Rican women in a continuum....The integrated model provides an opportunity to better understand how personal, cultural, social, and historical factors operate and inform reproductive decisions. Highly recommended." (Choice) "Unlike previous work on women's reproductive control, Lopez offers a more nuanced and complex understanding as to why [sterilization] has been so popular among Puetro Riquenas. It is written in an engaging, clear, and accessible manner...essential reading for those interested in the social construction of the body, reproduction, and Latina women's experiences." (Feminist Formations (Formerly NWSA Journal)) "Lopez's work fills a tremendous void in the social science literature about Puerto Rican women's lives and fertility. One of the more impressive aspects of this work is the depth of the ethnographic interviews: each woman's voice rings loud and clear. Matters of Choice should be standard reading for students of the Puerto Rican and Latina condition, and not just female students but all students." (Centro: Journal of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies) In this unique and compelling book, Iris Lopez not only encourages a rethinking of reproductive models but features women's own voices and life experiences. I recommend Matters of Choice to anyone interested in learning more about how the national, class and racist legacies of reproductive policies influence the lives of women today. - Dr. Alice Col=n Warren (Researcher, Social Science Research Center, University of Puerto Rico) "In Matters of Choice, Iris Lopez presents a nuanced analysis of themultiple forces that lead to high sterilization rates of Puerto Ricanwomen. Using their voices, Lopez illuminates women's reproductive agency, pushing us to think more deeply about the meaning of laoperaciÓn. - Patricia Zavella (professor of Latin American and Latino Studies, University of California, Santa) "A heart-wrenching look at US domination over working-class Puerto Rican women that has been largely unexplored until now." - Juan Flores (author of The Diaspora Strikes Back) "Matters of Choice is that rare work of scholarship whose ideas and rich findings are central to the literatures on social movements and gender studies. Lopez explodes the usual binary of victim vs. free agent and helps us to imagine what real reproductive justice might look like" - Rosalind Petchesky (Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Hunter College) "Lopez presents an integrated model that moves beyond the binary of choice and constraint to locate the experiences of Puerto Rican women in a continuum....The integrated model provides an opportunity to better understand how personal, cultural, social, and historical factors operate and inform reproductive decisions. Highly recommended." (Choice) "Unlike previous work on women's reproductive control, Lopez offers a more nuanced and complex understanding as to why [sterilization] has been so popular among Puetro Riquenas. It is written in an engaging, clear, and accessible manner...essential reading for those interested in the social construction of the body, reproduction, and Latina women's experiences." (Feminist Formations (Formerly NWSA Journal)) "Lopez's work fills a tremendous void in the social science literature about Puerto Rican women's lives and fertility. One of the more impressive aspects of this work is the depth of the ethnographic interviews: each woman's voice rings loud and clear. Matters of Choice should be standard reading for students of the Puerto Rican and Latina condition, and not just female students but all students." (Centro: Journal of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies)