"The women planted their bodies and kicked one foot forward, imitating the self-defense move displayed on a projector screen: La patada hacia los testiculos. The kick to the testicles.
Some of the students were sexual assault survivors. Others had dealt with harassment at work. Some were in the country without legal documentation.
With law enforcement nationwide seeing a drop in sexual assault and domestic violence reports by Latinos — some fearing possible deportation — amid President Trump’s immigration crackdown, the Ya Basta self-defense group is filling a void.
'When you look at the #MeToo movement ... they’re not taking on poverty and they’re not taking on immigration. And those are the two main issues that these women face every day,' said Lilia García-Brower, executive director of the Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund and founder of the group that focuses on training female janitors. Roughly translated, Ya Basta means 'Enough is enough.'
'We have to figure out how to bring their voices together and speak explicitly about the abuse of power … and how it plays out in the workplace,' García-Brower said."
