No Más Bebés (transl. No More Babies) is an American documentary film that tells the story of immigrant women who were sterilized upon going into labor. Having been sterilized without knowing at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, the mothers sued county doctors, the State of California, and the United States government. Having collected hospital records from a whistleblower, Chicana lawyer Antonia Hernandez led the lawsuit against powerful institutions.
Plot summary The documentary introduces several mothers involved in the Madrigal v. Quilligan trial who recount the day they were sterilized, what their dreams and aspirations concerning family had been beforehand, and their involvement in fighting for Chicana rights. Family members are also introduced throughout, many having just learned about the sterilizations performed on their loved ones. The history of coercive sterilization, focusing on the sterilization of Latina women, is the main theme of the documentary. No Más Bebés transitions to focusing on Madrigal v. Quilligan, introducing Antonia Hernandez as the lawyer in charge of the case and detailing the obstacles she faced in building a case against the powerful institutions that were on trial. The documentary comes to a close with ruling of the trial in favor of the hospital and the final thoughts of the figures in the documentary. Video and news clips from the 1970s concerning the women, the court case, and the hospital appear throughout the documentary.
Characters
Mothers Consuelo Hermosillo: Originally from Veracruz, Mexico, and known for her cooking skills in her son's restaurant, Hermosillo was always the one fighting for the rights of her children and community, making her well known within her neighborhood. She loves children and wanted 4 or 5. She was sterilized at 23. The doctors made her sign in a gurney while experiencing a lot a pain and discomfort after giving birth. Next to her signature was "No mas bebes por vidas". She joined the court case, but originally didn't think Ms. Antonia could accomplish anything. Hermosillo was shocked when Hernandez had made it so far with the case. During her recorded interview with Prof. Ibanez, she described how she always dreamt that she had her baby and that she would go to Mexico and people would always want to see him. "A miracle that nobody else can have". The operation made Consuelo feel not as brave as she used to feel. María Hurtado: A strong willed woman who found way to cross the traditional boundaries of the role of Chicana women. Her strong relationship with her husband, who she has been married to for 51 and half years, is evident throughout the film, many clips depicting the two dancing. Because she was not fluent in English, her five children would translate for her. The Hurtados had valued family and had plans to have a large family. She joined the lawsuit immediately after Antonia Hernandez had asked her to "Keep fighting for what you want" Dolores Madrigal: Dolores and her husband were factory workers that saved up for their family and house. After learning about the sterilization several weeks after it occurred, her relationship with her husband became strained, who directed his anger at her verbally and physically. He had started to drink after the sterilization occurred. He would say, "Women do this to be with other men and their husbands never found out". She was the lead plaintiff in the historic civil rights trial. Her son found out about the sterilization during the production of the film. Maria Figueroa: Living in East LA, a family-oriented women that was always with her children when not at work. Like the other mothers, Maria's life was changed when she was sterilized, affecting her life and marriage. She chose to stay in her marriage for her children, and almost went as far as attempting suicide because of the effects the sterilization had on her marriage and mental state. After informing her husband of her sterilization, he told her that she could not conduct any interviews or testify. Melvina Hernández: A homeworker who was sterilized at the age of 23 and did not find out until four years later. She was told to sign a paper that was in English for a C-section that was needed if the doctor was going to "save her and the baby". Hernandez refused, because her husband was not present, but the nurse told her to sign or she would die. The nurse ended up grabbing her hand and signed the paper for her.
Attorneys Antonia Hernandez: Civil Rights attorney. A UCLA Law School Graduate, Hernandez immigrated from Mexico and grew up in East LA. Employed at the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice (LACLJ), she was one of the two attorneys who filed Madrigal v. Quilligan at the age of 26. She decided to file the case after Dr. Rosenfeld landed in the legal aids office. Hernandez would spend her time driving up and down Lincoln Heights in East LA, trying to find the mothers, many of whom their statute of limitation had ended. Ms. Antonia felt that the only way to go to court was to file a class action lawsuit to claim that the women's right to have babies was denied. She later became the President of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and is now the CEO of the California Community Foundation. Nancy Menzies Vaessen: Doctor's Defense attorney. Was able to file a motion that dismissed Dr. Quilligan and Dr. Roger Freeman from the case for not having direct responsibility and not being present during the sterilizations. "You have to look at what the facts are....that's why documentation is so important" Charles Nabarrete: A graduate of UCLA law school, Nabarrete was the lead attorney for the Madrigal case. Jovit Rivera: Plaintiff. Rivera believed that the ruling was saying that nothing had happened. Hon. Jesse Curtis Jr.: The federal judge that decided the outcome of Madrigal vs. Quilligan. He found the defendants not guilty and that "the cultural background of these particular women has contributed to the problem" of these sterilizations taking place.
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