Viramontes, Helena María, 1954-

Helena Maria Viramontes (born February 26, 1954) is a prominent Chicana fiction writer and professor of English, and activist best known for her work within marginalized communities, particularly amongst Mexican American women and migrant workers. She is known for her short stories, and for her two novels, Under the Feet of Jesus and Their Dogs Came With Them, and is considered one of the most significant figures in the early canon of Chicano literature. Most of her works explore themes of gender inequality, social justice, and the struggle within laboring communities. Viramontes is currently the Goldwin Smith Professor of English at Cornell University.