Letter From the Editor
Félix Masud-Piloto

Since its inception in 1995, Diálogo has functioned as a collective in the true and best sense of that concept. All the labor is voluntary, everyone involved in the process of producing the publication usually performs different and often multiple tasks, we share ideas in a free and open way, and most importantly, we make editorial decisions with the advice and consent of our diverse constituencies. This special issue on women is a perfect example of our collective spirit. The idea was conceived and discussed openly by our Editorial Board, the labor was equally distributed among our volunteers, and the contents came together after an extensive call for papers and a wide variety of suggestions from our editors, readers, and contributors.

Diálogo number 6 is the realization of two major objectives of our mission: 1) to focus on and pay special attention to issues affecting our communities, and 2) to include in our editorial process the talents and expertise of colleagues in other universities and the community. To accomplish these two important objectives, we have asked two dear friends and respected colleagues, Marixsa Alicea of DePaul University and Maura Toro-Mourn of Illinois State University to co-edit this special issue on women. As many of you may know, Marixsa is a founding member and Deputy Editor of Diálogo, and Maura has collaborated with us from the beginning. Diálogo is fortunate and grateful to have the talents of these two intellectuals and activists leading the dialogue on women.

Some of the materials and articles may be controversial, challenging, and even problematic for some, but that is what Diálogo is about. We hope that this special issue on women will generate serious discussions about women and other issues of importance to our community.