Latina Leadership Unfiltered: Strength, Culture and Systemic Truth (RECORDED)

Within the Latine diaspora, cultural identity is both a strength and a source of inspiration. How can bilingualism and biculturalism contribute to a fuller sense of creativity, connection and belonging, and how can Latina leaders feel empowered to show up fully and authentically? How can challenges around discrimination and code-switching be reframed and redressed?

On Oct. 1, The Foundation’s Progreso Latino Fund brought together Latina leaders across sectors to consider these questions and to share their journeys, reflecting on systemic barriers and supports and exploring how cultural identity has shaped their paths to success. Many of the over 100 attendees kept the Zoom chat lively, sharing personal experiences and insights, as well as some of the resources listed below.

What conversations did this webinar inspire for you? How have you applied its insights in your own life or work? Join others in the discussion on Facebook or Instagram. And if you couldn’t make it, watch the webinar above and join the conversation!

What We Heard

• Panelists explained how they worked through their own “fears of jumping into environments that were not created for you,” and described the opportunities they made to “find your people.”
• Discrimination can occur within the Latine community. Inherited cultural pressures can present unique challenges for Latina leaders, ranging from expectations around family roles and having children, to high hopes around academic and professional performance.
• Codeswitching can be tiresome and burdensome. It can also be a strength and a sign of broader cultural access.
  • “It allows us to be able to empathize and understand people” and “has in many ways helped increase my social capital within organizations. It allows me to bring up others with me.” — Liany Arroyo
  • “Our cultural identity and our commitment to authenticity should not become an ‘escape hatch.’ Think about it as a superpower.” — Ellie Nieves
• Be attendant to the next generation and relay the importance of showing up with a sense of invitation and urgency.

Who We Heard

Panelists 

Liany E. Arroyo, MPH, CPH, Director, Connecticut Urban Opportunity Collaborative
Fany DeJesús Hannon, Ed.D., Dean of Students, University of Connecticut
Ellie Nieves, J.D., MBA, President & CEO, Leadership Strategies for Women, LLC

Moderator

Yari Ijeh, Chair, Progreso Latino Fund Advisory Committee

Resources

• Ellie Nieves’ 30-Day Confidence-Boosting Journal that guides women through daily prompts and reflections to help them build confidence and show up more boldly in their careers and personal lives.
• Yale Ciencia Initiative is an effort within the Yale School of Medicine’s Office of Collaborative Excellence to expand access to scientific knowledge, experiences, and careers.
• La Mariposa: A Personal Empowerment Program for Adolescent Latinas is a gender responsive, culturally competent group program model for adolescent females from 12 – 18 years of age.