By Maya Perez '23
Being a Latina young woman growing up in the 21st century is difficult. In fact, being of a different race from what is idolized is hard, and this experience is rarely recognized in spite of its importance. There are numerous Latinx women in history who have aimed to empower young Latinas, by encouraging them to think better of themselves and believe in their potential. But even though these women have proved their worth time and time again, Latinas are still put down for the way we look and the heritage we carry in our blood.
I am half Latina and half white, and growing up I would identify more with my white side because of how little representation of Latinas I saw around me. But now I prefer to identify more with my Colombian side, because I am incredibly proud to be a part of this community, and I want to help with the changes it needs. Looking back at how I grew up, I still can’t think of someone I could look up to who looked like me. For example, although there is one Latina Disney princess, I would more often see Belle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, heroines who seem very different from someone like me. Everyone who is Latinx may experience this disadvantage, and think there is no way to change it. However, I believe the world is a place where progress is made in front of our eyes all the time, and since we have faced numerous obstacles as a community, there is a way we can make progress in representation. Even now there are moments in which I question why I am proud of who I am, and I always come to the conclusion that you will never get anywhere if you are not confident in yourself and if you do not love who you are inside and out.
There are innumerable incredible Latina women that have shown that we can make it, even though it may be more difficult for us. For instance, Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman to go to space in 1993. While it is upsetting how recently this happened, it is also very inspiring and it shows that things are truly changing, and our achievements have not been stopped by our race. Dolores Huerta is another great example of a woman who has changed not just Latinx lives, but also the ones of many others through her work. Later on in Huertas’ journey, she formulated an organization that bettered the working conditions of farm workers (usually immigrants from Central America). There are many more Latina women like Ellen Ochoa and Dolores Huerta who have broken the standard of what society expects a Latina woman to be, and their examples can give us hope for the amount of change we can really make in this world while being proud of who we are.
Editors: Cecilia Fiorindo, Kylie Smith, Ms. Brilliant.
Fair Use Disclaimer
The images and contents in this article are under Fair Use: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Power to Latinx women! May we continue to see more and more role models that look like us.