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Bend Don’t Break: Yoga
There are obviously cycles during school and work when things are very busy. I remember that in my last semester of law school I didn’t have a free Saturday until the end of March. That meant I was going full steam for 6 days a week and then having to do all my readings on Sunday. It was intense and stressful, which lead to stress-eating. But really, I was stress-eating from the moment orientation started. During law school, I gained probably around 40 pounds. It was not good; not just for my self-esteem, but for my actual health. Diabetes and heart disease run in my family–like in many Latino families,…
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Culture Conflict: Looking Latina
At Latinas Uprising, we talk a lot about forms of assimilation and how to “look” like an attorney. These discussions aren’t done because we believe that we should erase all forms of individuality or culture from our appearance; rather they are provided as a way to give guidance for those that haven’t had the chance to interact with the legal profession and want to learn how to be accepted by the legal community. Ultimately, the goal is to help people learn what it takes to be accepted as an attorney, but also encourage empowerment so that you are the one that decides what your appearance will entail, regardless of what the status…
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One down, 11 to go.
I hope everyone is sticking to their resolutions or making moves to accomplish those goals! We’re excited for the start of a new month and are ready to double-down on work to help move us towards some of our objectives for 2015. One goal was to wake up earlier to catch a ride with my husband to work. That may not seem meaningful, but driving to downtown Chicago gives us an extra 20 minutes of quality time together and I get reminded regularly how much I love this city–exhibit A (which doesn’t do the city justice): As it’s the last Friday of the month, we’re sharing some of our…
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A Latina’s Worth: Combating the Wage Gap
One of Latinas Uprising’s focal points, when it comes to discussing women, equality, and progress is almost always on women and the workplace; most importantly, women and the income we earn. The sad reality is that we earn a pittance compared to other groups and that impacts our quality of life (and that of our families), our earning potential, and our economic capital. So any raised awareness on the income disparity and how to close gap is very much welcomed! At a recent dinner with friends, the conversation turned to a good way to negotiate a salary (one friend was starting a new job). My naïve, idealistic side—the one that’s never…
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Great Grades, Now What?!
A few weeks ago we talked about steps to take when you receive not-so-great grades in school. The likelihood of not doing as well you expected is very high in law school for various reasons. But that’s not to say that no one will do well. In fact, I know many Latinas students (both current and former) that excelled in school and that is worthy of acknowledgement! Aside from recognizing the fruition of hard work, there are still steps you have to take to ensure that you continue on a successful path. When I was in school, a friend earned very, very, very good marks, but was at a loss…
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A Saga: Finding Professional Winter Shoes
I have always disliked the patronizing focus on what women wear to work. I think it’s weird. The grand majority of us know how to (and do) wear appropriate clothing. But there is still a weird standard set upon women, especially in the legal field, that is much higher and seems to question every little thing that we decide to wear. Google “peep-toe shoes and work” and you’ll see debate after debate on their appropriateness. Shoes. As if there are not more substantial, important things that we should worry about, but this is a great reminder that there are rules of professional etiquette that we do have to learn…
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Off the Sidelines: Women in Political Office
Did everyone catch the State of the Union last night? It definitely has some buzzy moments, but one thing that caught my attention was a pundit mentioning that this is the most diverse congress the U.S. has ever had. That is true, even though the group looks as homogenous as ever. But what strikes me is that there are only nine (9!) Hispanic women representing us in the House and none in the Senate. I’m happy for the strides we have made, but still have a long way to go. We’ve spoken about the group Latinas Represent and their push to promote more Latinas into politics. I still encourage anyone…
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A Day On: Reflections after Selma
Where I went to college (and probably many other universities), we celebrated MLK Jr. Day by having a series of workshops and panel discussions about race and social justice in America. Through these events, I learned how progress and social justice only occurs when we fight for it. Now, as an adult that no longer needs college credit, I find it challenging sometimes to find events in which to to participate. I know that most of us would rather just take the day off, rather than making it a “day on,” because it is so easy to see those past struggles as so far removed from our daily life…
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Makeup and Agency
Today’s post is a long road to a quick product recommendation, but before I get to that I really want to talk about our agency and control when it comes to wearing makeup (bear with me, it’s worth it!). First, do you use makeup? I love makeup–like, it’s a hoarding problem. When I first started using makeup, I was young and did it just because it’s what I thought that girls did. As I grew older, I became attached to the routine and thrill of new products. But I felt guilty because I felt that by using makeup I was perpetuating the idea that wearing makeup is something women “must”…
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Quarterly Report: Saving for Retirement
We’re back again with another post on money! Before we dive in, can I tell you a secret? Before I got married, I used to tell my boyfriend (now husband) that because I was Latina I didn’t need to save for retirement–my kids would take care of me, obvi. Of course, I was joking, but the idea that family helps our viejitos is so deeply entrenched that I never really gave much thought about saving for the long-haul. But then as I learned more and more about gender inequity, the wage gap, and saw how poverty continues to afflict women, I realized that saving for retirement at an early age…