-
Hidden Figures: On White Feminism and Race
I saw Hidden Figures last Friday and was so moved by the movie. The movie is about Black women working at NASA during the space race and the strides they made and struggles they fought just for decency and respect. Before I get into it, I just need to take a moment and say that I cannot even imagine what life would be like to be as smart as Katherine Johnson (played by Taraji P. Henson) like how is it even possible to understand math in that way? Maybe because I’m always on the struggle bus when it comes to math and science so it extra blew me away, but like HOW…
-
Walkout: How Protests Lead to Increase Access to Education
There is a meme going around that shows two versions of Latinos: one is a group of college grads and the others are protesters. The image reads that the graduates’ actions (of going to school) speaks louder than the protesters. The idea being that we should keep our heads down, do the work, and our success will speak for itself. It’s an admirable thought, but it’s wrong. It’s wrong because it ignores our history. U.S. Latinx history proves that we achieve justice only when we fight for our rights. And Latino access to quality education is specifically tied to community protests where community members agitated, disrupted, and demanded civil rights…
-
Five Ways to Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month as a Latina Lawyer
Love it or hate it, we’re about to get our annual dose of Latino-centered media and events to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month! I have always embraced this month because I grew up in a very homogeneous community with family too far away to really experience cultural/familial norms and traditions. LHM has always been a gateway for me to learn about my family, my culture, and the politics behind our community. While we should always be aware of Latinx accomplishments and struggles, I like having a specific time to really focus and recognize what’s going on. With that in mind, here is a little Latina History Month Must-Dos to help motivate…
-
Goals: Making your way to Law School as an Undocumented Student
We are so lucky to have a guest post today by Brenda, a current undergrad student with law school on the horizon. She is also undocumented and has overcome the obstacles many of us or our family members have experienced. It is always so inspiring to see people in our community working so hard on their goals in spite of these huge obstacles. It helps put things in perspective for me and motivates me to push harder for true immigration reform. Here is Brenda’s story on her journey through higher Ed: Hello my loves! My name is Brenda and I am 23 years old. I was born in Guanajuato but raised…
-
Saving Our Sisters: The Fight to End the Detention & Deportation of Central American Refugees
This is a story about a woman fleeing the pain and terror of sexual violence in Honduras only to face the indignity and inhumanity of prison profiteering in the United States. Laura* is a citizen of Honduras. She built a happy life in her hometown and is a mother to four children. Life was humble, but happy. Then as the war on drugs escalated, the narcotraffickers increased their use of violence to intimidate and control the communities.** The drug gangs prowled the towns and intimidated the locals. One narcotrafficker eventually brutally raped Laura. After the assault, he continued to seek her out and that is when Laura realized that her life…
-
Mass Shootings & Domestic Violence
I have gone back and forth to figure out what to say about what happened in Orlando. This weekend I moved and haven’t had my internet fully re-installed so at first I was only seeing bits and pieces of this horrible event. While any mass shooting conjures up sympathy and anger for them and their families, when I realized that this was also a specific target against people of color in the LGBTQ community I was horrified—sorry I don’t have more eloquent words to describe it. I’m horrified by these crimes and even more upset that politicians—our representatives—refuse to act on legislation that will keep us safe because they are bound by…
-
What Are You Doing For Others?
I am writing this in a mood I wasn’t expecting. I received news this morning that a beloved professor from my undergrad has passed away. When we stop and think about teachers that make a difference in our lives, this professor basically helped form how I approached discussing issues of race and gender. I’ve spoken about it before, but he so succinctly and clearly explained to me why it was important for me to speak up and I never shied away from taking a stand after that moment. A fleeting moment for him, I’m sure, but for me, it validated my experiences and concerns. I could go on and on,…
-
Why Hasn’t Immigration Been A Priority?
I read the NY Times article this week and on top of the raids, it really made me think about our current state of affairs. I know we all have individual political leanings and beliefs that make it impossible to say Latinos are all this way. And I wouldn’t even say that immigration is my number one political issue, but I think it would be dismissive to not admit just how much immigration impacts our communities overall. It may not be my number one issue, but collectively, it has to be a priority for us. So we seek candidates that claim to support us, but I’ve been hearing about immigration…
-
What Will You Do To Get In? And What Will You Do Once You’re There?
I saw this image on Instagram and thought it was a good visual for how we need to be in order to create change in the legal field. We have to abide by the standards and customs to be admitted, but then once we’re in we have to do our best to become agents of change—big and small. I talk a lot about work culture, following cues, and finding ways to fit into work so that you can advance in your career. I do this knowing that there are some people ready to go in and create change by pointing out all the internal injustices that are wrong with our…
-
Using Our Political Power During Hispanic Heritage Month
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (or Latino Heritage, if you prefer) in these times is a bold statement. Unfortunately, at this moment there is an undercurrent, a fervor that feels very much anti-Latino. Yes, the focus seems to be on immigrants—and while fewer and fewer Latinos are identifying as immigrants, it’s hard to separate us from this issue. To me, being anti-immigrant is the same as being anti-Latino. People may try to make distinctions—oh I’m not anti-immigrant, just illegal immigration—but the vitriol feels very personal. It’s perfectly reasonable to feel angry at this mistreatment—and it should make us angry that there are people who are, allegedly, trying to earn our…