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Seek Our History: The Purpose of Hispanic Heritage Month
One of the reasons that I Loved college (with a capitol L) is because of the Latino student group. It was small, but mighty. I learned so much about leadership, collaboration, advocacy, friendship, etc. etc. through this group, but one of the most important lessons was how vital culture is to our identities. For many years, I grew up isolated from family traditions and my culture (long story). It wasn’t until college that I realized how embracing my traditions and culture wasn’t just acceptable, but necessary. So for me, Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to go beyond my normal routine and learn about the highs and lows of the Latino-American experience.…
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Fighting Back: Using our Power to Advance Education in the Latino Community
I recently read the article of a young Latina sharing her graduation with her parents who work in the fields. One thing that stuck out to me was the stress she felt while at school, worried that upon return home her parents could have been picked up by immigration. I’ve been realizing more and more just how overwhelming the added trauma undocumented children (and children of undocumented parents) must feel day in and day out at what the government could do to them and their families. Maritza Ramos, from OITNB, has also described the gut-wrenching feeling of coming home to a deported parents. I hear stories like this and think–what are systems of…
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Affirmative Action, Feminism, & Me
In 2003, I was in high school, when the Supreme Court decided Grutter v. Bollinger--a case discussing race as a factor in college admissions. I remember being in my AP government class with a conservative, white, male teacher who didn’t hold back on how incorrect it was to take race into account. And so most students agreed with him. The class was small, maybe 12. I remember only one or two students, aside from me being in support of Affirmative Action. I remember, a white girl next to me who made a crying sound, implying that students of color complaining about diversity were being whiny babies. I was the only…
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Reacting to Inappropriate & Privileged Comments in Class.
One of the great things about law school is that you’re interacting with a lot of smart people and most of them have specialized interest for justice. It can really broaden your horizons and expose you to knew causes and pursuits. That was very much the case for me. On the flip side, you will also encounter some of the most close-minded and culturally bereft people in your life. Meaning that you may have classmates who have lived in such sheltered, privileged way of life that they make comments without thinking (or caring) about the implications. Case in point, when I was a 2L we had to take a class…
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The Lack of Diversity in Big Law
I just read this article on the New York Times about the difficulty Black lawyers face in Big Law. Since the representation of Latinos (let alone Latinas) is far fewer than Black attorneys, I can confidently say that the struggles in making partner are very similar. I don’t want to get down on Big Law because every area of law, whether it’s public interest, government, solo, has obstacles one must face in regards to ethnicity, race, and gender. In short, no area of law is diverse. Even in my agency the representation of Latinas lawyers is lacking. But Big Law is different–I’m going to come out and say that it’s…
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Throwback–Posts You May Have Missed in Our First Year
For those new followers (or just for those that would like a refresher), here are some of the earlier posts from Latinas Uprising that are worth a revisit–especially as a new school year starts and many others will begin new jobs in the weeks to come! How would you/do you react when you’re mistaken (sometimes on purpose) as the interpreter? Different shoe options when working in conservative law offices (side note: wedges forever!) The best way to study in law school is to Study How You Study! The importance of being an active alumna, even if (or especially if) you didn’t feel very welcomed at your educational institution. How to…
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Call it by Its Name: A Hate Crime in Charleston
When crimes like this occur, I recall a panel I attended in law school where an attorney for a civil rights group concisely and eloquently described hate crimes and why people that push back against using that term are wrong. The general idea is that the crime, though aimed at one person(s), is committed with the intent to terrify a specific group of people. The offender(s) goals are to terrorize with the hopes that the group flees, changes, and/or submits. This seems like a simple idea, and yet people become so hesitant to call these crimes by their name. What happened in Charleston was a hate crime. Any other lesser…
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Furthering Latino Education
The Pew Research Center released Five Facts about Latinos and Education this week. While very brief, it paints an informative picture of the status of Latinos and education. Essentially, Latinos are graduating high school at greater rates than before; enrolling in colleges at higher rates than other groups; and have less loan debt. Yet, Latinos are not earning those four-year degrees, and instead are enrolling at two-year Universities that do not seem to be pipelines to eventual bachelor degrees. Right now only 9% of Latinos between ages 25-29 hold a Bachelor’s. I’m not one to knock down good news with bad. It’s fantastic that we’re graduating high school and that…
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Quarterly Report: Student Loan Repayment Plans
We’re back again with another post on money! While we celebrate everyone graduating from college and law school, another sore topic is paying back loans. Today our “in-house” accountant gives us some info on payment plans, and other important financial info to keep in mind before our grace period ends and we suddenly find ourselves unable to reduce or pay back our debt. More likely than not, you’ll be graduating from law school with student loans from law school and possibly even from your undergrad program. And if you’re like most people, you’ve probably thought about what happens after graduation, but instead decide that you’ll deal with the loans when…
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Simple Sun Protection for Latinas
When I entered my late twenties I became super vigilant about skin care–steps I’d normally skip in the past (like washing off my makeup) suddenly became very necessary. This new devotion was definitely fueled by my long term plan to stay looking young for as long as I can. However, the more I read up on skin care, the more I realized how proactive I needed to start being about sun protection. This is a topic that is sometimes ignored by Latinas because there is a myth that we’re not as affected by the sun. One reason for our lack of awareness is due to the fact that many studies seem…