On April 2nd 2019 was equal pay day and I was aware that woman make 80 cents to a man’s dollar but I wasn’t as aware as I thought. It wasn’t until I did a newsletter project for my government class till I found out the real results. Did you know the 80 cents that they are talking about only falls under one race and no, it’s not a white women
Asian women make 80 cents
White women make 77 cents
Pacific islander makes 62 cents
Black women make 61 cents
Native American women make 58 cents
Latinx Women make 53 cents.
To a white man’s dollar.
When I first saw these statistics I was hurt in a way, not just because I am a Latina women but because us as women are worth way more. I am aware that certain jobs do make more than others but we are talking about when a man and women work the same job and have the same qualifications. Whether it’s being a nurse, pilot, principal, accountant, etc. We want equality for all races, genders, and ethnicities, so when a latnix man works the same job as an African American, white man, Asian man that they get the equality too. It is time for change.
To my Latina women, don’t be discouraged I know we are the lowest paid right now but I have hope. I know so many Latina women who are in school and I am so so proud of y’all for beating the statistic. Push for your future and for our culture, I know you might not feel like you are doing much as a person but you are beating that ugly statistic. Realize there is more to education than high school (which is a great achievement don’t get me wrong) you can do more. Latina girls have the highest dropout rate than other girls in America and they are less likely to earn a college degree, only 10 % will graduate college. Our culture believes that women are the ones that stay home or take on more responsibilities with siblings or the man is the head of the household and a women can’t be too educated. Schools need resources so any minority race can succeed and finish school because most of the time there is a lot of first generation college students in the latinx culture because our parents didn’t go to college. It’s not impossible to finish school but it’s not easy either, I am here to tell you that YOU can do it. Whether you are 18 or 40 it’s never too late to get a degree and get your dream job.
There are girls out there who are doing the damn thing and they have a little advice for anyone who needs motivation or feel like you will never make it.
I asked these women what advice they would give to a Latina women who is high school or college.
“Keep on going. Even if you take a break keep on pushing. And don’t be discouraged when others graduate before you, everyone is at their own pace.” – Denise Ramos
Denise achieved her associates degree and is a future special education Teacher/ speech therapist.
“My biggest advice is just to make sure that you’re doing it for you. There are so many odds against minority women and I think that being your own biggest motivator will allow you to accomplish anything. If you go to college or pursue a career because someone else told you to, you’re not going to make it. You’re going to constantly be worried about disappointing everyone and that’s not healthy. Finding the passion and drive within yourself is something no one can take away from you.”-Nadine Villarreal
Nadine graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in social work.
“My piece of advice is never let the color of your skin or gender limit or define what and who you can be in this world. As a Latina I’ve had to break through two major stereotypes that have threated to reduce my worth. One, I am a women and automatically labeled the 'weak sex' and two, I come from Mexican culture, a culture that believes men are the head of the household and women should obey their husband at all times.
At a very young age I realized I was not going to be part of those stereotypes and the only way I knew I could guarantee myself a brighter future was to pursue a higher education. My education has opened doors that I thought were never possible for a person like me, it has put me in the same playing fields as men and has allowed me to grow immensely in the corporate world. I am not going to lie and say it’s been easy, it hasn’t. There are countless times when I’ve felt like an outlier surrounded by people who look nothing like me and feel entitled to better and bigger things because they are men and have colored eyes. This has only made me push myself harder and I encourage young women to do the same, never let the society norms define who you are and what category you fall under. It’s time we break the boundaries, break the stereotypes and show the world women of color are competent, brilliant, and worthy.”- Alejandra Rodriguez
Alejandra is 23 years old, blogger and is Graduating with a masters of business administration.
blog: aboutalejandra.com
On that note of empowering women, there are some people who aren’t meant for school and their passion is to do something else. Entrepreneurship. Many people are owning their own business now a days but minority women are less likely to own a business than a white woman. These ladies are also beating the odds as a minority woman, to have a business and be successful is huge! When our culture thinks us a women should stay at home or let the man own the business, these women had different plans! I asked these business owning women What advice would they give to a Latina women wanting to start a business or already own a business.
“There are SO. MANY. People that are going to doubt YOU and are going to tell you to be 'realistic'. F*** those people. You will never do anything for yourself until you starting believing in yourself. My business didn’t start to grow until I jumped off my safety net. For the longest time, I listened to my family and friends that would say I needed to focus on something else or go back to school because photography wasn’t something I could make a living off of, Seemed like I was the ONLY one that knew I could. I knew I wasn’t cut out for corporate America. You have to be patient because your business isn’t going to grow overnight. That’s what makes it so hard. You have people breathing down your neck wondering when you’re going to get down from your big dreams to settle and just pointing out the negatives and failures that you stumble upon. Which by the way, are going to be MANY, It may take you years like me or maybe months, no one really knows. You’re going to have days where you want to give up. Give yourself a break if you need to, and pick yourself right back up again. It’s taken me years to get here because I listened to other people. I Kept going back to school to make my parents happy, got a full time job, put photography on pause for a few months. It set me back but it’s okay, it’s going to happen. Don’t be hard on yourself, reevaluate what you want and then find a way to get yourself there.”-Karla Orta
Owner of Karla Janneth Photography, Karla is a wedding and boudoir photographer located in Fort Worth. She is a 22 year old college dropout and the oldest child of immigrant parents.
Instagram: karlajannethphoto
Website: karlajannethphoto.com
“My advice to Latina women would be, do it. No matter how hard or impossible it may seem just go ahead and do it. Building what you’ve always dreamt about won’t be easy especially when you’re starting with nothing but your savings, but at the end the result is more than comforting. Being able to wake up and say you’re your own boss is the most rewarding feeling, especially coming from a Latino home where most Latinos have had to work in the hardest jobs with long hours. Don’t be afraid of failure because as long as you stay true to yourself and honest to your business you’ll have nothing but success, it might take longer than you thought but before you know it you’ll be at your peak doing what you love. Don’t settle for average, don’t get comfortable just because you’re doing 'good' keep bettering every single part of your business. “-Lizette Galvan
Owner of GlamShack FTW, Lizette is almost 20 years old and she is self-taught make-up artist and a lash extension technician.
Instagram: liz_Galvan
These women are in inspiration to me, they are beating the odds and I know there are so many other women minority or not who are going to beat the odds. Women empower women and Latinas...there is hope to an ugly statistic. It just starts with you.
Sending love - Megan Carolina