Building The Latinista Community
"There is no force equal to a woman determined to rise"
When you think of Latina women I’m sure the first thoughts that come to your head involve high heels and ambiguous accents. I’m sure you imagine long dark hair, curvaceous bodies, loud voices and laughter. Well I’ve got news for you, yes, we do like high heels and yes, we have unique accents, but all Latina women do not look and sound the same. While societal norms have painted a one-sided picture of what the Latina woman should look and sound like, it has missed one very important key element, we are not this sexualized image that society has imprinted on us.
We are powerful, smart, driven and independent women who are working hard to break free of stereotypes and societal expectations.
All of us come from different upbringings and cultural backgrounds that have given us a unique view of the world. We have different lived experiences, different stories to share, but in mass, we have the advantage to use each other’s learnings to be better women, to be better Latinas.
The Latinista, is an organization that not only wants us to learn from one another, but it wants to give Latinas the platform to teach each other. To teach, to share, to explore, and to gain a unique knowledge base. The Latinista, wants women to feel like they have a voice. A voice that is being heard, uplifted, and used for the betterment of one another.
When I met The Latinista Founder - Yai Vargas, she shared such a passion for leadership, community and growth. She described wanting to empower women to empower each other, something she had never experienced, but wanted to create for others. She wanted to produce a space that would help Latina women gain the resources and tools needed to navigate a society that has historically been against us. Yai wants to focus on career development in a way that will make Latinas feel supported and valued for their differences, their stories, and their uniqueness. I was instantly drawn to this organization, because of the passion in her eyes and the passion in her heart.
This task of running an organization built on the support of her network has not been an easy one, but she doesn’t do it alone, she has a Chief Motivation Officer - Minue Yoshida to help. A woman whose vision for The Latinista is “we will move cielo, tierra y mar to give you what you want. Minue, is the kind of leader that doesn’t speak to be heard, she speaks to motivate, to elevate, but most importantly to understand what she can do to help the Latina community.
The Latinista is building programs and events that are changing how we think, how we network, and how we use one another for good to enable our careers. Join us on this path of togetherness, as we embark on the journey to achieve our lifelong professional goals and to continue fighting against the Latina societal construct.
Upcoming Events: www.TheLatinista.com/events