Part 3: Herstory: On Our Own Terms

Leaning In Latina Style: Stepping Out and Rising Up

Part 3: Herstory: On Our Own Terms

My last blog told my story, but, that is only my story, however, there are many stories, many, many, many stories of Latinas who have leaned in, only to find themselves being pushed out in favor of white women who are safer, Latinas who “acted as if”, Latinos who would go to sports bars, because, you see, to be a Latina who is embracing her Latinidad, who is reclaiming her divinity, we do not fit the mold and we are passed over by Corporate America.

You see, Sheryl, we play by different rules, we are in a different game, our doors, our chairs, our tables are not the same as yours. We lean in and get burned, however, like the Phoenix, we RISE UP from the ashes to create. We create on our own terms, we create with our own lives, we create our own legacies. No Sheryl we cannot ‘lean in’ and climb the ladder to lead Fortune 500 companies with the results you can boast of, but we can RISE UP, we can and do STEP OUT because we are Latinas—we are AWESOME—we are making a difference, and we are leaving an impact, and we are doing it on our own terms. We are guided by spirit, our ancestors have paved the way for us, and our divine selves are keeping us safe.

And “on our own terms” is so important, because what some of us have learned is that the price we are asked to pay in order to climb their ladder of success is too high. We all have to ask ourselves at some point in our careers, “How much of me do I have to give up in order to be accepted by them?” You see, in my story, I had to ask myself, “Do I give up advocating for parents as an educator and become an administrator who ‘blames’ the students, so they will give me a principalship? Or do I stick to my principles and my advocacy and not let them blame the victims? I chose to stay with my advocacy, to live with integrity, and to do it on my own terms. It was not easy and it cost me much, but in the end, I could look at myself in the mirror and smile, because I was true to me and true to my ethics, values, and beliefs. I would not get the promotion in this district, but I would be true to myself, I would STEP OUT, and I would RISE UP!!!

Con un pan y cafecito,

Seguimos adelante

Zulmara Maria

 

Por fa: Come back for Part 4: Basking in Our Mayan Roots

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