Mi Vida as a Planner

Not too long ago my husband and I attended a party held for all the parents of our son’s classroom.   Although we knew some parents from pick up and drop off, this was an opportunity to get to know everyone better.   The get together started at 4:30 p.m. which in our Hispanic clock meant more like 5:30 p.m.   Once we arrived, the party was in full mode of course, and we quickly realized that we were the only Latino couple there.   Fast track a few hours later and my husband has taken control of the music situation and is blasting música Latina which takes him into full Spanish mode. At that point, he says to me, “¿Gorda, bailamaos?” to which the lady right next to me responds, “did he just call you fat?” “No...well, I mean yes, but it’s all good.” Blank stare. “It’s a term of endearment….really!” All this got me thinking how there are so many things we do and say that are uniquely Latino, and that our Non-Latino friends may either not understand or find completely charming. As

You know when you see a really good movie it stays with you for days? For really good movies, you may find yourself thinking about it often or quoting directly from it. Well this is pretty much the effect that the “We All Grow” Summit had on me this past week. Which is a pretty cool thing given that it was a conference and not a movie.  Who thought conferences could be so engaging and so much fun?!  This conference made an incredibly strong impact on me.   It spoke to me not just as a professional, but as a woman, as a mom, and as a Latina. I had the opportunity to learn many new things, to connect with like-minded women, and to get my creative ideas flowing. Just like the name implies, I grew at this conference… I grew my thinking, I grew my network, I grew my ideas, and I grew my confidence. As great as it was, I was very impressed with the brands that sponsored this conference, especially Neutrogena and Dove, who took the conference experience to a whole different l

As a second generation Latina in the U.S who is bilingual and bicultural since birth., I’ve pondered that question many times throughout my life. My relatives and friends in Latin America would not necessarily identify me as a Latina and to Anglo-Americans I am not “American” enough, often detecting a subtle accent in my English. There’s been a lot of talk lately on whether it’s necessary to speak Spanish to be considered Latino in the U.S.?   Um…no.   According to a recent survey conducted by Pew Research, 71% of Latinos do not think it’s necessary to speak Spanish, while 28% think it is.   For Hispanics in the U.S., there’s so much more that contributes to your Latino identity - language is just one piece of it. It is our cultural spirit that unites us, even if from different Latin America countries. Being Latino is an attitude . It’s merengue, familia, reggaeton, pride, perseverance, salsa y sazón. It’s our heritage, our family values, our actions, our passions, our