Race and gender as barriers to business advancement

race.gender

Since my birth in Rochester, NY, I have witnessed the effects of both racism and sexism on employment opportunities and opportunities for advancement. My mother struggled to support her children, and like her I struggle to support mine. As Latina women, we encounter discrimination daily. The types of jobs we are geared for in school, the images we see on television and on film, and the messages people send to us all impact our self-image and our ability to get ahead. Teachers tracked me toward failure and narrowed my ambitions through systematic ridicule and looks of derision because of my race and gender. Eventually I gave up on the public school system, only to return to it later emboldened with a desire to succeed.

After earning a college degree, I could only find work through a temp agency and in a field I did not choose. When I did find work that was personally meaningful, I was not offered opportunities for advancement. I did not see any other Latina women in positions of power in any of the firms I have worked for. We have been cut off from the prevailing social systems that define wealth and power in the world. The system creates and engenders inequity by denying women of color entry.

Even though I have lived in many different states and communities, race and sex continue to be visible barriers to success. My most recent setback proves that women of color are viewed as threats and may be silenced when they speak out and appear strong. I recently found work as a bookkeeper. Although not my dream job, I worked hard and gave it my all. In my spare time I cultivated a strong desire to become an entrepreneur and help people like me achieve success in a supportive environment. My performance on the job remained stellar, but when my employers discovered my budding business they let me go. Lacking the means to pursue a lawsuit, I poured my efforts into my home-based business and now I help other Latinos within the local community to prepare their tax documents and other official forms. On my own I have been able to transform discrimination into affirmation; to turn obstacles into the fulfillment of my dreams.