What's your ambition?

Posted:09/17/2010 

As a summer intern for an amazing insurance company, Allstate, I was invited to attend the annual Best Companies for Multicultural Women National Conference in New York City. With a focus on the successes of multicultural women in the workplace, this year's theme was "Ambition." It wasn't until this two-day conference that I became aware that being an ambitious woman is often viewed negatively by others. As a first-generation Latina, daughter of immigrant parents, there was no question about the importance of my education and my role as a leader. At a young age my family instilled in me that I could become whatever I wanted as long as I continued my education, worked hard, and never doubted my potential. However, as the day went on it became clear to me that not everyone grows up with the same level of support.

During a break-out session called Same Race Circles: Owning your Ambition, the conference leaders had all of the women go to rooms according to the ethnicity they self-identified with. I sat proudly in the room of accomplished Latina women who either work in Corporate America or own their own business. During this activity, we discussed a moment in our lives (an "ah-ha" moment) when we realized that yes, we are motivated women of color and yes, it is perfectly okay to publicly display our ambitious side. I felt inspired by the women's stories of overcoming the challenges of being a first-generation student, single parent, widow, or divorcee. Still, I couldn't help but wonder: If we are all Latinas who share similar journeys and constantly contemplate what we can do to help other Latinos develop a professional life, then why do so many of our burdens come from our own ethnic group, family, or communities? Many of the stories involved fathers, husbands, boyfriends, or family members who encouraged the women to be less assertive and more obedient in the workplace because, "you can keep your job that way." All too often that suggestion is a reflection of the belief that the Latina woman's place is at home.

This panel resonated with me because there we were, a room full of beautiful, successful, and independent women listening to immense similarities in our stories about the things we have had to bravely surmount in our daily lives. This was the moment for all of us to look eye-to-eye with a sympathetic heart and recognize that all along, when we thought we were alone, there was someone next door or across the nation fighting through the same worry. It shouldn't take someone to allocate us to a room to have these discussions. The conversation can, and should, start today. Your first step can be coaching your neighbor, sharing your story, and leveraging your diverse experiences. I left the conference thinking about how I can be an active participant in my community rather than only being a vigilant listener, and sharing this blog with you is my first step.