Encouraging Hispanic Girls to Grow | Michelle Navarro | TEDxMountainViewCollege

Summary

The speaker shares a personal narrative exploring the challenges faced by Hispanic girls in education, influenced by cultural traditions and stereotypes. They recount their mother's and grandmother's experiences with gender roles and the importance of education as a means of breaking generational patterns. The talk highlights the impact of the 'quinceanera' tradition, the high dropout rate among Hispanic girls, and the need for role models to encourage aspirations beyond cultural expectations. The speaker advocates for changing the narrative from 'no, this is not for us' to 'yes, we can', emphasizing the power of mentorship and support.

Takeaways

• 🏠 The speaker's mother and grandmother were from large families in San Antonio, Texas, where the middle daughter traditionally served as the 'Maid of the family', taking on household chores and caring for younger siblings.
• 👩‍🏫 A local school principal intervened to ensure the speaker's mother received an education, which was not a given in her family's culture, challenging the traditional role of women in her family.
• 📚 The speaker highlights the importance of education and children's rights, as exemplified by her mother's experience and the laws that support access to basic education.
• 🚨 The National Education Association's study revealed that Hispanic girls have the highest dropout rates in high school and college due to cultural stereotypes, family responsibilities, absenteeism, lack of involvement in school activities, and high teen pregnancy rates.
• 🎉 The tradition of 'Quinceañera' or 'Kinetta' is described as a significant coming-of-age event for Hispanic girls, which can lead to financial strain on families and may contribute to early pregnancies.
• 📉 The speaker's personal observations and research indicate that certain cultural archetypes and practices may discourage Hispanic girls from pursuing education and personal growth.
• 🌐 The concept of 'La Kinetta' is compared to debutante balls in wealthy societies, suggesting that the tradition has been adapted and amplified in immigrant communities in the U.S.
• 📚 The speaker's mother, despite being discouraged from reading, found solace in books, particularly 'Cinderella', but was physically punished for reading, which impacted her relationship with literature.
• 💔 The speaker's grandmother's life was marked by illiteracy and adherence to traditional gender roles, which influenced her treatment of the speaker's mother and her views on education.
• 🔑 The speaker's mother broke the cycle of limiting her daughter's education and opportunities, emphasizing the importance of saying 'yes' to education and personal development.
• 🗣️ The speaker calls for a change in conversation from limiting beliefs to supportive and encouraging dialogue, urging others to become role models and mentors for Hispanic girls.

Q & A

What was the sad tradition in the speaker's mother's family?

The sad tradition was that the middle daughter was designated as the maid of the family, responsible for cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the younger siblings, thus acting as the second mother.

Why was the speaker's grandmother illiterate?

The speaker's grandmother was illiterate because she was the middle daughter in her family and was kept at home to perform domestic duties, preventing her from attending school.

How did the local elementary school principal change the speaker's mother's life?

The principal noticed the speaker's mother was absent from school, visited her home, and insisted that the grandmother allow her to attend school, thus giving her the opportunity for education.

What challenges do Hispanic girls face according to the National Education Association's study?

Hispanic girls face challenges such as high dropout rates, cultural stereotypes reinforcing submissive roles, responsibilities at home leading to absenteeism, lack of involvement in after-school activities, and high teen pregnancy rates.

What is the significance of the 'quinceañera' tradition in Hispanic culture?

The 'quinceañera' is a celebration of a girl's 15th birthday, symbolizing her transition from childhood to womanhood, often involving a church ceremony, a party, and the presentation of her 'Ultima Mona' doll and first pair of high heels.

Why might the 'quinceañera' contribute to high teen pregnancy rates among Hispanic girls?

The 'quinceañera' marks a girl's transition to womanhood, which may imply a new freedom and exploration of sexuality, potentially leading to early pregnancies.

What are the four Hispanic archetypes mentioned in the script and how do they impact Hispanic women's lives?

The archetypes are La Virgen de Guadalupe (the idealized mother figure), La Curandera (the medicine woman or healer), La Llorona (the ghost woman who drowned her children), and La Malinche (the betrayer). They impact Hispanic women by reinforcing mixed messages about their roles, behaviors, and self-worth.

How did the speaker's mother break the generational pattern of not valuing education?

The speaker's mother, after experiencing the lack of education herself, consciously decided to encourage her own children, especially her daughter, to pursue education and various interests, thus breaking the pattern.

What is the speaker's proposed 21st-century definition of 'Malinche'?

The speaker proposes redefining 'Malinche' as a modern woman who is highly intelligent, fiercely independent, and prioritizes education, while maintaining self-worth and not needing to rely on others.

What message does the speaker have for the audience regarding supporting Hispanic girls?

The speaker encourages the audience to become role models and mentors for Hispanic girls, to change the conversation from saying 'no' to encouraging and supporting their dreams and aspirations.

Outlines

00:00

👩‍👧‍👦 Breaking the Cycle of 'Maid of the Family'

The speaker begins with a personal story about her mother, who was one of twelve children in a large family from San Antonio, Texas. A tradition in her family dictated that the middle daughter would be the 'Maid of the family,' responsible for household chores and caring for younger siblings, a role that often precluded formal education. The speaker's grandmother was illiterate due to this tradition. However, a principal's intervention allowed the speaker's mother to attend school, albeit with the condition that she return home immediately after to fulfill her domestic duties. The speaker then connects this personal history to a broader cultural pattern, citing a National Education Association study that shows Hispanic girls have the highest dropout rates in high school and college due to cultural expectations, domestic responsibilities, lack of involvement in school activities, and high teen pregnancy rates. The speaker questions the cultural reinforcement of these behaviors and shares her observations on the impact of the 'quinceañera' tradition on girls' development and education.

05:01

🎉 The High Cost of Tradition: Quinceaneras and Cultural Expectations

The speaker delves into the financial and social implications of the 'quinceañera' tradition, a coming-of-age celebration for girls turning fifteen. The elaborate parties, often resembling weddings in cost and extravagance, can lead families into significant debt. The speaker notes a shift in the tradition from its origins among the wealthy to a widespread practice among immigrants, reflecting a 'keeping up with the Joneses' mentality. Additionally, the speaker observes a correlation between quinceañeras and early pregnancies, suggesting that the celebration, which marks a girl's transition to womanhood, may inadvertently encourage sexual exploration. The speaker also references the high rates of teenage pregnancies among Hispanic girls, as reported by the CDC, to underscore the cultural and societal pressures faced by young women.

10:02

🌟 Redefining Archetypes: The Influence of Cultural Stories on Hispanic Women

The speaker identifies and discusses four cultural archetypes that influence the lives of Hispanic women: La Virgen de Guadalupe, representing the idealized mother figure; La Curandera, the medicine woman feared and respected for her knowledge; La Llorona, the tragic figure who personifies regret and loss; and La Malinche, the betrayer and translator who is blamed for the fall of the Aztecs. These archetypes, the speaker argues, send mixed messages about the roles and behaviors expected of Hispanic women, promoting obedience, subservience, and traditional gender roles while simultaneously instilling fear and respect for women with knowledge and power. The speaker challenges these stereotypes and calls for a redefinition of what it means to be a 'Malinche' in the modern era, advocating for a new archetype that values intelligence, independence, and education.

15:04

📚 The Power of Education and Breaking Generational Patterns

The speaker concludes with a reflection on the transformative power of education, drawing from her mother's experience of being allowed to attend school despite the traditional expectations of her family. Despite the physical punishment her mother faced for reading, she developed a love for books and stories. The speaker's mother, in turn, ensured that her own daughter had access to education and opportunities, breaking the cycle of limiting expectations. The speaker emphasizes the importance of role models and mentorship in empowering Hispanic girls to pursue education and defy cultural norms that may hold them back. She calls for a collective effort to change the narrative from one of limitation to one of possibility, urging the audience to become part of this positive change.

Keywords

💡Macho culture

Macho culture refers to a social environment where traditional male dominance and authority are emphasized. In the context of the video, it is highlighted as a factor contributing to the high dropout rates among Hispanic girls, as it reinforces stereotypes that women should be submissive and subservient, which may discourage them from pursuing education and independence.

💡Kinetta

Kinetta, also known as Quinceañera, is a significant cultural celebration in Hispanic communities marking a girl's transition from childhood to womanhood at the age of 15. The video discusses how the elaborate and expensive nature of Kinettas can put financial strain on families and may send mixed messages to girls about their roles and expectations as they become women.

💡Archetypes

In the video, archetypes refer to recurring patterns of behavior or personality that are considered part of the Hispanic cultural identity. The speaker identifies four key archetypes that influence the perception and expectations of Hispanic women, including the Virgin of Guadalupe, the curandera, La Llorona, and La Malinche, each with its own implications on the roles and behaviors expected of women.

💡La Malinche

La Malinche, also known as Doña Marina, is a historical figure who served as a translator and intermediary for the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. In the video, she is presented as an archetype of betrayal and manipulation, which carries a negative connotation in modern Hispanic culture. The speaker proposes redefining this archetype to represent a modern, intelligent, and independent woman.

💡La Llorona

La Llorona, or 'The Weeping Woman,' is a folktale character known for her tragic story of losing her children and becoming a vengeful spirit. The video uses this archetype to illustrate the cultural reinforcement of negative behaviors and emotions, and the potential impact on girls' self-perception and aspirations.

💡Generational pattern

The term 'generational pattern' in the video refers to the recurring behaviors, beliefs, or practices that are passed down within a family or community from one generation to the next. The speaker's mother consciously breaks this pattern by encouraging her daughter's education and personal growth, thus changing the family's trajectory.

💡Cultural stereotypes

Cultural stereotypes are generalized and often oversimplified ideas about the characteristics or behaviors associated with a particular cultural group. In the video, stereotypes within the Macho culture and the archetypes are discussed as barriers to Hispanic girls' educational and personal development.

💡Educational rights

Educational rights highlight the entitlement of children to access basic education. The video emphasizes the importance of these rights by recounting the story of the speaker's mother, who was initially denied education due to cultural practices but was later allowed to attend school, changing her life's trajectory.

💡Hispanic dropout rate

The term 'Hispanic dropout rate' refers to the percentage of students of Hispanic origin who discontinue their education before completing it. The video cites a study by the National Education Association that indicates Hispanic girls have one of the highest dropout rates, attributing this to various cultural and societal factors.

💡Role models

Role models are individuals who serve as examples to others, often inspiring them to emulate their behaviors or achievements. The video calls for the audience to become role models for Hispanic girls, offering mentorship and encouragement to help them envision and achieve a better future.

💡Self-worth

Self-worth refers to the value and respect that an individual holds for themselves. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of instilling a sense of self-worth in Hispanic girls, encouraging them to pursue education and personal development beyond traditional expectations.

Highlights

The speaker's mother was one of 12 children, with a tradition of the middle daughter being the 'designated maid' of the family.

The grandmother, also a middle daughter, was illiterate due to the same tradition, which the speaker's mother was destined to follow.

A principal's intervention allowed the speaker's mother to attend school, breaking the family tradition.

Hispanic girls have the highest dropout rate in high school and college, with cultural stereotypes and responsibilities contributing to this issue.

National Education Association's study reveals reasons for high dropout rates, including macho culture and responsibilities at home.

Absence due to family responsibilities and lack of involvement in after-school activities are identified as factors for dropouts.

High teen pregnancy rates among Hispanic girls are another factor contributing to educational discontinuation.

The speaker observes cultural phenomena such as 'quinceañeras' that may influence early pregnancies and reinforce gender roles.

Quinceañeras are elaborate and costly, with families going into debt to fund the celebrations.

The tradition of quinceañeras is seen as a potential catalyst for early pregnancies due to the transition from girlhood to womanhood.

The speaker introduces 'Hispanic archetypes' that influence cultural expectations and behaviors of Hispanic women.

The Virgin of Guadalupe represents an idealized mother figure, reinforcing the expectation for women to be obedient and subservient.

La Curandera represents a feared and respected figure with secret knowledge, influencing how women are perceived in society.

La Llorona, the story of a woman who drowns her children, is used as a cautionary tale to instill fear and obedience in children.

La Malinche is a figure blamed for the downfall of the Aztecs, symbolizing betrayal and manipulation in society.

The speaker aims to redefine 'Malinche' as a modern, intelligent, and independent woman prioritizing education.

The speaker's mother's love for reading was beaten out of her by the grandmother due to cultural beliefs and responsibilities.

The speaker's mother broke generational patterns by encouraging education and opportunities for her own daughter.

The speaker calls for role models and mentors to change the narrative from 'no' to 'yes, we can' for Hispanic girls.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of asking Hispanic girls about their future aspirations to empower them.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Applause]

good afternoon how's everyone doing

hello so my mother is one of 12 children

that grew up in the bario in San Antonio

Texas 12 children but only nine survived

to adulthood and in my mother's family

there was a very sad tradition that if

you were the middle daughter you were

the designated Maid of the family and

you were kept at home and you helped

cook and clean and take care of the

younger siblings so you were basically

the second mother and when my

grandmother was a young girl she too

came from a large family and she was

also the designated maid and had to stay

home and cook and clean and take care of

the rest of the siblings so my

grandmother never went to school she

actually was illiterate she couldn't

read or write and my mother was destined

for this same fate however it was a

principal at the local elementary school

who noticed that my mother was not there

so she got in her car she came to my

grandmother's house and when she showed

up she noticed that my mother was

actually sweeping up on the front porch

there was a party that they'd had the

night

before my grandmother comes to the door

and the principal points to my mother

and says that child will go to school so

basically the principal had to shame my

grandmother into allowing my mom to be

able to go to school and one of the

reasons why I am so grateful for the

laws of this country is that children

have rights they have the right to a

basic education and so my mother was

allowed to go to school but as soon as

the 3:00 bell rang she had to come

straight home because she still had to

pick up with her chores the cooking the

cleaning and taking care of the younger

siblings my mother learned never to ask

for anything special because whenever

she did my grandmother would simply

say that is not for us our people don't

do that it was always no and so I heard

this story growing up and I began to

wonder well why aren't we encouraging

Hispanic girls to grow what is it about

the culture that keeps reinforcing some

of these

behaviors and then I wondered well is

anybody else noing this same phenomena

and it turns out people have been paying

attention according to the National

Education Association they did a study

on women in education and they noticed

that Hispanic girls have the highest

dropout rate in high school and in

college and they even give reasons as to

why this happens one of the reasons they

give is that um it is a very Macho

culture and so there are these

stereotypes that reinforce that women

are supposed to be submissive

subservient uh be in in motherly type of

roles another thing they noticed is that

a lot of the Hispanic girls often have

to take care of younger siblings I Lings

have to help them get ready for school

and make sure they're fed and dressed if

somebody is sick of course somebody has

to stay home and take care of the sick

child so that leads to lots of

absenteeism in school which then leads

for them to drop out and not finish they

also noticed that many Hispanic girls do

not get involved in after school

activities and they don't get involved

in sports so there's no real connection

to the school and then the fourth thing

they noticed is a very high team

pregnancy rate and the girls are coming

to High School pregnant and the high

schools are just kind of forcing them

out the door so they're not continuing

on uh further in their

education well okay that answered some

of my questions but then I still

wondered is there something else so what

I want to share with you are some of my

observations some things that I've

noticed that might also be contributing

to why the girls are not encouraged to

grow one of the things I noticed is the

concept of the kinetta some of you may

know what this is um the best way to

describe it is it's like a big sweet

party um but this happens when you turn

15 uh it's a big elaborate avenge

there's usually some kind of mass or

some kind of church ceremony uh if you

don't have that then you at least Vite

invite the local priest to at least

bless the event um after the ceremony

you have your big party and you have 14

of your closest friends that are part of

your um attendance and uh you are

presented with your Ultima Mona the last

doll that you will have as a child and

usually there is a father daughter dance

and he will present his daughter with

her first pair of high heels symbolizing

that she is now no longer a child she is

now a

woman and so if you'll see in some of

these images here this is from one of

the local magazines here in Dallas that

you can pick up at any Hispanic grocery

store traditionally these used to be all

white dresses but now they're becoming

much more elaborate colorful all kinds

of themes well Julia

Alvarez uh who is one of my favorite

authors wrote a non-fiction work about

this phenomena of kinettes they are just

increasing each year and what she did is

she followed around several families and

how they went through this process of

having a kenetta and she too noticed

some in interesting phenomena one of the

things she noticed is that a ketta today

Rivals the cost of an average wedding

that families go deep into debt just to

pay for the kinetta they're taking out

second mortgages on their homes they ask

every family member to contrib something

in some way shape or form some family

start saving as early as the moment that

the child is born so they're spending

all of this money the other thing that

she noticed is that she would ask the mo

the grandmothers and the mothers she

would ask them okay well tell me about

your ketta was it this elaborate what

was your dress like how was your party

and the majority of the time they would

look at her and say no no I never had a

Ki the town that I grew up in only the

wealthy families had a kinetta so so

there's this interesting phenomena of

immigrants coming to this country

bringing a tradition with them that

they' never even participated in but in

many Latin American countries katas are

done in the

wealthiest societies these are like

coming out parties like catian so what

we're seeing is kind of this keeping up

with the Joneses kind of phenomena

you've come to this country you've

started from nothing and you have built

something significant of course you want

to shower your daughter you want to give

her everything the best of everything

well the other thing that she also

noticed is that um soon after a

kinetta I wouldn't say every girl but a

large percentage of the girls after the

ketta are getting pregnant well think

about what this message implies to girls

you've just been told that you are no

longer a little girl you are now a woman

you've basically just had your wedding

and of course as a woman you're going to

experiment with your body you're going

to uh explore your sexuality and so

there are some interesting numbers that

are coming across according to the CDC

this is um teen pregnancy rates even

though they have been on the decline

Hispanic girls still make up the highest

percentage of teenage pregnancies and in

2012 they did a study and out of a

thousand births

46.3% of those girls that got pregnant

were Hispanic out of the same group 20.5

of the girls that got pregnant were

white but the pregn prancies in the

ketta still don't explain everything so

I contined to investigate further and

what I came up with are what I call

Hispanic archetypes these are

characteristics which are still kind of

embedded culturally within that we're

still very much um being affected by so

I want to share four of these archetypes

with you the first archetype is Lain the

Guadalupe now I'm sure you have seen

this image before it's very iconic I

find it everywhere it's on t-shirts it's

on cowboy boots I've seen it on tattoos

you see it on the back of pickup trucks

um it's the story of the Virgin Mary

appearing to WAN Diego in

1531 and when she spoke to him she spoke

to him in his traditional nawat language

even the Catholic Church recognizes this

as a legitimate event uh W dieo is the

only indigenous Indian to be canonized

as a saint but think about the social

implications of the Virgin of Guadalupe

this is the ultimate mother figure she

is put on this pedestal and we are

telling the girls that they need to be

like the Virgin Mary they need to be

idealized mothers and good girls and and

preserve this this idea they're also

within that they need to be obedient

subservient they need to obey they need

to do as they're told and in the case of

my grandmother that certainly was the

case it was the local priest that told

her you need to have as many children as

possible and any extra money you have

you have to give to the church and then

she also passed down this idea to my

mother my mother is the one that

explained to me that there were only two

ways out of my grandmother's house

either in a coffin or in a wedding dress

and that was

it the second archetype I want to share

with you is the story of lauranda now

this she is often seen uh in images and

in stories and in society she tends to

be kind of on the outskirts of society

this tends to be an older woman she's

often seen as kind of the Medicine Woman

the Healer uh sometimes she's called a

or a witch you go see her when you have

an ailment of some kind when you don't

feel very well you have to understand in

the bario you do not go to the hospital

unless you are bleeding out or you're on

your deathbed everything else you go to

the C Etta for she can she can remove

fevers she can remove sickness you also

go see here to get the evil eye removed

the Mal the Oho someone might put a

curse on you so you need to go see her

and my grandmother very much believed in

the quetta and would often go see her to

have this evil eye removed but again

think about the social implications of

the kuranda um this is a woman that you

know even though she's on the margins of

society she is greatly feared and

respected remember you don't want to you

don't want to upset this woman she will

she might put a curse on you okay she

has secret knowledge of herbs and magic

and knowledge uh and so you have to

tread lightly around the

cetta the third archetype is the story

of ladona now this is a story that is

often told to children at bedtime so

while American children get the stories

of Peter Pan and Cinderella Hispanic

children get ladona uh there are many

different versions of this story I'm

going to share with you the the version

that I'm familiar with it's the story of

a woman who's married and has two young

children but she falls in love with

another man and that man convinces her

to run off with him so she abandons her

first husband she goes off with this man

and takes her kids with her while

invariably the man grows tired he ends

up also leaving Lon leaving her with

nothing just her and her kids and she is

so angry and she feels so betrayed and

she's so hurt she takes her two children

she goes to the nearby River and she

drowns her two kids yes this is a

bedtime

story and when she realizes what she's

done in her in her grief in her sorrow

at that moment she literally turns into

a ghost and she's known to haunt bodies

of water going up and down Rivers

searching for her lost children

children well you tell this story to

Children before they go to bed you tell

them if you don't behave if you don't

fall asleep laon is going to see you in

the window she's going to think you're

her lost children and she's going to

steal you from us good

night I mean yeah that's a lot to take

as a child but think about the social

implications of ladona you don't want to

be the lady that forever laments things

you don't want to be the Martyr you

don't want to be forever sad there's

also that reinforcement of that negative

the last one I want to share with you is

the story of lalin now this is a true

event in 1519 Cortez showed up and

encountered the Aztec and when he when

he meets monuma the leader as and this

is a very Mexican thing to do uh

whenever you invite someone to your home

of course you give them a gift and so

montazuma gives Cortez a bunch of women

as a gift just like when you go to the

Playboy mansion and Hugh hefter says

here have a bunch of Playboy bunnies on

me

enjoy and so

lalin known as Donya Marina at the time

she was a captured Indian princess she

was part of that group of women that was

given to Cortez's gift but unlike the

other women she actually had a gift for

languages she spoke many of the

different Indian dialects of the local

tribes and so she quickly learned

Spanish and so she ends up becoming the

translator between Cortez and monuma

well invariably her and Cortez become

lovers and at night when they're having

their pillow talk she's telling him the

secrets of the Aztec culture she's

telling him the stories of the Gods and

the goddesses and unfortunately Mexican

history is not very kind to lalin in

fact she's kind of blamed for the

downfall of the Aztecs because she dared

to speak the secrets she dared to give a

little bit of knowledge that Gabe Cortez

just enough to find a way into the

culture and ultimately destroy it at one

point Cortez even pretends to be a God

that has returned uh and so she she's

blamed for all of that it was my father

that explained to me that um you never

want to call a woman in today's society

a

Malin that is an insult what you're

telling her is you're a betrayer you're

a manipulator you tell secrets you

spread lies you're up to no good this is

the Girl by the way in high school that

stole your boyfriend you know this girl

right or you've seen her in the clubs

she takes your man yes you don't ever

want to be a

Malin so think about those four

archetypes and can you understand how as

Hispanic women we are getting so many

mixed messages we're told on the one

hand to be idealized mothers and pure

and virginal but be obedient and Obey

but don't have too much knowledge and

don't share too many Secrets uh and

don't betray people that's a lot of

different things that we're having to

face so I've decided that I am going to

reclaim the word Malin we need a 21st

century definition of this word and so

to me a modern day Malin is a woman who

is highly intelligent fiercely

independent uh and puts education ahead

of anything else and yes we still have

the ability to steal your man but we

won't because we know better and we have

a better sense of self-worth we don't

need your

man so I also thought about how those

four archetypes affected my grandmother

and my

mother remember I told you how my mother

was finally allowed to go to school and

so when she went she learned how to read

and oh my goodness she discovered the

love of books she loves stories she

could Escape her reality in fact her

favorite story was

Cinderella and the the thing she loved

to do the most was to come home find a

little corner in the house and just sit

there quietly and read with her

book and every

time that my grandmother caught my

mother reading

she would beat her and I don't mean

smacking her across the face I mean that

my grandmother would take this thick

heavy belt and would just beat the

living tar out of her just for the

simple Act of reading what kind of

parent does that why would you take that

one little Joy from this

child it took me a long time to

understand and to forgive my grand

mother for that but you have to look at

it from her

perspective my grandmother was

illiterate she couldn't read or right

and in my grandmother's World there is

no time to read a book there is cooking

to do there is ironing to finish there's

chores to do we've got to make the

tortillas because when Grandpa comes

home at 5:00 dinner better be on the

table ready to

go and as I grew up I kept trying to

bring my mother back to books I kept

trying to encourage her to read and

every time I tried she would just look

at me and shake her head and said no

they literally beat out the love of

learning from me and to this day my

mother does not read books for

pleasure but despite all that happened

to my mother she is a very smart woman

and when she got married and had her own

children especially when she had a

daughter she looked at me and she said I

am not going to do to my daughter what

was done to me and in that one moment of

Consciousness she forever broke a

generational pattern and changed the

trajectory of my life so I grew up in a

household where I was encouraged to have

an education I was I remember I was

never denied the right to have a book I

was always told yes to

books yes to dance lessons yes to piano

lessons violin lessons marching band

anything having to do with education it

was yes the only time she ever said no

to me was when I started

dating but then I don't blame her

because she was fearful that I would put

boys ahead of my education she wanted me

to finish my house High School degree

she wanted me to go into college so that

I understand it took some time but now I

understand well so this is an image of

my parents this is their wedding day in

1960 this is both sets of grandparents

my maternal grandmother is on the far

right and if you'll notice around her

eyes there's always this ttin of sadness

it's a happy occasion and she has this

sadness and I've noticed in just about

every photograph I have of my

grandmother there's always that

sadness we have to learn to change this

conversation for our girls we have to

stop telling them

no that is not for us our people don't

do that our people don't go to college

our people don't read books we have to

become tangible Role Models I bet that

there is somebody where you work or

where you go to school or some place

where that you encounter there is a

Hispanic girl that is in desperate need

of a mentor someone to just give them

encouragement someone to see them as a

person it's just the simple Act of

asking them tell me your future story

where do you see yourself 10 years from

now help me change the conversation of

no

no

to yes we can everybody say this phrase

with

me okay I didn't really hear you say one

more

time okay one more time with

conviction thank you so

[Applause]

much