Essay - Race.gender Since My Birth in Rochester, Ny, I Have Witnessed...

race.gender

***** my birth in Rochester, NY, I have witnessed the effects of both racism and sexism on employment opportunities ***** ***** for advancement. My mother struggled to support her children, and like her ***** struggle to support mine. As Latina women, we encounter discriminati***** daily. The types of jobs we are geared for in school, the images we see on television ***** on film, and the messages people send to us all impact our self-image and our ability to get ahead. Teac*****s tracked me ********** failure and narrowed my ambitions through systematic ridicule and looks of derision beca*****e 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.

***** earning a college degree, I could ***** find work ***** ***** temp agency and in a field I did not choose. When I did ***** work th*****t was personally meaningful, I was ***** *****fered opportunities ***** *****. I did not see any other Latina women in positions of power in any ***** the firms I have *****ed for. We ***** been cut off from the prevail*****g social systems that define wealth ***** power in the world. The system creates and en*****s *****equity by denying women of color entry.

Even though I have lived in many different states ***** communities, race and sex continue to be visible barriers to success. My most recent setback proves that women ***** color are viewed as threats and may be silenced when they speak out and appear strong. I recently found work as a bookkeeper. Al***** ***** my dream job, I worked hard and gave it my all. *****n my spare time I cultivated a strong desire to become an entrepreneur and help people like me achieve success in a supportive environment. My per*****mance on the job rema*****ed stellar, but when my employers discovered my budding business they let me go. Lacking the means to pursue a lawsuit, ***** p*****ed ***** efforts into my home-b*****ed ***** and now I help other Latinos within the local community to prepare their tax documents ***** other official forms. On my own I ***** been able to transform discriminati***** into affirmation; to turn obstacles into the fulfillment of *****