The Latina's Guide to Success in the Workplace

Book excerpt: This hands-on manual provides Latinas with the tools they need to succeed at work by examining some of the societal and cultural obstacles that hinder their progress. Despite being 20 million strong, Latinas represent America's most undervalued human resource. This career guide is the only one of its kind to focus specifically on empowering the working women of the Latina community to embrace success and build skills for workplace advancement. The Latina's Guide to Success in the Workplace explores the complexity of the Hispanic/Latino identity and the impact of this culture on professional mobility. The author asserts that there are five obstacles which Latinas confront within their own belief system: the idea that women do not need an education; the assumption that the needs of men come first; a belief that it is sinful to desire money; the opinion that Latinas should not be ambitious; and the mindset that successful women in the United States lose their femininity. Throughout the book, up-to-date research, case studies, and inspirational interviews offer strategies for overcoming the cultural factors that limit Latinas and providing a roadmap for achieving success.