Empowering Latinas: Breaking Boundaries, Freeing Lives

By 2005, Latinas will be the largest female minority group in the United States. Numbering over 25 million, one out of every five women in America will be Latina. Unfortunately, this is also the group with the least personal, political, and economic power. They have great untapped talent and strength, but because the vast majority of Latinas, regardless of age, have been taught that their cultural traditions are sacrosanct and should not be questioned, most are not aware of how these very traditions limit them in so many aspects of their lives. Empowering Latinas is written to help these millions of women realize their full potential. It represents an alternative point of view, from a Latina peer who openly and honestly discusses issues such as shame and sexuality, mental health, and the idea of equality as a birthright. Illustrated by dramatic stories of tragedy and triumph by the author and other notable Latinas, Empowering Latinas tackles issues with the Catholic Church, Latino family culture and self-esteem that until now have not been forthrightly addressed. The substantive chapters include worksheets, questionnaires, and exercises designed to help readers recognize negative forces in their lives and methods of empowering themselves to overcome these forces. Affirmations, quotes, poems and anecdotes illustrate ideas, provide cultural references and examples, and lend familiarity to the reader. Interviews with a Latina therapist, a Latina congresswoman and a Catholic priest provide examples and observations from a professional perspective.