Women are having babies at an older age. I conjecture that the rising cost of living, excruciating job market, and lack of resources are contributing factors. Because of post-pandemic circumstances, I too will be a part of that pool. I will break the cultural and generational expectation to have a child before the age of 30. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that birth rates have declined across the country in recent years. According to Excelencia in Education’s 2020 data, only 8% of Latinas earned a master’s degree, and 1% earned a doctorate degree from Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs).
Tag: Latinas
Posted inHealth
Mami & Me: Toddler nutrition begins with introducing solids
During your baby’s development, he or she will eventually be ready to transition from breast milk or formula to solid foods.
Introducing your baby to new tastes and textures is an exciting experience that can be both rewarding and challenging for newbie moms like me. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure about how to introduce solid foods to your baby, you’re not alone.
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: As a Latina, why I never saw myself in Barbie
I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with Barbie. She was blonde, thin, tall, the Americanized standard of beauty. As a young woman growing up in the early 1970s, Barbie made me feel ugly. I was nothing like her idealized beauty as a Brown, curvy, petite woman. I kinda hated Barbie because I knew I would never look like her. It took me into my 20s to see in myself that Brown is beautiful too.
Posted inOpinion
COLUMN: On Prosperity featuring Lauren Fernandez
I have deeply always had a need for a place. I think that ties back directly to being a Cuban American and not being able to visit Cuba. I have the understanding that my father and his family were displaced and we moved around a lot for his career, so it took 18 tries before we found home. For me, that was not just a connection to home ownership and prosperity but really a need to have a place and to set down roots. We needed to have roots over having prosperity. Ultimately, when we did put down roots and my father had arrived at a successful career and it reflected our values and our aesthetic, it did become a sign of prosperity.
Posted inPolitics
What 4,339 Southern Californians Say Needs Immediate Action From LA Mayor Karen Bass
We asked and you answered. Here are some key takeaways from responses we got to the question about what feels most urgent to Angelenos as the new mayor’s policies and priorities take shape. That’s why LAist launched a 12-question survey during L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ first three months in office to understand what you think her administration should tackle first.
Posted inOpinion
COLUMN: I’m not a mother but I mother
So this Mother’s Day I want to acknowledge all the women who technically aren’t mothers but who mother. They are hermanas, tías and amigas. Some of them like me wanted children but weren’t able to have them. Others have chosen not to have them. Let’s honor their choices too and their right to make that choice.
Posted inHealth
The nation’s Health Secretary has this Latina doctor on call
Reyes, a Harvard-trained physician who specializes in high-risk pregnancies, got into medicine to help women obtain health care, especially underserved or marginalized people who face systemic racism. She’s seen progress, albeit slow, over three decades, yet the number of maternal deaths each year continues to rise. She is s married to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who is championing the administration’s initiative to require all states to provide Medicaid coverage to mothers for a year after giving birth.
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: Tributes to Trailblazer Gloria Molina
Molina was the first Latina elected to the California State Assembly and served there from 1983-1987, and then became the first Latina elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1987, followed by being the first Latina elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 1991. She served on the powerful and influential county board for 23 years, retiring in 2014 due to term limits, capping 32 years in public service in the state’s largest city and the second-most populous in the country.
Posted inOpinion
Mami & Me: C-section after care tips for new moms like me
Our birth experiences are often scary and challenging and not what we had expected. Modern medicine has made C-sections possible. And I will forever be grateful for having that option, it ultimately saved my baby’s life. It can be difficult to deal with things that don’t go as planned, especially when you are a first-time mother who is unprepared physically and mentally for a C-section birth. Not to mention all the things you need after the surgery to take care of the wound.
Posted inSports
Mother and daughter duo empower young Latina athletes to succeed
At a young age, Lilly Travieso became fascinated with the world of sports, specifically softball. As she began playing the sport throughout her early years in grade school, she soon realized she wanted to continue pursuing softball at higher and more competitive levels. She was eager to play the sport in college.
Posted inOpinion
COLUMN: End gender pay gap for Latinas
At the current rate Latinas won’t earn equal pay until 2197. That’s 174 years if you do the math. That means maybe your Latina granddaughter might achieve equal pay before she retires. The pay gap amounts to a loss of nearly $1.2 million over a 40-year career, according to The National Women’s Law Center.
Posted inHealth
Mami & Me: Here’s what my emergency C-section experience was like
I should have researched more before my first birthing experience so that I could have been mentally prepared. Truthfully, no one is ever prepared to give birth for the first time, and I understand that now because it’s not an easy task. Because it ultimately saved my baby’s life, I don’t regret getting a C-section.