Working Latinas provide many of today's most in demand services in virtually every field. The Latino community as a whole has grown to be one of the fastest growing in the country, which has helped to spur movements to get more people educated at a college level and into good jobs. Latinas looking for employment or education will find a range of opportunities available to them, and a wealth of help to get the jobs they want.
Changing Viewpoints, Working Latinas
In the traditional Latino culture, women stay at home, taking care of the home and raising the children. Today, within the United States most Latina women are working and support their families, creating dreams and living the American Dream. Women work in civil service industries, as doctors, as scientists, and educators. There is no limit to the options available.
Part of this movement towards a more working class for Latinas comes from the need to do so. Support families, buying homes and handling expenses has required a two working parent home. Others have pursued their dream careers, allowing themselves to advance to any level of employment based solely on their ability to do so.
Getting Help
Working Latinas, or those who wish to be working, have a range of options available to help them, from getting an education or training to finding local employment opportunities. Some cities with large Latino communities have put in place a strong Latino program to help address the needs of this community, including bilingual classes, educational needs and helping individuals to learn to speak, read and write English.
Other programs have a design to help Latinas to find education, support and help with child needs for various areas.
Some examples of these programs include:
- Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement is a national organization geared towards building Latino careers with some of the largest companies
- Bay Area Hispano Institute for Advancement, Inc in the Bay Area in California
- Bienvenidos.org in Los Angeles, California
- Family Star.net offers a variety of Latino parent guidance, support and employment training around the country
- The Cuban American National Council based in Miami, Florida offers educational opportunities for Latinos
- National Latino Children's Institute is a guide for nationwide help for the Latino community with a focus on young Latinos
These are just a handful of the organizations offered around the country for Latinos looking to advance themselves but needing help. Most are not for profit organizations, designed to educate, train, support and encourage.
Finding Employment for the Latina
Finding a job that pays the bills isn't always enough. Finding a job that is a career, where you can do something you love is essential to many working Latinas. Using any job search website can be helpful in accomplishing this, but some are better than others for the Latin community. Here are the top rated search engines by popularity for Latinas.
- Latin Business Today: information and resources for employment
- LatPro.com: Latino job search engine, in Spanish and English
- Saludos.com: Hispanic employment website
- iHispano.com: Professional Latinos job site
While many working Latinas don't see boundaries in their employment options, others do. If you feel, at any point, that you've been discriminated against due to your ethnic culture, seek out appropriate help. The EEOC or U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, has put in place specific requirements not allowing discrimination in the workplace. They offer a variety of information, resources and help for those who feel employers have violated these rights. Contact a local representative to learn more about your rights.
