Umph!? (...keep reading).
I recently attended the Hispanic Women of Distinction luncheon in South Florida, recognizing 12 distinguished Latinas that have made a big, no, I take that back.... a HUGE difference in our society!
The ladies that were honored come from distinct backgrounds, some from humble beginnings and others from more privileged environments. They are professionals, career women, business owners, mothers, sisters, friends, and community activists among many other roles they play. They are unique and they are beautiful, not only on the outside, but also so much on the inside. They have played the cards dealt them in life, and despite the ups and downs, they are resilient, they are not bitter, and they are not quitters either. They are hopeful, they are positive and they want to express themselves positively in all they do. These Latina women are claiming their right to be who they want to be. They have Umph! Or, as my dear friend YY would say, Latinas have chutzpah!
What is Umph!? It's a "sound" I make when I feel something has what it takes to make a difference or when you take it to the next level. Now, apply "Umph!" to Latina women and you have a double Umph! It's the unspoken code between two Latinas that meet for the first time...we share a history, a culture...we only need to look at each other and we know...we just know....we are our mother's daughter, we are our father's little girl, we are our sister's best friend, we are our grandparents golden treasure, we are our friend's best friend... you get the idea!
So what does it take to have Umph!? As one of the honorees, Dr. Aida Levitan put it, "we are the best multi-taskers you can ever find, we work harder, we are business owners -opening at record levels! We are innovative, we are resourceful, and we have great personal skill sets, thus making us great leaders. We are consensus driven, so we can work in teams!"
Now, let me add, we understand the finances of life ....after all, we manage a household size of 3.5 on average; we are therapists, we are spiritual and moral leaders (sometimes we are confused for magicians!).
Community is at the center of our Latina DNA. We give back to our community, but charity is different for us...it's about helping the community, volunteering and helping our family and friends. A Latino (a) will always say, "Charity starts at home". Let me give you an example how one of the other honorees and personal friend, Dr. Ana Calderon, a Cuban American, director of the Children Diagnostics & Treatment Center is a woman with umph! Her mother describes how Ana as a child, would make her buy 2 meals so she could share, if she saw a person in need or homeless standing outside a food establishment...she was a child, but she had to learn those values from her parents. Today, she is a shining star, a wonderful leader, working with an organization that provides services to more than 10,000 families with special needs children. She has been doing this for 27 years!
So as I reflect, look around and read what is currently happening in our country, in our America, I wonder.... with all these great qualities Latinas bring to the table, as part of their own DNA.... why can't corporate America hire more Latinas with Umph!? Why don't we have more Latinas on corporate boards? How can we offer solutions to our policymakers, develop policies that would allow us to establish small businesses faster, easier and help us CREATE MORE JOBS? Why can't we have sound immigration reform? How can we continue to offer practical and affordable educational programs that educate our children? How can we contribute to a healthier America? Ask a Latina, she will probably have true and tried ideas on the table to offer!
It's time to wake up and smell the "café con leche", Latinas have Umph! And we are determined to pay our dues, work hard and contribute our fair share and reap the results. We are not going anywhere, America is our country and we have a moral obligation to make it better!
Do you have Umph!?