100 Latina Birthdays

What does it mean to be a dutiful daughter—and what does that responsibility cost Latinas in the US? In this episode, 100 Latina Birthdays, creator and editor Juleyka Lantigua speaks with social worker and Latina wellness practitioner Cynthia Alonso Perez about the cultural expectation placed on daughters to put everyone else first. They dive into their experiences as first-generation Latinas and explore guilt, motherhood, family boundaries, and the loneliness that can come with challenging long-held roles. Visit 100Latinabirthdays.com for more episodes and additional resources from our award-winning documentary series.This open-source podcast series is made possible by funding from: the Healthy Communities Foundation, Woods Fund Chicago, the Field Foundation of Illinois, JB and MK Pritzker Family Foundation, and the Chicago Foundation for Women. Mujeres Latinas en Acción is the series' fiscal sponsor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"Being a Latina in general in the United States and beyond the United States honestly is really having to put on this matriarchal role in societies that are really not. You have to be tough in a certain sense, and not really show too many weaknesses. And that can be tough when you're neurodivergent because the whole thing about neurodivergence is neurodivergence is claiming that you have a disability straight up. Point period blank."The latest CDC tally shows that one in six Latinos nationwide have a disability. This includes the less visible disabilities that fall within neurodivergence, experts say.100LatinaBirthdays.com100 Latina Birthdays is an original production of LWC Studios. It is made possible by grants from Healthy Communities Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, and the Chicago Foundation for Women, the Community Memorial Foundation, and VNA Foundation. Mujeres Latinas en Acción is the series’ fiscal sponsor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Excerpt...A pioneer in the community health network, Ilda considers her advocacy and community building as part of her life’s purpose. "Now it’s my turn. I say, they helped me and now it is my time to help the community."In 2024, she won a Community Health Worker of the year award. The glass trophy is featured near a caricature of her and another promotora. Their nickname: “Las Sunshines” – which would be a great name for a Tejano music group.  As an advocate, Ilda has gone to the state house to demand that Illinois expand medical assistance for immigrants, regardless of legal status.  100LatinaBirthdays.com100 Latina Birthdays is an original production of LWC Studios. It is made possible by grants from Healthy Communities Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, and the Chicago Foundation for Women, the Community Memorial Foundation, and VNA Foundation. Mujeres Latinas en Acción is the series’ fiscal sponsor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Excerpt...Beatriz"I know they called me a lesbian. They actually looked at me and said, oh, you are a lesbian. That just helped me bury it. And of course then after that I was over the top boy. Crazy. Partly because I was boy crazy, but also because I needed to show everybody that No, no, no, no, no. I wasn't a lesbian. I definitely liked boys."Carmen"How did this affect your mental health in those early years?"Beatriz"I hated myself. I mentioned I developed an eating disorder when I was 15. I wasn't diagnosed with anything, but I remember I ate quite a bit and I was overweight. I think now the therapist in me now thinks I was burying my feelings and I was eating my feelings."100LatinaBirthdays.com100 Latina Birthdays is an original production of LWC Studios. It is made possible by grants from Healthy Communities Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, and the Chicago Foundation for Women, the Community Memorial Foundation, and VNA Foundation. Mujeres Latinas en Acción is the series’ fiscal sponsor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

She served for almost six years. The work was hard on her body, and the physical labor hurt her back, much of it due to her need to fit in. "Especially being a female, I think we have to kind of prove ourselves to be at the level of the guys. … I feel that I definitely had to grow a thick skin." Carolina recalls the jeering from male sailors, and the unwanted attention she received simply for being a woman. But she believed she had to endure it all.The push to power through is common, says Dr. Pamela Fullerton, a bicultural clinical counselor with Puerto Rican and German heritage. "We see this story line in us Latinas … constantly trying to prove our worth."100LatinaBirthdays.com100 Latina Birthdays is an original production of LWC Studios. It is made possible by grants from Healthy Communities Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, and the Chicago Foundation for Women, the Community Memorial Foundation, and VNA Foundation. Mujeres Latinas en Acción is the series’ fiscal sponsor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.