Community Conversations with Latina and Pacific Islander Women in Utah

The Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) has produced a series of community conversation reports based on conversations with Utah women of color. Thanks to Marin Christensen and Lillian Tsosie-Jensen for their work on the original reports focused on the experiences of Utah Latina and Pacific Islander women.

Backgrounds & Methods

In the spring of 2022, UWLP convened 11 community conversations with women of color in Utah, specifically, two groups per race/ethnicity category in various areas of the state.

The purpose of these groups was two-fold:

1. To supplement the data snapshots of each race/ethnicity category with personalized experiences that represent the various cultures and ethnicities embedded within the US Census categories, and
2. To foster ongoing relationships with these communities to ensure their voices are heard, especially regarding the issues that specifically affect them as women of color.

In this article, I'll share a few of the findings from these Utah gatherings specifically attended by women who identify as Latina and Pacific Islander.

The Experiences of Latina Women

In conversations with Latina women in different parts of the state, five main themes emerged:

1. Exclusion: Undocumented women would like to provide community service but feel unwelcomed. Latino families want to contribute to their schools but are often not consulted about their needs and are not placed in decision-making positions.
2. Resources: Women feel unsupported and misunderstood by state agencies due to lack of language support. For some, fear of government was a barrier in accessing necessary services.
3. Safety: Domestic violence is a major issue for Latinas. Undocumented, Spanish-speaking women are particularly powerless if they are kicked out by their documented husbands. And many feel extreme isolation.
4. Health: Many said Latinas do not talk about mental health. Being uninsured is a major barrier as it is finding culturally aware providers. Latinas with autism struggle to be diagnosed due to stereotypes, and children of color are often diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder, a systemic bias. Few outreach efforts are made to the Hispanic population.
5. Resources: The women said they need information on how to get a loan or start a business without a social security number. Some Latinas have founded organizations that meet needs, often free of charge. Most rely on sponsorships but need reliable funding.

A few action items that stemmed from the conversations included: ensuring that the Latino community has as seat at the decision-making table; funding organizations with a proven track record of helping women; increasing resource awareness; offering better language and cultural support at state agencies; providing undocumented women ways to volunteer and serve; creating a domestic violence shelter and housing for undocumented, Spanish-speaking women and training police to assist people in their situation; offering access to mental health care (affordable, culturally relevant, hours beyond 9–5).

To read the full report, you can click here: The Experiences of Latina Women in Utah.

The Experiences of Pacific Islander Women

In conversations with Pacific Islander women in different parts of the state, three main themes emerged:

1. Education and Career: Lack of information is a barrier to choosing more skilled professions. There is also a lack of cultural representation and support in schools that prevents Pacific Islander (PI) students from dreaming big. PIs should capitalize on their cultural skills, valuing the collective over the individual.
2. Belonging: Many PI’s questioned equal opportunity in Utah. The PI community urges parents to let their children demand more for their futures. PI women want to be invited to the table, and be heard. PI women want and need mentors, role models, and mentorship networks.
3. Health: Suicide is the number one killer of Polynesian youth. Participants want to normalize conversations around mental health in their community. The PI community does not often access preventative health care, and many are not aware of available resources.

Some action items that came from the conversations included: ensuring equity and equal opportunity through policy and redress; funding the PI health providers resource outreach; hiring more PIs in government administration and leadership; and implementing programs that target mid-range, first-generation, low socioeconomic minorities for college prep in all Utah high schools.

To read the full report, you can click here: The Experiences of Pacific Islander Women in Utah.

Final Thoughts

I once thought I understood women of color through my interactions with them. However, engaging in research, reading, workshops, and conversations with women of color revealed my limited understanding. I am now starting to realize the profound impact of race on every aspect of life. While I've made progress in my own journey of understand the impact of race (my own race, White, has been invisible to me), I acknowledge this is just the beginning. I so appreciate and value the guidance of my sisters of color and commend Utahns supporting initiatives to foster belonging for people of color, especially Utah women. Thanks to all of the wonderful work in this space that is happening with nonprofits, universities, colleges, K-12 schools, and more. The research is clear, that these related programs and initiatives are the key to increasing belonging in all settings within Utah.

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Dr. Susan R. Madsen is a global thought leader, author, speaker, and scholar on the topic of women and leadership. She is also the Inaugural Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University and the Founding Director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project.

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