| « Nancy Chen | Lata Patil » |
| « Nancy Chen | Lata Patil » |
Invincibelle Profile
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The Beginning
What brought you to this country?
Fate, since I was in high school I dreamt of seeing the city of San Diego. Later I was working in the hotel industry in Mexico, precisely in Cabo San Lucas. It was easy to get job offers in the US. A friend of mine came first and she loved it. I followed and I felt at home, I felt free.
What problems did you face in school or college?
First the problem of the language, then the kind of jobs I could get. I had to find a job with a living situation. I found myself cleaning houses and babysitting for a living, a very hard job. I worked 12 hours a day. I did not last long. I went back to my country for a while. I came back to the US with a different living situation and soon fund a job as administrative assistant for a Mexican entertainer.
What were some of the things you learnt on the way?
I learned that if I wanted to succeed in this country I had to go back to school and start all over again. And that is what I have done. I have been going to school ever since.
. The Transition
What challenges did you face in the transition to get to where you are today?
The language barrier I am still self-conscious that people would not understand what I am saying because of my accent. I realized that some people think that because I speak with an accent, I think with an accent.
Another challenge is that I have to work twice as much in school as any other student whose first language is English.
The challenge that I am facing right now is the realization that if I want to make a change in my community I have to stay away from working in big corporations. They only see human being as numbers, they only care about how productive you are, how much money you bring to the table. The people at the top don’t know if someone is talented, how passionate they are about their job. Big corporations have dehumanized the working place.
If given an opportunity, what would you have done differently?
Lear to say no earlier. To set healthy boundaries.
What kept you inspired to do better?
My hunger for knowledge.
The refusal to be just another Mexican immigrant for the way we are seen in general in this country.
The feeling of being proud of myself and know that I can make a difference in my community.
. The Present
What are your current personal & professional pursuits?
I want to finish my PhD.
I want to continue with my Mariposa Circles to help women empower themselves changing their relationship to money. I want to help women to speak about money in a healthy way. To understand that money is a tool to live in the material world, and that we have to stop putting feeling to money. Once women are empower financially it is easier to empower ourselves in other ways.
What are your hobbies? How do you relax? Are you able to manage work life balance?
I love to dance, especially salsa, whenever I have a change I take classes.
I love books. I read as much as I can. I include exercise in my life and I acknowledge my soul as spiritual practice. This is how I find balance in my life..
. The Future
What is next in your life?
I want to continue to serve the women in my community. I also want to go back to my county and share what I learned. I want to finish writing my book where I talk about those things that are never spoken in my culture.
What resources at Invicibelle.com do you think would help women who wish to come to this country?
I like to see scholarships for women. There are women who really want to get ahead through education but they don’t have the means for it.
Also more network events. Women helping women, supporting each other.
Teleclasses and other venues to get information on resources.
. The Guidance
From your vast experience, what is your message for women who wish to either move to this country or are already here?
Get an education. Thrive; learn about yourself in order to understand others. Never stop growing.
What should a multicultural woman do to grow as a leader?
Have an open mind, have passion for what you do. Teach other women to be leaders and above all, share leadership.
Every woman has to keep up with one or more roles – a mother, a wife, a professional. What advice you have for multicultural women who need to keep a healthy balance between these roles?
Share responsibilities with you husband if you have one. Sometimes I think women liberation just added more responsibilities for women. We didn’t learn that we need to share responsibilities in order to stay healthy physically and mentally.
For a single mother I would say that is important to put healthy boundaries. To learn to say no, and to be humble about the things you can and can’t do. Find time for yourself, it is in time of rest that the body and the mind heal.
