Invincibelle Profile
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. The Beginning
What brought you to this country?
My hope as a 21 year old was to excel academically and make a significant contribution to an academic field. I came to the University of Wisconsin in Madison as a graduate student in a doctoral program in Educational Psychology. After a successful year I transferred to Harvard’s Graduate School of Education where I obtained my Ed.M. degree. After working for two years I became interested in civil rights and decided to attend law school. I graduated from Boston College Law School with a J.D. in 1981.
What problems did you face when you got here?
To understand these problems, I first need to refer to my upbringing:
Even though I was born an American, as all Puerto Ricans since 1919, a part of me considers myself a foreigner. I came here from a very different culture. I was raised in a third world country and lived there until I was 21 years old. I grew up in a progressive agricultural town in the foothills of Puerto Rico. My parents divorced when I was 11 months old and I lived with my mother, a divorced Catholic woman in a small town.
The social dynamics of the town during the sixties and seventies was changing albeit slowly, keeping a distant pace with the mainland civil rights movement. Until then, the town had been ruled by powerful families including my ancestor’s. By the time I was a young child my family’s riches had vanished and only the prestige of the family name remained. Unbeknownst to outsiders, my family was financially compromised but it retained the same social status and privilege ancestors had enjoyed for the last two centuries.
As a child I was called a “blanquita”, the name given to persons of Spanish ancestry with “class” and light skin. As a young child I knew it was wrong to categorize people by the color of their skin as I felt it was something people could not change even if they wanted to. It seemed unfair and hurtful. Even though my family had been powerful and influential in the past, my mother and grandmother always treated others with respect and consideration and demanded I did as well. I was told I was not special even though I was treated with deference by others.
My town was divided in terms of how the families who were regarded as “familias de bien”/“blanquitas” (well-to-do-even if you are no longer wealthy but have a fancy last name) and “commoners”. Some townspersons demonstrated their disdain for these families, others treated them with deference, and yet others regarded them as their equals. The times were changing. The middle class was growing and it had more buying power than families like mine who were comparatively disadvantaged, but for the influence a fancy last name could buy and a-once-upon-a-time fancy residence. I lived a life that was very structured, prescribed by tradition and I had a very little chance of changing but for seeking higher education. This was the “ticket” out of town.
My grandma raised me while my mom worked as an executive secretary for the local bank manager, a prestigious job in town. Even though my Mom made very little money, most persons in town believed my grandma was one of the richest women there. My family suffered many deprivations in silence, because my grandma still believed that “if they think I am still a rich woman, I will be greeted by all with respect”. My mom had gone to college to become an executive secretary. She used to say that her education saved her after her divorce because she was employable. She was so right. I grew up afraid that one day I would be left without a job, a home, family or friends. I knew as a small child I needed to work hard to get a college degree to be regarded a respectable citizen and escape the rigid expectations imposed on me by tradition. I also knew I could not count on my privilege to pay the bills.
Most Americans I know cannot easily relate to my upbringing as vestiges of a colonial upbringing is a very foreign concept to grasp. The first year I spent in the United States I felt liberated from my oppressive upbringing. I thought- for a few months-I was equal to others for the first time in my life. But this feeling was short lived. I experienced the sting of unlawful discrimination for the first time at the age of 21, shortly after I came to the United States. Alas! I traded living with one form of oppression for another, a more pervasive and dangerous one.
What were some of the things you learnt on the way?
My formative years had a series of influences and events that deeply affected my sense of justice and privilege. Throughout my professional life I have endeavored to create awareness of seemingly innocuous influences that go undetected but pervade the manner in which individuals relate at work, socially, personally, etc. It is important to me to share my experiences with others to make them understand the dangers of living an unexamined life, not questioning the values we hold as true and fair and how our views affect other person’s lives. I am invested in challenging perceptions people adopt of persons who are not like themselves.
My commitment to diversity has shown in many significant ways, with the career I chose to the book I co-wrote 10 years ago -Notable Latino Americans: A biographical dictionary, 1997, Greenwood Press- to the HR consultancy I now have, to the organizations and committees I join and co-found. Three years ago I helped co-found the Global Women’s Leadership Network at Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business, a leadership organization for international and local women who are social entrepreneurs and political and academic leaders. I am dedicated to inclusive excellence in all aspects of my life. It is a way of life.
I learned I need to share my life experiences with others, to listen to others and learn from their experiences, to become present and compassionate with those who cannot relate to all forms of social suffering.
. The Transition
What challenges did you face in the transition to get to where you are today?
The most significant challenge I encountered as a graduate student was learning how to communicate effectively in a second language. Once I mastered the English language I continued to develop my interpersonal communication abilities, as I felt they were crucial to becoming effective and credible as a professional. Also, the sting of feeling “different” from others- in a way I never experienced before- became pivotal to my incessant dedication to the pursuit of equality for all.
After I graduated from Harvard University with a Master’s Degree in Education I worked with a local grass-roots group, the City-Wide Educational Coalition, a non-profit invested in facilitating the transition to desegregation in the city of Boston. I was one of the links between the court and the Hispanic parents living in ethnic neighborhoods. I facilitated communication that had taken place during the court sessions and explained the impact on their children’s lives. While some parents supported the desegregation efforts, other feared it. I found fear was a paralyzing force that prevented parents to trust what the court system was trying to do for their children. This experience reinforced my desire to help disadvantaged youth become educated so they could attain opportunities open to middle class students.
After funds ran out for this non-profit I became a provisional teacher for the Boston schools. I worked as a resource room teacher with young children with disabilities, the most challenging job of my life. I felt unprepared for the task yet motivated to find a way to help these students. At the age of 23 this experience was pivotal in my desire to dedicate my life to education as a tool to redress societal injustices. It became an invitation for me to join the Greater Boston Association for Retarded Citizens, where I worked as an advocate for parents of children with mental retardation. I was fortunate to work along with two lawyers who were providing pro bono work to the association and had been instrumental in designing Chapter 766, the first piece of national legislation granting rights to children with disabilities in the schools. This piece of legislation became the model for the federal legislation.
I gained expertise in the disability laws and later became the State of Massachusetts Special Education expert in Chapter 766. These attorneys encouraged me to consider pursing law school.
The nature of my challenges changed once I went to Boston College Law School in 1978. I graduated in 1981. During my second year of law school I entered a writing competition and became a writer for the Uniform Commercial Code Reporter-Digest. This was out of sheer desire to improve my writing abilities, as I had only been in the US for only four years.
During my third year of law school I became Editor of the Third World Law Journal. As I finished law school I realized I was not personally suited to dedicate my passions to the practice of law, but rather, I saw myself becoming an alternative resolution-mediator-advocate-ombuds type, serving as an alternate medium to attain resolution to legal and personal problems. I understood well the difference between position and interest, and the emotional factors influencing resolution of conflict.
After graduating from law school I entered a period that limited my employment prospects as I wanted to become a mother and had two children. I worked for a local Junior College which allowed me access to earn a living while caring for my children. I enjoyed assisting students making career decisions and mentored them. When I moved to California in 1990 I worked with the National Hispanic University in San Jose and later became Assistant Director of Women Students at Santa Clara University. Soon thereafter I was promoted to Director of Affirmative Action, a position I held for 14 years.
In my role as Director of Affirmative Action I cherished my role as a promoter of equal opportunity, affirmative action and diversity. In this role I served as investigator, mediator, ombuds, counselor, coach, advocate, teacher, trainer, presenter, author, and arbiter of many controversies for faculty, students, staff, visitors, applicants and guests. It was a rewarding role. I was instrumental in facilitating difficult conversations and providing a new look at diversity and inclusive excellence from a different perspective, including setting the stage for some minds change their perspective about feeling righteous to hold odious views of other ethic groups. I facilitated difficult encounters, reunited friendships, dispelled myths, explored taboo subjects of conversations, resolved misunderstandings, trained many students, faculty and staff, and made many friends in the process.
After many challenging conversations, most persons I knew at Santa Clara University became amenable to entertaining the notion that equal opportunity is an imperative we need to observe and that all persons have the right to be considered in a fair and unbiased way regardless of color, creed, gender, etc. Since this institution is Catholic and Jesuit, it is male dominated, traditional and attached to notions of privilege and class. Still, the divestment of privilege is the major challenge I encountered working at Santa Clara University as it is one that seriously affects women and minorities. To the extent I was allowed, I dedicated many conversations and efforts to retention of person of color and efforts to help them succeed.
The opportunity to work with conscientious faculty was a privilege that I cherished for 14 years. During this period I assisted them with personal concerns over employment discrimination issues, the search and hire processes and served as a consultant for the employment processes affecting them in many aspects of the employment cycle, including the tenure process. I enjoyed my participation as trainer for AB 1825 Sexual Harassment Prevention Training for Supervisors and felt thankful for having the ideal job for a person of my experience, talents and interests.
If given an opportunity, what would you have done differently?
Because I am the consummate optimist, I tend to attribute the best of intentions to others even when I feel I have been mistreated, overlooked, or put down. Since I have a forgiving style, I allow others to save face to maintain a harmonious relation. This quality has not served me well in certain situations.
What kept you inspired to do better?
As a person of color and as a woman, I have suffered many humiliations including the experience of being discriminated, harassed and retaliated upon. One of the stereotypes I have experienced is being regarded as a passive Latina woman who because having a pleasant demeanor is presumed to be a woman that is incapable or unwilling to fight for what she believes in and holds true to her heart. Because of my mild Spanish accent and personality some people assume I am a compliant woman. I overcome this handicap by expressing views with conviction and dispelling any notion I may fit the stereotype.
These personal experiences have allowed me to empathize with those who felt oppressed and singled out for any undeserving reason and also to help managers experiencing problems with these same employees who feel isolated and undervalued because of their protected status. They have also allowed me to share my experiences with non-minorities and managers interested in preventing claims of discrimination in their units. Over time I became confident in my abilities to solve extremely sensitive employment problems and successfully conducted over 200 informal resolutions, investigations and mediations without legal consequence in the last 15 years.
. The Present
What are your current personal & professional pursuits?
I have expertise resolving the most sensitive civil rights employment problems any company may be experiencing with employees at any level, from the Executive Suite to temporary or seasonal employees. This is where Serri Compliance Training comes into the picture. (www.serricompliance.com) I am positioning my company to be the premiere employment practices and diversity management consultancy ready to assist Human Resources professionals and executives with employee relations matters and organizational change. I can help companies minimize liability and maximize efficiencies with regards to their diversity climate and best management practices.
I plan to launch Serri Compliance Training formally in 2008. One of my favorite current projects is making strategic alliances with other HR related businesses. On my spare time I am considering the viability of founding a non-profit hotline dedicated to assist low-income women succeed in leadership roles at work.
What are your hobbies? How do you relax? Are you able to manage work life balance?
I have many interests and ways to relax. My favorite is “down time” with my family members at home, just hanging out and having light conversations over dinner with them. I also enjoy dancing Argentine Tango, a most Zen experience for me. I have danced for the last 8 years and for me it is better than going to the gym. I also love to cook and entertain. I enjoy reading and writing. I just completed a Treatment for Hollywood based on the history of a strong woman- an ancestor- who fled from Venezuela during the civil war under Bolivar’s threat. I enjoy classical music and jazz. Another practice that helps me is meditation.
. The Future
What is next in your life?
I am transitioning into opportunities that I never envisioned before and so I need to be receptive for new challenges. As for my immediate future, I am in the process of launching my consultancy full time. I am also contemplating developing a non-profit dedicated to assisting low income women succeed as leaders in their respective jobs. This is a time for data gathering and studying the viability of the concept. I am also open to other opportunities for personal growth.
What resources at Invicibelle.com do you think would help women who wish to come to this country?
Invinceibelle is the glue that binds multicultural women in solidarity with each other by sharing experiences in the process of becoming successful in the US. It also provides a networking forum for women to navigate the many resources available to them when they arrive in the US. It is a site that brings value to the immersion and acculturation experience that all newcomers face. I appreciate this site because one of the services I provide for recent executives is how to become Silicon Valley Proficient SM, in other words, how to become up to speed with the trends and the hidden messages not readily available to a newcomer. This service I provide 1:1 coaching or in groups.
. The Guidance
From your vast experience, what is your message for women who wish to either move to this country or are already here?
Give. Give your time, your talents and of yourself to the world. Contribute to make the world a better place for others. Use your connections and resources for the common good. Invest in yourself, become educated and dare to live your dreams. There are organizations that assist global women leaders realize their dreams such as the Global Women Leadership Network at Santa Clara University- See: www.gwln.org. The best way I know is to become educated and to give back to your community. One of the best ways to develop your talents is to do volunteer work and to become politically involved with issues that concern you as women and mothers. These are the many ways I contribute to my community with volunteer work:
· Trustee, Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. See: www.itp.edu
· Member, State Bar of California Legal Services Trust Fund Commission
· Co-founder and Advisory Board Member, Santa Clara University, The Leavey School of Business: Global Women’s Leadership Network. See: www.gwln.org
· Member, Board of Directors, C.E.O. Women. See: www.ceowomen.org
· Member, Advisory Board, Project Hired. See: www.projecthired.org
· Planning group member, HR Women and Friends. See: www.ourhrsite.org
· Member, Diversity 2K, Diversity Think Tank
· 2005 Conference Co-Chair, Women of Color Action Network.
See: www.wcan.org
· Former Advisory Board Member, Teach For America.
See: www.teachforamerica.org
· Member: Association for Conflict Resolution, CAERP, NCHRA, AHEAD, WCAN, Harvard Club-Silicon Valley Chapter, La Raza Lawyers Association, Latina Coalition, Greater San José Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
What should a multicultural woman do to grow as a leader?
Leaders are leaders regardless irrespective of culture. I believe that leaders are both born and made. Follow your bliss and learn how to become a leader. The best predictor of the future is the past, so start building the building blocks of what will become your past and move forward with it. Build confidence when you realize you can get things done. This confidence and gained experience will in turn fuel your next venture.
Develop the capacity to create a vision. Be excited and inspired by what you can get done. Experience the physical thrill you get when a challenge is revealed to you. Be positively critical rather than complacent. Do not settle for mediocrity. Do not give up. Take the task to the end. When the pressure gets you, focus even more on the task. Listen to your critics but do not believe all you hear.
Learn how to deliver a good presentation. Communication skills are crucial to your success. Share your successes with others and celebrate your accomplishments. Use your multicultural talents for the common good. Become politically involved.
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?
Love deeply, develop self-compassion, and put yourself first. I used to tell my children: “If Mommy is not happy, no one is happy”. Dedication to others does not mean self-denial. You may not be able to have it all at all times, so chose wisely. Ask for advice from those who love you and you decide what is best at any one time. Communicate your intentions so your family understands what you value and why. Develop the spirit and pray for wisdom.
