Latina Blogger: 4 Years in the Making

Yesterday was Latina On a Mission’s 4th year blogoversary. It boggles my mind. When I began blogging, a Latina Blogger was a rarity.  Surprisingly, finding a Latina Blogger from New York, a state with a high concentration of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, was even rarer in 2009.¹

Over the course of those four years, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with a slew of bloggers, brands and PR agencies who believed that the female Hispanic voice was vital; as a result, my blog and it’s community has grown and Stiletto Media, LLC was created!

Wanting to delve into our history, I discovered that Latina On a Mission has

Latina Blogger: Migdalia Rivera and Sons

I’ve used this blog to record my life and sons’ growth. My oldest, Karl Rivera, has grown with this blog. He has lived and breathed social media with me! He helped me with Twitter Parties, has written articles for Latina On a Mission and other sites, and has attended conferences and media events with me. He also was a Speaker at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference. Not surprisingly, he now works in the social media department at his college and has been approached to intern at a PR firm in New York.

My youngest, Andrew, has taken an interest in coding. He loves all aspects of it! Attending events, researching topics, and helping with videos, has also helped him come out of his shell and given him more confidence. He’s an avid movie reviewer, giving me his thoughts and ideas after each flick, and loves testing and tasting all featured recetas/recipes.

All in all, this blog has provided me, and my sons,  with a ton of opportunities – many more than those named – and it wouldn’t have been possible without YOU.

So, today I want to say thank you.

Thank you for following me on this journey.

¡Mil gracias! / Thank you for believing in our voice and our value!

¡Abrazos! / Hugs!

 


¹  2009 Technorati report states:

        • ¾ of the bloggers were male
        • 60% of the bloggers were between 18-44
        • The majority were more affluent and educated than the general population
          ◦ 75% have college degrees
          ◦ 40% have graduate degrees
          ◦ One in three has an annual household income of $75K+
          ◦ One in four has an annual household income of $100K+
          ◦ Professional/self-employed bloggers are more affluent: nearly half had an annual household income of $75,000 and one third topped $100,000
        • More than half of the bloggers were married
        • More than half of the blogger were parents
        • Half were employed full time outside of their blogs, however ¾ of the professional bloggers were employed full time as bloggers

 

I’m a Latina Blogger

I’m a Latina Blogger. I work in social media. I develop and deliver media marketing strategies for a range of companies and products.

This is the explanation I give others when I’m asked what I do for a living. Normally, I get a quizzical look before the person bombards me with a variety of questions. I don’t mind. I’ve found readers and freelance jobs this way, so I am always happy to oblige.

However, just this past week, I was speaking with someone who surprised me with his comments. I met him in the neighborhood while eating breakfast. He seemed pleasant enough and so we struck up a conversation. He asked what I do for a living. I mentioned I work from home without going in depth. Similar to Kimberly Coleman’s recent experience, his reply shocked me.

Oh so you don’t work. It must be nice to have a husband who can take care of you.

I’m pretty sure he was fishing, trying to find out if I was married, but his reply vexed me to no end.

Again, I stated I work from home.

He looked at me and said,

I understand. I know housework can be very hard work.

I was deeply  offended. His response seemed antiquated, at best, and offensive, at worst. Now this doesn’t mean to say that being a stay at home Mom is not a job in and of itself. I, myself, was a stay at home mom for sometime and I know first hand how difficult it is. Additionally, as Kimberly stated in her post,

Work is work.  All moms (whether they work inside of the home, outside of the home or a combination thereof) who have kids living at home with them are workers.

I agree. However, the impression this man gave me was that he could not believe a woman had the abilty to work from home and earn money. It boggled my mind!

We went back and forth for sometime but I could tell he did not understand or would not budge from his stance. I would like to note now that we were conversing in Spanish. Could some of what I was saying have gotten lost in translation? I don’t think so but I will give him the benefit of the doubt.  He was an older gentleman, well dressed, and appeared intelligent.  

I want to believe that this scenario would not have gone differently if I was a man. Yet, I can’t. It’s not the first time I have met resistance to my “work at home” status. Could it be because of my gender? Or perhaps because I am a single parent? I’m not sure.

What I am sure of is that there will always be people who do not understand, who place people in boxes and who will stifle me if I allow them to. I, however, am sure of what I am.

I’m a Latina Blogger. I work in social media. I develop and deliver media marketing strategies for a range of companies and products.

And I am darn good at it!

 

Let’s talk! Have you ever faced resistance to a lifestyle choice? Let us know in a comment!