I am starting a new job very soon, and although I am looking forward to working with children and finally seeing some money in my bank account, I can’t help but reflect on the last job experiences I have had and how they left a bad taste in my mouth. As a woman of color, I have experienced discrimination in almost every single job I have worked at. While many believe that “racism was a while ago and doesn’t exist anymore,” it is important to discuss the ever-present discrimination that women of color experience daily. The sad fact is that I will have to deal with this for the rest of my life, and all I can do is reflect on what I have experienced and think about how I will handle these situations moving forward.Â
When I was 16, I was very excited to start my first job as a camp counselor at a really cool science museum, and to this day, it is still my favorite job I’ve ever had. While my supervisors were great and I had an amazing experience, I will say that working in childcare in a very rich, predominantly White neighborhood of Chicago was … interesting. One moment that I still remember 4 years later happened when I was walking around a very crowded exhibit and accidentally bumped into her toddler. I got scolded by a middle-aged White woman because I accidentally bumped into her toddler, and I know for a fact that she would not have done that if I weren’t a Brown teenage girl. It may seem like a small thing, but it really upset me because I had felt so grown up and important working my first job. When she scolded me, it reminded me of exactly who I was in our society.
More recently, I held a very short-lived job on campus. I worked there for a total of 2 weeks, and let me just say that I had never felt so belittled in my life. These experiences really impact you and teach you that others can view you so differently than you view yourself. I am lucky that I was able to quit, but so many people just have to wipe their tears and show up again the next day, because others decided they are not worthy enough of respect.
As I work towards my goal of becoming a therapist, I have to really look inward on the type of work environment I want to contribute to. As women, we are already paid less, valued less, ignored, and judged. Add being Black and Latina on top of that, and I have a long road ahead of me. My mother and father have shown me how to face adversity and to work around those who don’t want you to have a seat at their table. I aspire to be like my mother who calls people out when they deserve it, yet in my mind, I am still that 16-year-old girl who freezes up and apologizes for stuff I should not have to deal with.
Advocating for yourself is a skill that women of color have to develop fast, which is harder than you may think when we are often told that our existence is too much. So, as I continue adding different job experiences to my resume, I also hope to take with me some tools that I can use to help myself when I enter the workforce.Â
And hopefully one day, I become the boss so I don’t have to deal with this shit.