Latina Network

On this episode of The Face of Latina Professionals Podcast, we’re joined by Speech Language Pathologist, Suzy Carbery.

Born to a Mexican father and a white mother in Wichita, Kansas, Suzy shares what it was like growing up biracial in the Midwest. 

“It was interesting sorting out which culture is which, and when do you identify with which and where. You're in your Mexican culture at this place and maybe in a white culture at this place.” 

Suzy discusses the intertwinement of cultures that follow you wherever you go. Whether it’s your culture based on your ethnic and racial background or your culture based on where you grew up geographically. She talks about what that means for her being a Latina growing up in Kansas and moving to a city like Chicago with her husband. 

“I think Chicago is more laid back. Like as far as having kids parties seem to be more casual and laid back where in Wichita things are a little more formal.”

Professionally as a Speech Language Pathologist, Suzy specializes in adults and their thinking and communication skills. At her own private practice, she focuses on social communication and executive functioning skills.

“I'm often getting people who are really highly educated. They're really smart, but they just don't feel like they can organize their thoughts and really express them in a way that other people are getting. They're not socially connecting with other people. And so they're realizing they're not advancing, whether it's within work or within social relationships.”

Tune in to this episode the The Face of Latina Professionals Podcast to learn more about the dichotomy of mixed cultures, what that can mean for the Latina identity, and hear more about Suzy’s work with helping people organize their thoughts and communication in effective ways. 

On our second episode the The Face of Latina Professionals Podcast, we chat with Salma Torres about her incredible story and journey to get her to where she is today.

Originally from Mexico City, Salma came here with her mother when she was only five years old. From living in a garage in Little Village to an uncle’s basement then an aunt’s attic, Salma and her family faced many hardships and challenges while she was growing up. 

In high school, her mom was deported leaving her to look after her younger brother until her grandmother could make it to Chicago to look after them. 

Despite all the struggles, Salma says everything she’s gone through has helped shaped her into the person she is today.

“There's a lot of things, a lot of struggles and a lot of hard times that I think that's what made me who I am now as a mother, as a business woman.”

Salma’s now raising two beautiful daughters of her own and talks about how she strives to make sure they never have to struggle like she did. However, she discusses how her daughters can’t truly appreciate things the way she can because they’ve never had to go through what she has. 

Join us as Salma shares how her story has shaped what being “latina” means to her and how the definition of being “latina” can vary based on your experiences. Her daughters also gravitate toward their Latina identity but to them, it comes from their own experiences and seeing how hard their mom works to provide a better life for them. 

In our inaugural episode of The Face of Latina Professionals Podcast, we sit down with Rebecca Bustos. Rebecca, a first generation Mexican-American, grew up in Logan Square and from an early age was surrounded by strong Latina women. 

“Being Latina is being there for your family, being the pillar of the family and being Latina for me is being someone that's powerful as well, because you're holding it down for your family.”

Rebecca goes on to share about her own revelation of identifying as “Latina” in addition to being Mexican-American here in Chicago. She discusses the sense of community and belonging fostered amongst Latinos specifically in Chicago vs other cities in the United States. 

She also touches on topics such as our parents’ culture compared to the modern-day Latino culture we’re living through presently. Most Latino families have been so rooted in the man being the sole provider and head of the household. In this day and age, many Latinas are working tirelessly to redefine the “traditional Latino household.”

Rebecca shares her own experiences of not only realizing she was Latina but also how in a diverse community, there are people that have always looked down upon her simply because she was Latina. She recalls vivid memories of being at Lane Tech where teachers were constantly surprised at her high grades where her white classmates didn’t get the same reaction for the same or similar marks. 

A thoughtful discussion between two first-generation Chicago born Mexican-Americans, this first episode of many to come with The Face of Latina Professionals podcast is one you don’t want to miss.