Looking back on this quarter and my experiences working with
Casa Latina, the two themes that stuck out to me is digital divide and women
leadership. Digital divide is something I have always had an interest in. I
even thought of incorporating it into my CHI Competition submission, for the
theme this year was "Appropriating
Technologies for New Cultures". The project asked us to “showcase your
best abilities of "maker cultures" to build new connections and to
make less-voiced cultures be better heard.” Although it isn’t entirely related
to the Casa Latina work we were doing, a reading that I did for this class
highlighted some aspects of the competition.
Author Alysa
Hullett of “Why more women in leadership will mean few women in poverty” emphasizes
how the spreading of resources among underrepresented communities is important
for giving a voice to communities and organizations such as Casa Latina. She states
how people have “failed to speak up about wage theft in the past due to
fear and a ‘lack of power’.” Some things can be improved though by informing
workers of their labor rights in the United States, and letting them know that
claims can be filed. This is just one example how resources can be a game
player in giving the voice necessary for change.
From here you think about the “digital divide” notion in
America, and wonder how this plays a role in being a barrier to that voice that
is needed. How prominent is this digital divide within various communities in
America, not just Casa Latina? This class has left me wondering about other identities
that face a digital divide. What about people with disabilities, or those
within the LGBTQ community? What about someone who is a minority and a citizen
versus someone who is a minority and a non-resident, or undocumented?
There is also the questions I have about women leadership in
America. The same author, Alysa Hullett, brought up some interesting statistics
about women leadership and women poverty in America. She also popped some
questions in my head, such as who is responsible for this poverty? Who can
change this? Are they groups, or are they individuals? Surely there are some
solutions (which would take time to implement), but what solutions or action
steps would be right ones?
It was great to looking around and seeing the women
leadership happening in Casa Latina. It was also great seeing the true meaning
of “community” and “family” take place right in front of you. I remember at one
workshop, one of the women’s husband ended up joining us and that was awesome!
I didn’t expect a husband to want to be a part of the workshop, and for him to
be interested and a part of the conversation was great. It reminded me of a
conversation I had with a couple of the women on a different day. We were
talking about how it would be great if some of the men joined us. It is much
more about the women at the workshop, it is also about their allies, their
supporters, their family, and their friends. Together, change can happen. Together
we can holistically look at what is going on around us and understand what can
be done to change current situations. I would be interested to see how support
networks vary from community to community, and what happens if there is no
personal support network available.
Walking away from this I am left with so many questions. It
was a great experience overall, and the stories that were shared allowed me to
understand the articles we were reading even more, and see the power that
exists in available resources and support networks.
