Paying Homage to Ancestors with Anna L. Garcia

Deneen L. Garrett: 00:05 02:03
Welcome to An Intimate Conversation with Women of Color. This podcast is a platform for women of color, LGBTQ+, and allies to use their voices. From now through October 15, you will hear Latino voices as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Thank you so much for being a listener. I am your host, Deneen L. Garrett. Hey, an intimate conversation with women of color listeners. Welcome back to another episode of the podcast. Today, we will hear from our very first Latina guest for Hispanic Heritage Month. I am talking to my friend, Ana Garcia, who is the national president of ASIMOS, which is an employee resource group for Hispanic Latinos. She is a dear friend. She is a hoot. She is a firecracker. I love her dearly. And thanks to her, my last trip was to Houston to visit her. She had an event going on that she invited me to and who knew that COVID was going to pop off. So that was my last trip before things were locked down. So I had a great time, I appreciate her for inviting me, and I appreciate her even more for being our very first guest to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month. So sit back, get ready to enjoy my conversation with Ana L. Garcia, and we appreciate you. Thank you so much for listening. Ana L. Garcia, hello, and welcome to an intimate conversation with women of color. How are you?

Anna Gracia: 02:03 02:07 Hi, thank you so much for inviting me and having me today.

Deneen L. Garrett: 02:08 02:31 You are so welcome. And I stress the L. I don't know if you're as particular about the L, your middle initial, as I am. My middle initial is Latisa L as well. And I like to see my name when you're writing it, I like to see a Deneen L Garrett as opposed to just Deneen Garrett. Are you the same way with your L?

Anna Gracia: 02:32 02:53 Yes. I grew up not even knowing my first name was Anna. It was, I was Laudis, Laudis, which is the nickname for my middle name, Laura. So it was always loudies. And when I went to school and they asked for Anna Corona, I was like, hmm, that's my name, I think.

Deneen L. Garrett: 02:58 04:05 I like my L. Right. And so mine is like a childhood story as well. And it was when I went to get my social security card, you have to sign it. And the person said, well, however you sign it, that's like official. So ever since then, when I like, you know, when it's in writing, I like to see the L. And just recently, I actually, you know, announced myself as Danino Garrett, as opposed to just Danine Garrett, just to kind of help people, you know, trigger them to like, okay, when you write my name, make sure you put that down. So again, welcome. And I like to share how I know my guests. So you and I have known each other for a while. We work for the same company. And I'm sure we probably first met either when you raised your hand to support one of two of the Hispanic Latino events that I host. It was either the ASE or it was Tecnologica. So I'm not sure which one, but I think that that's when we first got connected.

Anna Gracia: 04:06 04:11 Right. And I think it happened in the same year. So whichever one came first.

Deneen L. Garrett: 04:12 04:34 That's the one. That's the one. And we've been connected ever since. And I absolutely love that. I love the relationship. And, and I love to see all the things that you're doing in H town. And for those that don't know, it's Houston, Texas. Um, you were doing some big things and congratulations because, uh, you've been the national president for what? A couple of months now.

Anna Gracia: 04:34 04:35 Yes. Three months.

Deneen L. Garrett: 04:36 04:50 Okay. All right. All right. And I'm just looking forward to all the wonderful things that you'll do this year. So, Anna, why is it important for women of color, Latinas, to have a platform to use their voices?

Anna Gracia: 04:51 08:27 Well, I'm going to speak in reference to all women of color, although Latinas do practically fall on the lower spectrum when it comes to having the right platform. But I think it's important that we continue to work together. So when I think of women of color, I think of us having and sharing some of the greatest challenges, whether it is through our professional corporate environment, whether it's in our personal lives, or in just about any aspect that surrounds us. So we are faced with the greatest challenges. We are also looking at having the least support and advocacy that's external to within our own circle of trust, so to speak. Even though diversity is pushed on the agenda, I think that the resources to put Latinos in front of these issues is not there. Whether it's funding, whether it's the wrong people leading the charge or what have you, there still seems to be a lot of us that get ignored or, you know, washed under the bridge or just, you know, taken for granted. And I think a lot of times it's not that they don't know we're there, I just think that they forget we're there. And we are also very, very much vulnerable and accepting of our circumstances. So instead of being the person to stand up and say, well, no, I think I didn't, maybe, you know, shouldn't have gotten that. And just in those terms, like I said it, we think to, you know, overthink a lot of our circumstances and then accept them like, oh, well, you know, I didn't deserve it. She was better than me. He was a better candidate. And it's not always the case. So I do think that it is important for us to have a platform. And I want to remind women that this platform does not have to be where you have a title of leadership. It doesn't have to mean that you are big ticket item in the arena of anything. It doesn't have to be where you are a president. It doesn't mean you have to be any title that you would look up to. I think our platforms are all there. We each have a platform. And I want to remind everyone that your workplace is your platform. So if you see a fellow colleague not being taken into consideration when they try to voice themselves or they're quickly shut down, maybe acknowledge that and say, hey, I heard Anna say this, Denine, what do you think? Bring it up, be the supporting factor there, because that's also going to reassure them that it's okay to speak up. So that's very important to me. Also contribution, standing up for others and outside of those circumstances. Maybe Deneen's not there to defend herself, but Anna is. We know Deneen did that, because other people are quick to take credit for other people's work at times. And it happens more than we know and more than we care to admit it. But that doesn't mean we have to stay quiet and accept it. I also think that we all have social media. Social media is a big thing right now, right? And it's a very powerful thing. So the way we voice ourselves on that, you know, we can have a platform where we elevate other women, we elevate other Latinas. It provides opportunities to connect with people we might not otherwise know. So I do think that women of color must all use their voice and we all do have a platform. It's just recognizing that platform.

Deneen L. Garrett: 08:28 10:48 And I love that. When you were speaking about, you know, speaking up for others, it reminded me of signal boosting. So one of the events that I attended, there was an Amber Heights and she got up, she spoke, she was so powerful. And she talked about signal boosting, which is pretty much what you said. You know, when a woman speaks up and says something, have her back, boost what she said. You know, when someone else, you know, says something, And takes credit for it. No, you know, exactly what you said. No, someone else said that, you know, boost them, you know, be the voice for them when they're not around. And absolutely, your social media is a platform because when I say use your voice, I mean, use your expression, however, you are able to express yourself. So whether that's actual, you know, vocal, you know, or if it's social media, if it's through dance, whatever your form of expression, that is a way of using your voice. So, absolutely. And then the point you made about We all have a platform. We all can speak up. You don't have to have that title. You're right, because the podcast actually came from a panel that I created. I created a panel for LGBTQ plus women of color and allies. And I did that because in this particular space that I created it for, there weren't very many, first, there weren't very many people of color. let alone women, right? In that particular community at that particular event. So I said, you know what? I'm about to create this space for them. So this came from that. So everything you said is absolutely spot on and you definitely use your platform. You use everything at your fingertips to boost other women and to use your voice for them. So thank you so very much. Absolutely. Yesterday started Hispanic Heritage Month, and it runs through October 15. And during this time, we celebrate the rich culture and contributions of Hispanics, again, during Hispanic Heritage Month. You're Mexican, you're Latina, American, Mexican, Latina. How do you celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?

Anna Gracia: 10:49 13:59 So being born in the United States, from parents that have been in the United States and parents that have been in the United, grandparents that have been in the United States. I never wanted to lose my heritage. It's a funny story how I learned to read and write Spanish stealing my dad's novella. You know, at home we would mostly speak English. Like my mom and I spoke English. My dad always worked away. And even though a lot of people think my dad is actually Anglo because of the way he looks, he's about as Mexican as they come. He doesn't speak English very well. And with him, he would speak Spanish. So I did appreciate that. And of course, my grandparents, we spoke Spanish too. But I didn't want to lose my heritage. And actually, if you meet some of my family, A lot of them don't even speak the language. So I like to embrace it and I like to teach my children. So the way I celebrate is by raising awareness and sharing some of those forgotten historical stories. I know that the subject of inequality is a big thing right now. It's in the media and it is focusing on a lot of the you know, the wrongs on society, a lot of the civil rights movements, a lot of those things. Well, Hispanics have a very rich history in that as well, a very unfortunate rich history in that as well. So I think it is my duty to make sure that others know we have a lot more in common. We are a lot more relatable. And, you know, I am one of those that 100% believes in embracing other cultures and understanding. So I think that the way we can really get past a lot of this is by knowing about the other cultures. You know, Latinos were deported in the United States after World War I because they were accused of being the downfall of the United States economic factor. And these were U.S. born. These were U.S. citizens. that were being deported. And a lot of people don't know that. They don't know about those injustices. They don't know about the time when Latino women would go in to give birth to their children in California and come back being sterilized. You know, they don't know a lot of these historical things that have happened and I feel that it's important. So unlike on my social media, I've been sharing those stories and I will continue to do so through the rest of the month. So don't ever forget those that come before us. Don't forget the hidden injustices, learn from them so that you can continue to use your voice because these people took action, they made it known, they made it seen so that you and I wouldn't have to suffer that and so that you and I wouldn't have to deal with it, you know, through our journey. I will say I grew up very blessed. I never had needs. I was very fortunate to, you know, have a great life, but I knew people who didn't. So I thought it was my duty to also learn about those experiences and understand, because the more we get to know and understand somebody, the more we get to appreciate the history that we shared or not shared.

Deneen L. Garrett: 14:01 15:15 Yeah, absolutely. And you talk about the injustices and you talk about you know the the experiences that I didn't know either of that right I didn't know about being deported I didn't know about the women being sterilized and sadly you know horrifically it's happening now yes you know, or trying to, trying, trying to send people back to somewhere that they don't even know. Right. They, they never came, they never lived there. So, you know, so it's not even sending them back, but it's, it's getting rid of them. Right. And also with the sterilizing women, um, I read yesterday how in the detention camps, um, that they, yeah, that they were, uh, performing hysterectomies and it's, It's mind blowing, it's mind boggling that we're dealing with this in 2020. But I do appreciate your efforts to raise the awareness, to let people know, to speak out and to use your voice so that we are aware and that we know the quote, when you know better, you do better. And it gives us an opportunity to do better, raising that awareness.

Anna Gracia: 15:16 15:48 Absolutely. I think a lot of our experiences are going to also be based in the region we grew up. So in Texas, we are a very high Latino population, mostly because we were Tejas before we were Texas. And so we see a lot of the stories here. There was actually an anti-Mexican organization and anti-Mexican slaughtering and everything that happened in Texas. So I think those experiences are different. So we also have to learn to broaden our horizons when we think of these things, right?

Deneen L. Garrett: 15:50 16:23 Yes, absolutely. And so we're already talking about how you're using your voice for women of color and how you're amplifying your contributions of Latinas. But you mentioned Facebook. So you're part of the podcast Facebook group and yesterday was Takeover Tuesday. So you did share some quotes from Latino women and you have more to share. You're doing it on your own Facebook. You created a YouTube for the employee resource group. You're already using your voice. How else are you using it that we haven't already talked about?

Anna Gracia: 16:23 19:20 So I love to mentor and I actually have several mentees that are professional women who are working on their career. And some of them are actually even older than me. So I find that, you know, again, we can always empower other women. Don't judge a book by its cover. They might know more than you or vice versa, right? It's good to talk and integrate. I love mentoring. Of course, my focus is the youth and the next generation and understanding, you know, some of the obstacles being faced today because school is very different from when I was going to school today. So it's important to acknowledge that, mentor others, educate others, and recognize others. So if you know somebody made a contribution, but they're kind of culturally, Latinos don't always speak up. And we will do so much, but nobody knows we're doing this because we've been taught that boasting or acting, you know, like, oh, I'm better than you, even though it's not the intention, it's not appropriate. I was very blessed that I was born without a filter. So I've never had that problem. But when you talk to women, that when you're mentoring, or you're doing one on one conversation, they will share some of these things that have been culturally taught and trained and expectations set by society, or expectations set by their family on them. So I think that understanding those things and then you know, being considerate on how you relay your message is important. So I like to mentor, educate, but also recognizing and acknowledging my life is not your life. So I have to first listen to you to understand why you've made the decisions you made or the choices you made on certain things that I would have done completely 1000% different. You know what I mean? So I think that's how I like to contribute is by understanding other women and mentoring them, empowering them, And as many of my friends have said, you know, some of these young ladies too. And no, they're not really young, but they will say. Anna is the person that doesn't leave the ladder for you. She drags you up with her. And I love to hear that because it makes me feel good because, you know, we do it again. I probably did have some of that cultural influence where, you know, Anna, don't talk about yourself or don't do it. And for a long time, I probably didn't. I'm just glad that I was able to recognize that it was okay. As early as I did. So I think that's important to, you know, educating women on, again, your platform, your voice, and when to use it and how to use it without coming off a standoffish or, you know, anything like that. It's really empowering for yourself and for the others.

Deneen L. Garrett: 19:21 19:34 Yeah. And, you know, as you were talking about that, I know that that exists, but I don't know those women. I don't know those women, you know, the Latinas that I know, yeah, they don't fit that description.

Anna Gracia: 19:35 19:38 We're the fiery ones, right?

Deneen L. Garrett: 19:38 21:20 Yeah, so that's, you know, I guess that's what I've attracted because I don't know those quiet ones. And that's why you don't know them because you're quiet. Exactly, exactly. But the ones I know, they speak up, they have no problem, you know, and just women in general. But I do, you know, I understand because I remember when I lived in Las Vegas, at the time, I was the vice president of the Pioneers. And someone on my team said, I didn't even know. Because I didn't really speak. I didn't share. I didn't talk back then at that time. I didn't really share a lot of stuff. It was more, I was more quiet about it, you know, and thinking like, okay, somebody else, it's for somebody else to speak on it. Then I went to an event and there were different chapters that were winning money, right? They were being, you know, for a project or something, they were getting money and that money would allow them to invest in their communities and do more good. And I'm like, well, hold up. from that point on sister started using her voice right i started using my voice more and i started telling people because i did recognize that those days where you just put your head down and you know did your work people will come and pat you on the back tap you know recognize you those days are kind of over You know, and the only way that you really are going to get something is if you ask for it. If you take it, you know, you create your own opportunities, but we have to use our voices because often you go unrecognized. They don't even know you're there. if you're not speaking up.

Anna Gracia: 21:21 21:50 Or people might be taking note. I always tell you, you're always being watched. They might see your worth and your potential, but since you don't see it, they kind of wait. They just leave you there. So that's another thing that maybe you are the greatest and the grandest, and somebody has noticed, but you have to put yourself out there and be open to them reaching out and saying, hey, Denine, I want you to come for this, like you said. You saw it and you're like, I want some of that. Go after it. And it does take some initiative and some drive to do that.

Deneen L. Garrett: 21:51 22:30 Absolutely. Absolutely. No, you're absolutely right about it. Cause sometimes they do recognize, but then they're waiting for you to take a step. It's kind of like ask, you know, it's, it's the faith without works is dead. Right. You know what I'm saying? So you do, you don't just pray and then sit there and wait, no, you have to put in some work, you know, you have to, you know, make some things happen. So yes, yes, yes. To all of that. So we have talked about women who may not recognize that they have voices, right? They don't recognize the power of their voices. What would you like to tell those who perceive themselves to be voiceless?

Anna Gracia: 22:31 24:10 Start in your circle, but get out of your comfort zone and venture out. So one of the things I tell the women that I mentor at whatever age, you'll discover a lot more if you go to another person in the room that maybe is not as talkative, but you initiate that conversation. And it feels comfortable because you feel like you can relate, okay, that person shy, let me go over there. And you talk to them start the conversation. And you'll notice that maybe you're asking or you're approaching that person is powerful enough, your voice is now being heard. Continue that and then challenge yourself each time more and more. Speak to somebody who maybe you would have never approached. Don't be discouraged by titles or by social status or anything like that. You know, go and approach someone. I've always since I'm in sales, my big thing has always been you're going to get about 10 notes before you get a one yes. But when you get that one yes, your voice would just be magnified, it'll explode, everybody's gonna listen. So just little by little, if you're not comfortable 100% right now, step out of that comfort zone, whatever it is, whether it's, I'm going to share this post that I might not have, but Anandini told me to, you know, so something like that, it could start minor, just keep working towards that. Keep encouraging yourself, push yourself, Unite yourself and surround yourself with other women that are going to push you. We all have that one friend that you're like, why am I your friend? Take them with you. You know, use that.

Deneen L. Garrett: 24:12 24:33 Yes, in this practice, right? Like you said, start small. Start with somebody you're comfortable with, and then step out, go with somebody else who may be sitting next to them. And then before you know it, you're speaking to any and everybody, and you're comfortable, and it just becomes second nature. So Anna, before we wrap up, what else would you like to share with our listeners?

Anna Gracia: 24:35 25:30 So I would say to all women of color, continue to join conversations like this. Continue to amplify your voice by talking to others and reaching out to others. Sometimes you will find an advocate in the unlikeliest person, so do not prejudge. Do not make an assumption based on anything but your own attempt or conversation with anyone. So I would always say, you know, don't discard anyone or anything until you've tried for yourself. A lot of times Our second guessing is our worst enemy. So don't even allow that to be your hindrance. And, you know, always pursue, if you know it's right, pursue that, share it, reshare it, amplify that voice and continue to use your platform and build other platforms, not only for yourself, but other women.

Deneen L. Garrett: 25:32 25:46 I love it. I appreciate you, Anna L. Garcia, Simoes National President. Thank you so much for lending your voice, sharing your voice with an intimate conversation with women of color and enjoy the rest of your day.

Anna Gracia: 25:46 25:48 Thank you, Deneen. Have a wonderful day.

Deneen L. Garrett: 25:48 27:07 You as well. Bye. Hey, an intimate conversation with women of color listeners. So what do you think? Was that not a powerful conversation? I'm not quite sure what title I'm going to use for this. I don't know if I'm going to go with don't forget those who came before us or mentor, educate, recognize. Either are great titles and it depicts the conversation that Anna and I had. I really appreciated her taking time to speak with us and to speak into others, to remind everyone that we have voices, that we as women of color, you know, need to come together. and just support and uplift and amplify one another. So thank you for being a listener. Thank you for coming back every week. Please continue to listen, subscribe to the podcast if you have not done so, and make sure you share. The goal is to elevate the voices of women of color, and in order to do that, we have to reach them. I am your host, Denine L. Garrett, and talk to you next time.