WISE AND NOT SO “WISE
LATINA WOMEN:”
FAMILISMO, MARIANISMO, RESPETO
AND OTHER CULTURAL SCRIPTS
Castleton College, Castleton, Vermont
March 18, 2010
Dr. Evangelina Holvino
President, Chaos Management, Ltd.
© Evangelina Holvino, 2010 Chaos Management
WHAT DO THESE WOMEN HAVE
IN COMMON, OR DO THEY?
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WHAT DO THESE WOMEN HAVE
IN COMMON, OR DO THEY?
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Jennifer López
Nancy López
Maria Elena Lagomasino
Dolores Huerta
Julia Alvarez
Sonia Sotomayor
Antonia Novello
Ellen Ochoa
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KEY MESSAGES
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Importance of social identity and
cultural scripts “at work.”
The meaning of cultural scripts
and examples: valuable and
challenging.
Learning about our own and others’
cultural scripts.
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SOCIAL IDENTITY & WORK
(THE PERSONAL IS PROFESSIONAL)
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“…but you don’t look Puerto Rican.”
“You are the first Puerto Rican
professional I’ve ever met!”
“…oh, I won’t even bother.”
“With that accent she would never
be hired in this company.”
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HIGHLIGHTS OF STUDY
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3 focus groups: 20 Latina middle
managers
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Sample questions
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Boston, New York, Houston
How would you describe your career?
What has helped and hindered your career, e.g.,
mentors, networking?
Dilemmas or difficult decisions in your career?
Recommendations for other Latinas?
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FINDINGS: 8 CULTURAL SCRIPTS
GIFTS
CHALLENGES
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CULTURAL SCRIPTS VS.
STEREOTYPES
CULTURAL SCRIPTS
 Assumptions about
ways of interacting
and communicating what one can/cannot
do or say - particular
to a “cultural” group
 Express values and
beliefs
STEREOTYPES
 Beliefs towards a
group or its members
based on overgeneralizations
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Prejudgments about
a group or its
members
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FAMILISMO AND
MACHISMO-MARIANISMO
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FAMILISMO AND
MACHISMO-MARIANISMO
“Family members are my greatest source of
mentoring. Without the support of your family you
just can’t work.”
“I’m very ambitious, but I was taught that family
comes first. It was a problem when I wasn’t around to
cater to my husband. That’s a battle you fight not
only outside your culture, but inside your culture.”
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PERSONALISMO AND SIMPATÍA
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PERSONALISMO AND SIMPATÍA
“The feedback that people like to work with me was
great; that’s something that is very important to me.”
“My challenge had to do with that need to help and be
friendly; it was hard to give someone bad news or let
someone go.”
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CAN THESE CULTURAL SCRIPTS
EXPLAIN…
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Why your friend has a hard time
understanding your family or vice versa?
Why spending time with your family
seems more important to you than to
many of your peers?
Why the New England communication
style does not feel comfortable to you?
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COLECTIVISMO AND EL PRESENTE
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COLECTIVISMO AND EL PRESENTE
“As a Latina, you have to help open the door for
others. That’s been such a driver—to pave the way
for others. For me it was hard; maybe for my
daughter it won’t be so hard.”
“I think we have a certain spirit, a certain energy as
a people. Sometimes you feel something is impossible
and draw on resources that you didn’t even know you
had. That comes from being Latina.”
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RESPETO AND
ESPIRITUALISMO
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RESPETO AND ESPIRITUALISMO
“I said to my manager several times, ‘I
know I’m an IT person and I’m not
supposed to talk to people, but I love
talking to people. Can you give me this
opportunity so I can learn about
relationships and finance?’”
“All happens according to God’s plan.”
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4 WAYS IN WHICH CULTURAL
SCRIPTS MAY IMPACT YOU
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Career choices
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Hispanics prefer jobs that offer opportunities to
work with diverse people and help others. (Stone,
et.al., 2006, 2007)
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Leadership style
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Latinas act as a bridge between cultures,
between generations, between people.…It
involves skill sets that have been honed since
childhood.” (Hewlett et. al., 2007)
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IMPACT OF CULTURAL SCRIPTS
IN THE WORKPLACE
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Work - life integration
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Sense of well-being
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“…the only way I can balance my work and personal
life is by living close to my parents for childcare. I
have limited my mobility because I have chosen to stay
close to my support system.” (Catalyst, 2008)
“I always feel I have to chose between my personal and
psychological health - who I want to be and who I am and my career.” (Catalyst, 2007)
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RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Understand your and others’ cultural
scripts
“The cultural scripts contrasted with the Anglo
assumptions was a ‘wow’ moment for me. It
explained so much about who I am and the work
world that sometimes baffles me. Now I know
why. I wish every young Latina and Latino could
know this ‘secret’ of living and succeeding in an
Anglo world.”
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RECOMMENDATIONS
2. Enhance/utilize your biculturalismbilingualism
“I have been in this country for 14 years and I can be
concise, clear; I can get to the point. But I also have
that Latino warmth and if I see that you are having a
bad day, I’ll go and hug you.”
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RECOMMENDATIONS
3. Be aware of dominant cultural
expectations and supposed “lack of fit”
 Toot horn vs. work hard
 Dominant models of leadership vs. non-
dominant styles
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RECOMMENDATIONS
4. Identify stereotypes and
assumptions and their impact on
career and leadership opportunities
 Familismo ≠ “Will not relocate”
 Accent ≠ “Can’t communicate”
 Wanting flexible arrangements ≠ “Lack
of commitment to the job.”
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OTHER CULTURAL SCRIPTS AT WORK?
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“Sometimes I’ll leave work to do other
things…things I don’t feel they’ll value. For
example, to do some community service stuff in
the ‘hood.” (African American woman manager,
Catalyst, 2008)
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“Like respect for elders, even in the workforce,
including your superiors and managers. I’m less
confrontational than most Americans would be.”
(Asian manager, Dhingra, 2007)
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BUZZ GROUPS:
HOW DO YOU SEE CULTURAL
SCRIPTS PLAYING OUT AT
CASTLETON?
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Familismo
Personalismo
Colectivismo
Respeto
Machismo-Marianismo
Simpatía
El Presente
Espiritualismo
Others?
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Q&A
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THANK YOU
Evangelina Holvino, Ed.D.
President
Chaos Management, Ltd.
178 Meetinghouse Lane
Brattleboro, VT 05301
802.257.5218
holvino@chaosmanagement.com
www.chaosmanagement.com
© Evangelina Holvino, 2010 Chaos Management