There is something beautiful and powerful about having a strong sense of belonging. For those of us who are part of a historically oppressed community (Latine, Black, Indigenous, AAPI, differently abled, LGBTQIA+) we survive the best way we can. Blending in, moving closer to power, acting like a spy that will get found out – anyone who has attempted something new will recognize these signs of imposter syndrome.
Last week I was in my native Southern California to attend the SER Summit, an annual conference designed by and for Latines working in financial services. It provides a unique platform for networking, professional development, and celebrating Latine culture within the context of the financial industry.
The event played cumbia the whole time. The final day ended with a reception where we danced so hard that one of the attendees ripped up their dress and several of us had to take a rest at the jacuzzi. Almost a week later, my calves are still stinging from dancing el caballo dorado!
This event was the heartchild of Ana Trujillo Limón and Vanessa Marinez – thank you queens for making this all possible! As a fellow Latina in finance I also craved a place to talk about money in my community, and where we could build each other up. When Ana asked me to join the organizing team, I jumped on the opportunity.
The Liberation of Authentic Spaces
In the past few years as I’ve spent more and more time splitting my time between the US and different Latin American countries I realized that whenever I was in LatAm I relaxed. The constant need to code-switch evaporated. It was a stark reminder of how exhausting it can be to navigate spaces where I don’t inherently belong.
At the SER Summit, this feeling of belonging was palpable. It was more than just a professional event; it was a celebration of identity and shared experience. It was also an invitation to challenge our stories, such as the idea that Latine communities don’t have wealth, or that we have to compete with each other because there’s only room for one Latine at the top.
Many of us, regardless of identity, carry what could be called a “visibility wound” – early memories of feeling out of place or different. For me, I have a clear memory of feeling shame in school because I ate lentejas (lentils) for breakfast when I imagined my classmates enjoying typical American breakfast foods I’d seen in commercials, like Eggos. There was even a time when I pretended to not speak Spanish in order to better blend in to my new environment.
Because of racism, misogyny, heteronormativity, and other isms, bringing our whole self to work can often feel dangerous, which is energetically draining. While this strategy of white washing is a useful survival technique, spaces like the SER Summit give participants a taste of the freedom and creativity available when we’re not trying to make ourselves conform to unsaid rules. I recently heard that classism implies that if you have to ask what the rules are, you obviously don’t belong… And as any child of immigrants will tell you, it’s exhausting to navigate two cultures and feel left out in both places.
Flourishing in Community
Yet, what doesn’t break you makes you stronger. As Edgar Villanueva points out in his inspiring book Decolonizing Wealth, marginalized people are often better equipped to navigate differences and complexities because our thinking and experiences have primed us to hold “multiple realities simultaneously”. Because we have lived experience in very different contexts our mind is used to both/and thinking.
During the SER Summit I was part of a panel on the importance of mentorship. I shared the stage with Janet Larsen, my mentor, and Alexia Gomez, my mentee. You can see the three of us in the photo above. We each talked about receiving mentorship, creating a mutually beneficial relationship, and acting like a cheerleader and coach to those we mentor.
While we do not share a cultural background, Janet is white, I am first generation Mexican-American, and Lexi is Black and third generation Mexican-American, we share key things. All three of us love financial planning and are ambitious about career development while living a full and happy life.
The SER Summit is one example of the many places that celebrate the uniqueness and magic of one particular community. I believe it is both really important to have places like this, as well as places that bring all communities together. Our life is a bouquet of flowers and each different flower, each leafy green, adds vibrancy. We each deserve to experience the fullness of ourselves whether it be in our families, at the gym, and yes, even at work.
May you and your community flourish.