What did you do to come to find out what has before or already exists? What input or engagement of outside resources did you use for this project or share with your community?
The concept of “Ladies with Height” emerged because of what we see occurring in our community. We see the inequalities of women and minorities everywhere. According to the Mapping L.A. data 94% of the residents in Boyle Heights are Latino and only 5% of the population who is 25 and older have attended college and received a degree. As evident from this data, the majority of the individuals who are not attaining higher education are people of color. This reality makes us incredibly concerned about the access that Latino and minority students have to succeed academically. According to the National Center for Education Statistics from 2014, the percentage of minority students in the ages between 18-24 who are enrolled in universities has grown in comparison to the earlier decades. The evidence reveals that more women of color are attending these institutions in comparison to men; in 2014 36.6% black women were enrolled in college in comparison to 28.5% black men, while 39.4% Latina women were enrolled, but only 30.3% Latino men. While the statistics may suggest that women of color are attaining a greater “edge” over men, they do not capture the barriers of sexism that women experience in academic and non-academic spaces, which may discourage them from pursuing a male dominated career or even graduating. We believe that in order to address these larger academic concerns for women of color, we need to engage young girls in spaces that allow them to express these (or other) concerns and that expose them to experiences where they feel empowered and capable of overcoming any obstacles. Thus, we believe that the creation of Ladies with Height will allow us to develop those opportunities where young girls learn about ways they can participate in civic engagement and leadership, and learn about women who embody female resilience and empowerment.
In order to identify issues that are relevant and currently affecting young girls and women in Boyle Heights, we decided to create a survey. Initially when we conducted the survey, we anticipated that a lot of participants would agree that they feel intimidated or less worthy than boys, but the surveys show that 55% of the girls do not feel inferior. From the 60 girls that we surveyed, the majority expressed that they do not feel intimidated by boys or men. This different perspective countered the team’s personal beliefs, but it also revealed some insightful ideas that had not been considered. For instance, female participants who claimed that they did not feel intimidated by men stated that they felt confident because of the support and encouragement that they receive at home. Therefore, they feel that they can advance in any academic or workforce spaces. However, these same participants also mentioned that they don’t think that the majority of women receive that kind of support and that they desperately need it. Interviewee MaryJane Gomez, a freshman at Roosevelt High School, captured the ideas echoed in the survey, since she stated that receiving support in school to succeed academically and beyond is beneficial “because it makes them [girls] feel good about themselves and make them more confident in themselves.” Considering that a lot of the girls surveyed also mentioned that they feel they are less represented in school than male students in classrooms (they are called less often and not considered for leadership roles), it reinforced the necessity of a club like Ladies with Height which could provide a space where we could promote the development of young girls’ confidence and leadership.
Beyond the statistical research, we also decided that it would be valuable to speak to the women in our community to discover more their perspectives of what they envision “female empowerment” and “civic engagement” to look like. Such women, may be teachers and administrators at our school, as well as the women in our lives--grandmothers, mothers, aunts, sisters, and so forth. The inclusion of their stories, will be one way we can continue to define what the needs are of the female population in our community. We are also aware that there are organizations in our community that focus on creating spaces where women can engage in addressing these concerns. For instance, there is Mujeres de Maiz, a Boyle Heights organization that strives to “provide holistic wellness” to the young girls and women. There is also AFI3RM, a “transnational feminist organization” that is strongly committed to civic engagement and women’s role “at the head of the struggle.” Connecting with these organizations will be valuable to strengthen our project and utilize the resources available in our community.
The concept of “Ladies with Height” emerged because of what we see occurring in our community. We see the inequalities of women and minorities everywhere. According to the Mapping L.A. data 94% of the residents in Boyle Heights are Latino and only 5% of the population who is 25 and older have attended college and received a degree. As evident from this data, the majority of the individuals who are not attaining higher education are people of color. This reality makes us incredibly concerned about the access that Latino and minority students have to succeed academically. According to the National Center for Education Statistics from 2014, the percentage of minority students in the ages between 18-24 who are enrolled in universities has grown in comparison to the earlier decades. The evidence reveals that more women of color are attending these institutions in comparison to men; in 2014 36.6% black women were enrolled in college in comparison to 28.5% black men, while 39.4% Latina women were enrolled, but only 30.3% Latino men. While the statistics may suggest that women of color are attaining a greater “edge” over men, they do not capture the barriers of sexism that women experience in academic and non-academic spaces, which may discourage them from pursuing a male dominated career or even graduating. We believe that in order to address these larger academic concerns for women of color, we need to engage young girls in spaces that allow them to express these (or other) concerns and that expose them to experiences where they feel empowered and capable of overcoming any obstacles. Thus, we believe that the creation of Ladies with Height will allow us to develop those opportunities where young girls learn about ways they can participate in civic engagement and leadership, and learn about women who embody female resilience and empowerment.
In order to identify issues that are relevant and currently affecting young girls and women in Boyle Heights, we decided to create a survey. Initially when we conducted the survey, we anticipated that a lot of participants would agree that they feel intimidated or less worthy than boys, but the surveys show that 55% of the girls do not feel inferior. From the 60 girls that we surveyed, the majority expressed that they do not feel intimidated by boys or men. This different perspective countered the team’s personal beliefs, but it also revealed some insightful ideas that had not been considered. For instance, female participants who claimed that they did not feel intimidated by men stated that they felt confident because of the support and encouragement that they receive at home. Therefore, they feel that they can advance in any academic or workforce spaces. However, these same participants also mentioned that they don’t think that the majority of women receive that kind of support and that they desperately need it. Interviewee MaryJane Gomez, a freshman at Roosevelt High School, captured the ideas echoed in the survey, since she stated that receiving support in school to succeed academically and beyond is beneficial “because it makes them [girls] feel good about themselves and make them more confident in themselves.” Considering that a lot of the girls surveyed also mentioned that they feel they are less represented in school than male students in classrooms (they are called less often and not considered for leadership roles), it reinforced the necessity of a club like Ladies with Height which could provide a space where we could promote the development of young girls’ confidence and leadership.
Beyond the statistical research, we also decided that it would be valuable to speak to the women in our community to discover more their perspectives of what they envision “female empowerment” and “civic engagement” to look like. Such women, may be teachers and administrators at our school, as well as the women in our lives--grandmothers, mothers, aunts, sisters, and so forth. The inclusion of their stories, will be one way we can continue to define what the needs are of the female population in our community. We are also aware that there are organizations in our community that focus on creating spaces where women can engage in addressing these concerns. For instance, there is Mujeres de Maiz, a Boyle Heights organization that strives to “provide holistic wellness” to the young girls and women. There is also AFI3RM, a “transnational feminist organization” that is strongly committed to civic engagement and women’s role “at the head of the struggle.” Connecting with these organizations will be valuable to strengthen our project and utilize the resources available in our community.