Inclusion & Diversity

Q: Can you touch a bit on what your heritage means to you? 

A: My heritage is a bit different than those in the HOLA group. I am biracial, Mexican and Bangladeshi. Fitting in was difficult at times growing up. Because I didn’t speak Spanish and wasn’t accepted by the other Hispanic kids at school, and I just didn’t feel like I belonged to any group. That is why being a part of HOLA is so important to me because it finally gave me a safe space and a group that welcomed me.

Q: What does leading the LGBTQ+ ERG mean to you? ​​​​​​

A: My role as an ERG lead has given me the opportunity to bring awareness and enact change for LGBTQ+ employees at SWCA. It's been really inspiring to see how many folks come to our monthly meetings. When I first learned about the ERG, I joined an ERG Pride event and realized quickly that this group was the right fit for me. Pride to me is being confident in who I am as an individual and a lesbian and being aware that it wasn’t always easy to be out and proud. The challenges I faced early in life made me who I am today. 

Q: What are the goals and activities of the API ERG?

A: While Sunny and I were establishing this ERG, partly due to the increase in Asian hate crimes our community faced in this country these past few years, our main goals were to connect with other SWCA employees who identify as Asian and/or Pacific Islander and become a resource for them, share relevant information about the API community with the broader SWCA community, and find ways to support API diversity both internally and externally. 

Q: How did you start leading the Mental Health Matters ERG?

A: I was an active member since the very beginning of the Mental Health Matters ERG. I felt so comfortable being myself around this trusted group and I found myself really looking forward to each monthly meeting. First, I became a co-lead with Vanessa, and then she decided to pass the torch to me. I felt honored to step up and keep the group going, because I know how important this space is to our members.

Q: How did you start leading the Mental Health Matters ERG?

A: I’ve also been an ERG member from the start! I joined the group because I’ve had some low points in my life related to my mental health, and I wanted to make it a priority and regular activity to focus on self-care mentally. A few members of the ERG were the first people that I disclosed my disorder to, and it was really liberating. I quickly made connections in the company with the same disorder as me. Now, those are genuine friendships. 

Q:  What are some potential challenges for women of color in the sciences? How can we address these challenges in the workplace and beyond?

A: A big challenge is not being seen or heard. And this can be really subtle. When a woman of color takes a chance to speak up about something and is dismissed, or when there is a microaggression in a group setting that manifests from ignorance, that woman is not being seen. All of these things get layered on and take a toll.

It makes a big difference for a company to take the time to consider messaging, understand the power of words, plan events, and share resources and opportunities. And to understand the sweet spot between asking for feedback while respecting our time and energy - it can be exhausting to always have to be in the position of educators and representatives, but we do appreciate the opportunity. 

Q:  How have you benefitted from being in the Women of SWCA ERG?

A: I love talking to women across SWCA and making connections, sharing resources, finding guest speakers, and building a network of strong women both in and outside of SWCA. I’ve found it really rewarding. This group provides useful tools to navigate my career and personal life as the group provided workshops and discussions on various topics such as tying in your life purpose to career goals, providing feedback to peers and supervisors, radical candor, and identifying and fighting biases.

Q: What would you like people to know about your culture and history?

A: I would like people to know that our culture and history did not start with slavery. We were thriving, wealthy communities before slavery. We were educated and spiritual. We were mothers, fathers, warriors, friends, family members, queens, and kings. I want people to know that we didn’t lose any of that with slavery. We still have all those skills. We are an extremely passionate, open, welcoming, and loving community. We love our kids. We raise our kids to be strong, smart, and safe. At the heart of every Black community is the family and how much we value our families. We have traditions and spirituality that we cultivate in our families.

Q: How can individuals better support and be allies to the Black community?

A: To really start to understand Black people and our experiences, try to understand the microaggressions that affect us. That is huge. A way to help is to be educated so that you can recognize when a microaggression is happening, and then step in and say something. This goes for all of us. We need to learn what offensive terms and phrases affect different groups, especially underrepresented groups.

Q: What are your values?

A: My values were shaped by my experiences with (primarily) my mother’s family and living on a reservation (both Navajo and Tohono O’odham reservations). I was taught to value family, including extended family and clan. I was taught to look after my sister and my cousins. I was taught to honor my mother, grandmothers, and aunties. This doesn’t mean we don’t also honor our fathers, uncles, and grandfathers, but that Navajo consider women as equals to men.

Q: What does your heritage mean to you? 

A: It's everything. It’s my entire life’s purpose. I was among the first generations of Native Hawaiian children to attend a Hawaiian language immersion school. I grew up during a time when Hawaiian language revitalization efforts were in their infancy. So much of culture is encapsulated in language; you cannot have a culture without a language.

Q: As One SWCA, how can we work toward more unity and positive beliefs about individuals with disabilities, critical illnesses, and chronic illnesses?

A: People aren’t always comfortable talking about critical illnesses due to stigma. Openness starts with you. Start conversations and help others talk about their stories. Support your colleagues in their work-life balance.

Q: What are some things that you do to recognize and celebrate your culture?

A: I make it a point to celebrate Día de los Muertos with my daughter. It can be a sensitive holiday associated with remembrance and reverence for the dead, but I also want to recognize it as a celebration of life. Mexico has such a rich history – both beautiful and painful – and I want to make her aware of that part of our culture. 

Q: What does being a caregiver mean to you, and what advice would you share with other caregivers?

A: Giving and receiving care is a personal journey, and it’s a major aspect of family and community. To me, it’s all about giving back.

My advice to other caregivers is to take care of and prioritize yourself. Caregivers can feel guilty about the things they’re not doing for loved ones in their care, no matter how hard we work to support those people. Remember that you can’t always be everything to everyone. 

Q: What does leading the LGBTQ+ ERG mean to you? 

A: I mainly wanted to create a group where we can unite with each other across the country and feel connected.  

I was invited to lead the group in 2020, when we were facing some of the harshest times of the pandemic and supporting each other was crucial. Covid exacerbated societal issues (such as housing and employment discrimination) against LGBTQ+ individuals and families throughout the country. Then and today, leading the group is about maintaining a community where people know they can come just as they are. 

Q: Why did you make the decision to join the military?

A: I joined the military because growing up, I remember my dad talking about his experiences as a Marine and how being in the military impacted his life for the better. He also talked about the fact that our family had a great tradition of men and women serving our country in uniform, including the bittersweet memory of his big brother who was lost in WWII.