Life and Work with Rosie Arroyo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rosie Arroyo.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Rosie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My story begins in the City of Glendale, California where I grew up in a two-bedroom apartment with my parents and nine siblings – four sisters and five brothers. I was the ninth child and youngest daughter of all my sisters. Growing up, I was a very happy child. We didn’t have much but, somehow, we managed. We were happy with the small things in life. My parents worked hard and, no matter what, we always had food on the table.

Growing up, I quickly learned about the importance of hard work, perseverance and collaboration. My parents, like many immigrant parents, worked hard to sustain the family. My mother worked night shifts while my father worked day shifts so they didn’t have to worry about babysitting. For a few years, they also worked in the fields picking strawberries. Often, my older siblings would accompany them – some as young as 12 years old or younger. I remember they would wake up early in the morning to drive to Oxnard to pick strawberries in the field. At times, I would join them to sell the strawberries in front of Mary Immaculate Church in Pacoima and San Fernando Mission for 50 cents. I was about six years old at that time.

Since I can remember, my parents always found ways to inculcate values that were grounded on family, love for our culture and community, hard work, perseverance and having a sense of pride for who we were and what we represented. Seeing how hard my parents and siblings worked gave me the “ganas” (the motivation) to do the same. I felt I had an obligation to pick up from where my parents left off and take it to another level – for my family and my community. My parents, with many sacrifices, were able to bring our family from point A to point M and I always felt that it was my responsibility and that of my siblings, to take it from point M to point Z. I wanted to make it worth their sacrifices – para que valga la pena.

These experiences created a passion and desire in me to give back to community, to be civically active and empower others to reach their full potential. Seeing my parents’ daily sacrifices and hard work to give us a better life, helping them navigate the health care system, advocating for their rights, navigating the complex educational system without any guidance and seeing their ability to persevere despite all the adversity they encountered taught me a lot about life and the importance of being civically minded.

This is what led me to deepen my civic engagement experience while working with parents and families at LAUSD. After five years of working for the district and learning more about systemic inequities in the educational system, I began to reach out to colleagues in the social justice nonprofit sector and began organizing parent meetings to address some of the challenges that families were experiencing. It was after this experience that I realized that I wanted to get more involved and transitioned to work for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund. During my time at NALEO, I was part of a team that helped to lead an unprecedented and historic national citizenship campaign titled Ya es hora ¡Ciudadanía! As a key organizer of the campaign, and in collaboration with many partners, we were able to help organize more than 400 organizations nationwide to inform, educate and motivate over one million lawful permanent residents to apply for U.S. citizenship. As a result of this campaign, these new citizens became one million new voters who now have a voice in our democracy.

Has it been a smooth road?
Life has not been easy all the time. My parents had to sacrifice a lot to give us a better life and set of opportunities that otherwise we wouldn’t have had. As a family and as an individual, we have certainly experienced our set of challenges. To date, my mother has had over 16+ surgeries – some as long as 10 hours long. In 2015, my father had open brain surgery due to an aneurism that was detected. Fortunately, the surgery went well but it was a very difficult process for our family.

When I look at my professional journey, I recognize that it has not been a linear process. From the moment I started my career, I had to learn to overcome the bumps I’ve encountered along the way. In 2014, I went through a divorce which exposed me to a new set of challenges that I never imagined experiencing. Becoming a single mother and managing work/life demands has come with its own set of challenges but, nonetheless, I was able to adapt and embrace my new normal. This experience taught me a lot about myself and the power of having a village that supports you. I cannot do what I do today if it were not for my village. I can also say that this experience has been one of the most transformational and empowering experiences of my life where I found my voice and learned to wear my crown.

Despite the challenges I have encountered in my personal and professional journey, I have learned that the challenges we face in life do not define us. We are in control of our lives. As a dear mentor once told me, “only we define ourselves, no one else can nor should.” After having lived through many different experiences, I have grown and learned a lot. I have realized that these experiences and the life lessons I have carried with me have given me the tools and mindset to navigate life and all that comes with it. The ups, the downs, the side turns, the twists y todas las vueltas que tiene la vida.

If I could offer some advice to other young women, I would share a quote from former first lady, Michelle Obama, that resonated with me where she encourages us to “learn to see the value in your story.” How can you turn your experiences into something greater? It reminds me that we have the tools within ourselves to reach our full potential. Understanding community and having real-life-experiences helps us build the grit in us, the ganas, the passion and the perseverance to get ahead. This is an advantage that is unique to us. Everyone is special regardless of their background and circumstances. Apply the lessons you have learned in your personal life and use them as a guide to help you navigate life.

Another lesson I have learned is to lean into your village. If you don’t have one, don’t hesitate to reach out. I have benefited from being part of organizations, networks and leadership programs such as HOPE (Hispanas Organized for Political Equality) and the Latina Global Executive Leadership Program (now Multicultural Women’s Leadership Institute) by Dr. Yasmin Davidds, where I have met amazing women that believe in uplifting each other and will challenge you to go beyond your fears. They have taught me that life is 20% what happens to you and 80% is how you respond. As Dr. Betty Uribe states, “let fear catapult you forward.” Be bold and go for it. When you encounter a challenge, turn it into an opportunity. It’s amazing to see what can happen when you take that step forward. You may not see the results immediately but when you least expect it you will surprise yourself and see that you accomplished more than you imagined.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I currently work for the California Community Foundation (CCF) as Senior Program Officer where I oversee the foundation’s immigration grantmaking portfolio which seeks to empower immigrants to thrive civically, economically and socially by promoting just and inclusive policies in Los Angeles County. I joined the foundation in 2007 when I started as a Fellow. After a few years at CCF, I was promoted to a Senior Program Officer position.

In my role, I work in collaboration with several immigrant rights leaders, nonprofit organizations, public and private sector partners to advance multisector, civic engagement initiatives that advance systems change policies in LA County. Specifically, for immigration, we work to advance strategies that advance greater civil rights for L.A.’s immigrant communities by expanding protections and greater citizenship rights for immigrant families. An example of one of the collaboratives that I am very proud of includes our partnership with immigrant rights legal services providers, the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles and the Weingart Foundation to expand access to due process to immigrants who are facing the threat of deportation. Collectively, the program has raised $10 million to create a safety-net infrastructure that expands access to legal representation to vulnerable immigrants who are detained and facing the threat of deportation. These are very challenging times for immigrant families and programs like this are critical to expand protections to families who are vulnerable to deportation.

I strongly believe in servant leadership and the importance of staying engaged. I appreciate the work I do at the foundation and the opportunity to do work that aligns with my values and passion. Because the needs are so high, I also try to be involved with nonprofit organizations such as Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), a nonprofit organization that builds the Latina leadership pipeline and champions policies that advance Latinas in California and bi-nationally where I currently serve as Board President. In my local community, Sun Valley, I am a proud member of my daughter’s PTO school board where I not only have the opportunity to support our local school and families but also have the opportunity to be engaged with local community more broadly.

Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
Every day, I see women doing amazing work, leading community change initiatives, driving policy change, influencing social change, small business owners and doing many great things that benefit communities far and wide. Yet many of them share how difficult it is to navigate the work environment and move up to leadership positions. Despite having stellar backgrounds, an education and strong work ethic, the sad reality is that women, particularly women of color, are still dealing with systemic and structural barriers that are not conducive to leadership advancement.

Women have to work twice as hard to move up in their careers. While women have made significant gains in the workplace, disparities still exist that prevent women from reaching their full leadership potential. In general, women still encounter several barriers such as having access to quality and affordable childcare options, lack of workplace flexibility that meets the needs of working parents, lack of career advancement opportunities, gender equity issues, limited mentorship and networking opportunities, among other challenges.

According to recent data, women are still significantly underrepresented in leadership positions. While women comprise 47% of the workforce, less than 5% of S&P 500 companies have female CEOs. Women are also significantly underpaid than men and on average get paid 79 cents on the dollar compared to their male colleagues and, for women of color, the gap is wider. For African American women, the number is closer to 65 cents, and for Latinas it is even lower, at 54 cents.

In California, women and young girls make up 50% of the state’s population, with Latinas representing close to 40% of all women. In the City of Los Angeles, Latinas make up nearly half of all women in the city making it even more indicative that investing in women’s leadership is investing in the future of our economy and our future.

For these and other key reasons, it is important to have organizations and dedicated resources that build the leadership pipeline for women, advance conversations and policies focused on diversity, equity and inclusion in the workforce. Elevating women is elevating community.

Contact Info:

• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosie-arroyo-027a4aa/

Image Credit:
First image: Latina Global Leadership Executive Program; 4 images: Alondra Alvarez Lara

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