Breaking Barriers: Empowering Latina Moms in Breastfeeding

mom breastfeeding baby

Latina mothers have historically undertaken the task of breastfeeding with unwavering dedication. However, the question looms: Does society truly play a committed role in supporting and accompanying them during this crucial stage?


Far beyond being a mere biological practice, breastfeeding is a profound, and sometimes challenging commitment that significantly influences public health, the well-being of our children, the harmony of family units, and the overall quality of life for families and communities. Therefore, breastfeeding should be viewed and treated as a collective endeavor, a community act that intricately weaves a rich tradition passed down from generation to generation in our community.

While breastfeeding creates many radiant moments for mothers, it’s essential to confront the problems that disrupt the natural practice of feeding our children.

Historically, breastfeeding served as a shared ritual, a thread connecting the social fabric, creating a support network among women to nourish both body and spirit. Yet, in today's world, we face challenges threatening the delicate bonds of community: work pressures, social stigma, and a lack of support. These challenges make the already complex process of caring for an infant even more difficult than it should be.

At the crossroads of the 21st century, the decision to become a mother faces a dichotomy imposed by a society still grappling with reconciling motherhood with female autonomy. This struggle is particularly pronounced for Latina mothers, where cultural traditions and preconceptions about women's roles intersect.

In navigating these tensions, the challenge of changing cultural standards for lactating mothers extends beyond merely challenging external expectations. It necessitates a thoughtful and objective reassessment of the deeply ingrained roles assigned to women in parenting.

Acknowledging and valuing our cultural traditions while fostering more equitable participation in parenthood is essential for a world free of machismo and patriarchal rules placed upon women’s bodies.

We recognize the harsh realities Latina mothers confront – from the demand to resume work shortly after childbirth to enduring disapproving glances while feeding their babies in public, fueled by outdated myths and sexualized perceptions of breasts. Moreover, navigating the profound physical transformation of their bodies, breastfeeding becomes a solitary journey, as society's understanding of this experience continues to fail mothering in the 21st century.

How can we advocate for breastfeeding? What can we do from our own spaces?

Acknowledging the barriers for new mothers who choose to, or can, breastfeed is the first step. There are tangible actions we can take to change the collective perspective on breastfeeding as an act of care that should be sustained and shared by society as a whole. Let's talk about concrete actions:

Advocate for Breastfeeding-Friendly Workspaces:

Companies and workplaces can empower breastfeeding mothers by implementing policies such as equipped lactation rooms and flexible schedules.

Demystify Social Stigma Surrounding Breastfeeding:

Community awareness campaigns to change perceptions and eliminate stigma around breastfeeding and the sexualization of breasts, emphasizing the importance of this natural and healthy act.

Establish Community Support Groups:

Create local support groups where mothers can share experiences, tips, and receive the emotional support needed during breastfeeding.

Facilitate Education on Breastfeeding:

Organize educational workshops in communities and health centers to provide accurate information about the benefits of breastfeeding and address common myths.

Promote Equitable Maternity Leave Policies:

Advocate for more extensive and equitable maternity leave policies that allow mothers to dedicate the necessary time to breastfeeding before returning to work.

Involve the Community:

Organize community events to raise awareness about the importance of supporting breastfeeding mothers, fostering a culture of understanding and collaboration.

Support Local Female Empowerment Initiatives:

Back and participate in projects that promote female empowerment and equality, contributing to the transformation of traditional roles in parenting and breastfeeding.

Become Aware of Your Own Unconscious or Conscious Biases:

How often have you seen a woman breastfeeding in person and stared longer than you should have, or even unconsciously made a face expressing displeasure? Or perhaps you could have been more polite or helpful somehow? Helping someone feel more comfortable is sometimes as easy as expressing kind words or gestures.

hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.