8 Signs You’re a Proud Latina Geek

Portrait of a young Latina woman in an office

Gone are the days when “geek” was an adjective bullies used to make others feel bad about liking computers and tech more than partying. Now? Now it’s cool to be a geek. The world is more tech-focused than ever and you either get with it or you sink. If you’re wondering how much of a Latina geek you are, here are some signs you’re a geeky queen:


You follow Latina tech influencers and entrepreneurs

person holding white samsung android smartphonePhoto by June Aye on Unsplash

You know that representation matters, so you follow influential Latinas in tech like Ariel Lopez, founder of Knac, or Laura I. Gomez, co-founder of Atipica. Your social media feed is full of Latinas in tech because they remind you of what’s possible for you in your field of interest. When things seem stacked against you in whatever corner of tech or STEM you inhabit, those Latinas are your shining reminder that you can make it.

Your WhatsApp is full of family tech support requests

woman sitting using her smartphone

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Latino culture is all about family, and being the tech-savvy one means you're the go-to person for all tech-related issues. Whether it's setting up abuela's new smartphone or troubleshooting your cousin's laptop, your WhatsApp is constantly buzzing with tech support requests from family members near and far. It kinda makes you feel like a genius, doesn’t it? It’s the little things…

You get excited about Latin American tech advancements

woman in black shirt using laptop computerPhoto by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

From Mexico’s Silicon Valley, Guadalajara, to Brazil’s booming startup scene, you keep up with the latest tech advancements in Latin America. You know which countries are leading in innovation and which Latinx tech startups are making waves globally. What’s more, you love talking about it and sharing the news! It’s never not exciting to see your own community succeed in the same fields you’re passionate about.

You support Latino-owned tech businesses and tools

photography of two women sits beside table inside room during daytimePhoto by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

You’re always on the lookout for tech products and services created by Latino entrepreneurs. You also find ways to support Latino-owned tech businesses and tools in your community. Whether that’s by using whatever platform you have to spread the word or buying from them, you’re passionate about uplifting and celebrating Latino contributions in any way, shape, or form. You know it’s no small feat!

You participate in Latino tech meetups and conferences

Ingeniosas Summit Conversation

Photo by Comunicaciones ANID on Flickr

Attending conferences like the Latinas in Tech Summit or participating in local Latina tech meetups is a regular part of your schedule. These events are not only networking goldmines but also opportunities to learn and share experiences with other like-minded women. They’re also opportunities to build friendships with like-minded people and uplift each other.

You use social media to advocate for diversity in tech

three women sitting on sofa with MacBookPhoto by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Your social media platforms are not just for personal updates or showing your own work. You also use them to advocate for greater diversity in the tech industry, sharing stories, and celebrating the successes of Latinas and other underrepresented tech professionals. You understand the power of your voice and influence, so you use it for good and encourage others in the space to do the same. We have to look out for each other, don’t we?

You challenge misconceptions about being a Latina in tech

two women looking at the screen of a MacBookPhoto by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Tech can sometimes feel homogenous, so you bring your cultural perspective to the table every chance you get. This is a big part of how you challenge misconceptions about being a Latina in tech. You also advocate for change by supporting organizations that encourage Latinas in STEM fields and call out stereotypes both within your community and outside of it.

You share your knowledge with Latinas interested in STEM

Two women talking and sharing knowledge

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Another good sign you’re a proud Latina geek is that you don’t gatekeep. You share what you know with other Latinas in STEM, especially young Latinas who show an interest in these fields. You directly or indirectly mentor others by sharing your knowledge, speaking about your experiences, providing tips, and bringing attention to the Latina figures in STEM who are often overlooked.

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.

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).