Is Marriage Becoming Obsolete for Latina Women in the U.S.?

A Latina woman in full color, set against a background showcasing a collection of wedding dresses, evoking a sense of the past.
Luz Media

In the United States, societal attitudes toward marriage are evolving, evidenced by a significant decrease in marriage rates – dropping from a robust 76.5% in 1970 to a modest 31% today – this trend spans various communities, including the Latino community, which is actively challenging conventional norms, reshaping roles, and forging new paths in their conceptions of love and family.


Challenging the Status Quo

Although there have been some changes in recent decades, Latino culture still holds onto many outdated traditions and rigid gender roles. Many Latinas report still feeling pressured by society and even their own families to get married early and start a family. These expectations are sometimes pushed by older women in the family who insist that their daughters embrace the roles of marriage and motherhood, even when their daughters have entirely different goals in mind. These women end up backing the patriarchal system without even realizing it; a phenomenon referred to as marianismo.

That the marriage rate has dropped so much in recent years is a clear indication that Latina women are challenging traditional gender roles, choosing to focus on their personal development, education, and career, sometimes before or even instead of marriage.

Independence and Choice

The decision of younger generations to not get married is meaningful, particularly when considering the significance of marriage in Latino culture for many years. The declining marriage rate mirrors how Latinas are reconciling their cultural traditions with more progressive ideas, leading to the creation of new collective views and realities.

Latina women are achieving unprecedented levels of education and workforce participation, giving them greater economic independence. This autonomy has expanded their life options. For new generations, marriage is no longer seen as the only route to stability and success, but as one of many options on a broader spectrum to achieve personal fulfillment.

Breaking this paradigm is also influenced by the multicultural environment of the U.S., where Latino traditions are merging with new ideas and dialogues that challenge traditional and outdated systems based on patriarchy, creating a contemporary reinterpretation of what it means to be a woman and being Latina in today's society.

There are a few additional factors at play that have led to a decrease in marriage rates. One significant factor is the declining religious adherence to marriage. There's also a growing trend of reduced enthusiasm for marriage among the general public that has contributed to this decline.

A Ripple Effect on Men and Society

As women gain more autonomy and redefine their roles, Latino men are also experiencing a change in their traditional roles. So, how are Latino men adapting? Are their views on marriage, family, and gender roles in these areas shifting too?

The answer tends to lean towards no. Men, in general, aren’t faring too well as women continue to increase their life and dating standards. A recent study of 46,054 people in 237 countries found that men are now more likely to be "lonely and single" than women, which wasn’t the case 30 years ago.

Greg Matos, PsyD, a couple's therapist, wrote in “Psychology Today” that men are struggling to bridge the "relationship-skills gap" as women search for partners who are "emotionally available, good communicators, and share similar values."

As men find new ways to participate in family life and relationships, the shift could lead to a reevaluation of masculinity within the Latino community. This change creates opportunities to challenge gender stereotypes and foster more equitable and collaborative relationships in maintaining a home and raising children.

The Future

The fact that fewer people are getting married than ever before indicates that social norms are changing. As a result, we are seeing the emergence of new family structures. The big question is: how is it going to affect the whole Latino cultural identity down the road?

We are already starting to see more single-parent families or non-traditional family arrangements. This shift could influence several aspects of daily life, including parenting, community support, and social safety nets.

The increasing participation of Latina women in higher education and the workforce is having a considerable impact on the domestic economy. This shift might make Latino families start to rethink how they handle their money, make investment choices, and decide on their spending priorities.

A New Latino Identity

The low rates of marriage among the Latino community reveal the change in gender dynamics, educational empowerment, and an ongoing interplay between traditional values and modern viewpoints in a multicultural setting. All these factors are shaping a new Latino identity.

The Latino community in the United States is not only adding to the country's cultural diversity but also taking a lead in some of the most important discussions of our time regarding gender, culture, and identity.

In an ever-changing world, adaptability, resilience, and the willingness to challenge the status quo are not only valuable but essential. And in this scenario, Latina women in the United States are, undoubtedly, at the forefront.










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Have you ever met someone who seems overly confident, self-centered, or even downright rude? Maybe they constantly talk about themselves, disregard your feelings, or even manipulate situations to their advantage. And, if you're anything like us and countless other Latinas, you might've thought, is this person just a purebred a**hole, or are they a narcissist?

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Image by Sayuri Jimenez.

Nathalie Molina Niño has never been one to shy away from breaking barriers, and now, she’s focusing her attention on a new mission: demystifying corporate boardrooms for women, especially Latinas. Molina Niño is the President of Known, an asset management and financial services firm, a veteran tech entrepreneur and builder capitalist, and a board member at the iconic lingerie Brand, Hanky Panky, and others.

Like many corporate boards, Hanky Panky hadn’t publicly disclosed its board composition until recently. After the brand survived the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Molina Niño decided it was time for more women, specifically more Latinas, to know what it means to be on corporate boards.

Coincidentally, the decision to finally be more vocal about this topic aligned with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which served as the perfect kick-off to the work.

"Something that rarely gets talked about and I think almost gets kept opaque by design is boards,” she explains in a recent Instagram announcement. “[This Latinx Heritage Month], that’s what I’ll be talking about.” Her goal? To equip more Latinas with the knowledge they need to navigate onto for-profit boards, where they can thrive and build multi-generational wealth.

For-profit corporate boards often feel like an exclusive club. And in many ways, they are, especially for Latinas, who hold the smallest percentage of board seats in Fortune 500 companies compared to other racial groups. According to the latest report from Latino Board Monitor, while Latinos hold 4.1% of these board seats (compared to 82.5% held by white people), only 1% go to Latinas. Molina Niño, a first-generation American of Ecuadorian and Colombian descent, is part of this boardroom minority.

When asked about her experience as a Latina board member during a recent Zoom interview, she said, “It’s been lonely. There’s not a lot of Latinas on boards.” She went on to explain that even serving on boards of Latina-founded businesses gets lonely because, “A lot of the times, people who serve on their boards represent their investors and, as a result, [...] you still don’t see a lot of Latinas on those boards.”

This lack of representation drives Molina Niño’s determination to increase Latina presence in corporate boardrooms. By sharing her insights, she hopes to give Latinas a roadmap to claim their seats at the table. “If you don’t know where to go, it’s impossible to figure out how to get there,” she says.

The Road to the Boardroom

Getting onto a for-profit corporate board isn’t an overnight achievement, but it’s not an unattainable dream either. People often think you need to be a CEO or have a certain type of background, but that’s one of the biggest myths about boards in Molina Niño’s experience. What they’re really looking for is expertise — whether that’s in finance, marketing, sustainability, or even technology. If you have that expertise, you’re already an asset. It’s simply a matter of which road you should take.

Understanding what boards are and how they operate is key to unlocking opportunities. For-profit boards serve as the governing body for companies, overseeing direction and financial stability, and guiding CEOs and executives in decision-making. But Molina Niño emphasizes that not all for-profit boards are created equal.

“There are two kinds [of for-profit boards] [...]. There’s the publicly traded business board and then, on the privately held side, there are, I would argue, two types of boards [...] the traditional business board and the venture-backed business board,” explains Molina Niño. Traditional businesses are often family-owned or long-established and may only form boards to meet requirements, like securing financing or transitioning through an ESOP. Venture-backed boards, on the other hand, are typically filled by investors who hold major stakes in the company.

According to Molina Niño, understanding the difference between them is how you can create a successful strategy. With publicly traded business boards, the whole world is privy to them, so, “The way that you get in there is a little bit more transparent. Sometimes those publicly traded companies will hire a recruiter to help them find new board members,” explains Molina Niño. For private companies, on the other hand, there’s no legal requirement to make announcements. As a result, most people don’t know anything about them or their inner workings.

“Usually what happens in traditional businesses that don’t have venture-capital investments is that the Founders, Executives, or the board members, if one existed already, they usually go to their friends,” and people they deem experienced to fill board seats. In other words, it’s the founder’s decision, and that’s an entirely different approach than hiring recruiters. When it comes to venture-backed business boards, the seats on the board are filled by whichever investor writes the biggest check.

This is why an understanding of the different types of boards and acknowledgment of their own strengths is what will help Latinas define a sound strategy. Whether that’s working with a recruiter, networking and connecting with founders to build trust, or making the biggest investment.

The Path for Latinas

For Molina Niño, the key to getting more Latinas into corporate boardrooms is education. Knowing what a board looks like and how it functions is how you can position yourself to get on it. In openly talking about this, without the mystique it’s usually shrouded in, Molina Niño is providing women, especially Latinas, with invaluable insights. “If we had Latinas understanding what are the three types of for-profit boards I think that, on their own, they would be able to figure out what their best chance is and adjust their careers to make themselves more competitive,” states Molina Niño.

When asked about the impact of increased Latina representation in boardrooms, Molina Niño flips the narrative. “Boards don’t help Latinas by offering them seats; Latinas help businesses thrive by being on their boards,” she says. “The whole point of sitting on a board is that you have experience and expertise, and as Latinas, you also have some cultural experience that everyone wants. [...] At the end of the day, we [Latinas] have to realize that we have a ton to offer and we have to be selective about where we put that expertise,” she explains.

As demand for access to the Latina consumer rises, Molina Niño predicts that more Latinas will find themselves recruited into boardrooms. But she’s not content to sit back and wait for that moment. By openly sharing her journey and insights, she’s making sure other Latinas know their worth and have the tools to claim their place at the table. “I realized that quietly being on boards that helped me personally is not helping other Latinas. [...] I was lucky enough to have friends who could advise me and share their experiences, so that’s why I’m doing this,” she stated.

With Hispanic Heritage Month as the backdrop, Nathalie Molina Niño’s mission is clear: “My goal is just to give Latinas enough information so they can make a plan for how to eventually get on a board that they’re paid to be on and that will eventually help them build generational wealth.”

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Ever noticed how September in Latin America is just one big celebration? As we wave goodbye to summer and avoid winter as long as we can, the streets come alive with parades, music, and festivities. Many Latin American countries celebrate their freedom this month, commemorating their hard-fought battles for independence from colonial domination. Let’s dive into these significant days and understand what makes each unique.

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