Your mother counts, your daughter counts, you count. Online, by phone, or by mail, responding to the Census has never been easier, even while practicing social distancing. The 2020 Census will determine how resources will be distributed in your community. That includes, schools, parks, and even hospitals. So stand up and be counted today because they’re counting on you to participate.For more information about how you can participate in #Census 2020, text “LATINASCOUNT” to 97779.
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Intimacy can take many forms, but highlighting self-intimacy is one of the most important and reflective tasks one can do.
What is self-intimacy?
Normally when we think of intimacy, we think of relationships with partners or sex. Self-intimacy can take the form of many things, but we’re viewing it as a form of radical self-care to reflect on your inner thoughts and emotions regarding who you are and the joy you feel about where you are in life.
Self-intimacy can be painful, as it requires taking the time to become more aware of your feelings and taking part in acts of service to care about those feelings. It’s not easy because it requires you to face your demons and challenge the unhealthy behaviors you might use as a coping mechanism for the things that don’t bring you joy in life.
Investing in self-intimacy is important to be able to understand your relationship with yourself and also with the people and things around you. It’s an important part of being a partner since it helps you learn more about yourself and express your findings with your loved ones.
Becoming comfortable with feeling how you feel enables you to tap into those reservoirs of self-love you might not even be aware you’re capable of having. No, this doesn’t mean becoming obsessed with yourself (although, why not?), but rather being able to recognize your own emotions and act in service of those emotions to make yourself happy. This includes taking a step back to assess a situation and your feelings towards it before reacting, enabling you to do better and be better in relation to yourself as well as others.
Mila Kunis GIF - Find & Share on GIPHYGiphyIt also means recognizing toxic patterns of behavior and implementing acts to break them, as well as setting boundaries within relationships. Ask yourself questions such as “Do I enjoy being with these people?” and “Am I allowing myself to really connect with others to be treated the way I’d like to be treated?” These might be hard to confront but ultimately result in your understanding of the love you deserve and accept into your life. Knowing you’re worthy of quality love enables you to attract it in all aspects.
Being vulnerable with yourself allows you to be more vulnerable with others. Being honest with yourself will allow you to be more honest with others. Meditate on questions centered around your solitude – do you like being alone? Are you comfortable with it? Are you empowered by your own presence? If not, you could be having issues spending time with yourself, which is always a no-go. Feeling comfortable alone without feeling lonely is an empowering emotion that only enables you to value the company of others even more.
Self-intimacy also allows you to learn more about what empowers you and makes you feel like a confident, sexy person. Sexy meaning being someone that excites you and arouses all the right parts of you – you really can do all bad by yourself, we promise! Confidence like this will allow you to discover your true sexual energy and what you like.
In short, self-intimacy is sitting with yourself to know more about who you are. Understanding that you’re worthy of love, worthy of knowing yourself to be better, feeling confident, and discovering your sexual energy are all worth looking into! You got this, mija!
Treat Yourself Donna Meagle GIF by Parks and Recreation - Find & Share on GIPHYGiphyHow can I practice self-intimacy in my day-to-day?
Ready to nurture and pamper your inner self every day? Here's your essential checklist to keep handy:
- Redefine Intimacy: Think beyond romance. Picture self-intimacy as a transformative journey of self-discovery, shedding light on your inner world.
- Embrace the Emotional Workout: Like spring cleaning for the soul, sort through your feelings. Keep the joy, toss the junk.
- Invest in Your Inner World: It’s emotional homework that pays off big time. The better you know yourself, the richer your connections with others become.
- Own Your Emotions: Understand and navigate life from a space of clarity. Pause, reflect, and act with intention.
- Break Self-Sabotage: Identify patterns that hold you back. Do you vibe with your circle? Are you settling for less than you deserve?
- Ask the Tough Questions: Dive deep. Ponder about solitude – is it comforting or unnerving? Find peace in your own company to deepen connections with others.
- Raw & Real = Golden: Honesty with yourself is a direct path to forming genuine connections with others.
- Find Your Sexy: No, not just that kind. The confidence, the energy, the magnetic pull that says you’re the lead in your life’s story.
- Discover the Joy of Solitude: Recognize the beauty of being content in your own company. That peace makes shared moments even more special.
- Celebrate Yourself: At the end of the day, self-intimacy is about realizing you’re kind of a big deal. Dive in, and discover the magic that’s uniquely you. Cheers to the journey!
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Editor’s Note: This article was updated on December 10, 2024, to include new information about the closure of the Floyd Bennett Field shelter, announced shortly after the original publication.
In a significant move to protect vulnerable migrant families, New York City officials announced the closure of the Floyd Bennett Field shelter in Brooklyn, which houses approximately 2,000 asylum-seeking families. This decision, driven by concerns about potential federal enforcement under the incoming Trump administration, signals a response to advocates' urgent calls for action.
The shelter, located on federal land, has been under scrutiny as advocates warned it could become a target for immigration raids or lease revocation under the new administration. City officials confirmed that families would be relocated by January 15, just days before President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inauguration, with the shelter’s lease set to end by March.Advocacy Efforts Leading Up to Positive Change
A Highly Vulnerable Shelter
Established in late 2023 in response to an overwhelming influx of migrants arriving at the southern border, Floyd Bennett Field (FBF)was meant to be a temporary solution. Located within the Gateway National Recreation Area, it’s unique among other New York City emergency shelters for its location on a former naval air station on federal property, managed by the National Park Service.
The site currently houses families in large tents. Residents come from a variety of backgrounds, including Venezuela, Ecuador, Haiti, Guinea, and China, most of them fleeing economic and political turmoil. The conditions, however, have been widely criticized. Families share communal bathrooms and showers, while the tents, subdivided into individual spaces, offer limited protection against the elements. Additionally, the area is secluded, miles away from services like schools, and it’s prone to flooding, storms, and winds.
New Developments: Timeline for Closure and Relocation
City officials have laid out a timeline for the shelter’s closure. Families will be moved out by January 15, just before the new administration takes office. The broader plan includes shutting down 25 shelters across the city by March, including hotels and other temporary facilities, as the number of new migrant arrivals has steadily declined over the past five months.
Mayor Eric Adams stated, “We’re going to continue looking for more sites to consolidate and close, and more opportunities to save taxpayer money, as we continue to successfully manage this response,” as reported by The New York Times. The closure of the shelter marks a turning point in New York City’s handling of the migrant crisis. For the asylum-seeking families that have been living there, this decision offers both relief and uncertainty. While relocation promises improved conditions, the lack of affordable housing and comprehensive support remains a hurdle.
Advocacy Efforts Leading Up to Positive Change
Concerns about the fate of the Floyd Bennett Field shelter reached a tipping point as advocacy groups warned of the risks associated with its location on federal land. Advocates, including Venezuelan-American Susie Jaramillo, a Brooklyn resident and a founding member of Floyd Bennett Field Neighbors (FBFN), played a pivotal role in pressuring city officials to act. FBFN has been at the forefront of efforts to protect the nearly 2,000 asylum-seeking families housed at the shelter, highlighting the urgent need for relocation to safer accommodations.
Luz Media reached out to FBFN via email and connected with Jaramillo to discuss the efforts they make for these asylum-seeking families. “Mayor Adams must urgently close Floyd Bennett Field, a federal land shelter housing 2,000 asylum-seeking families in NYC, before January 20 to protect vulnerable residents from potential federal raids and relocate them to safer accommodations, upholding the city's legacy as a refuge or risk devastating trauma on hundreds of families, betraying our roots as a sanctuary city and detonating a powder keg of conflicts in NYC,” she stated.
This call to action from FBFN and other advocacy groups resonated with community leaders and city officials, contributing to the decision to close the shelter.
How the Community Took Action
Leading up to the decision to close the FBF shelter, community organizations stepped up to address the critical needs of families living there, effectively creating a lifeline for residents in a precarious situation. FBFN is one such group providing on-the-ground support. This mutual aid group mobilizes an extensive network of volunteers and resources to address immediate needs and improve living conditions for the nearly 2,000 residents at the shelter.
Since November 2023, FBFN has provided essential supplies to over 700 families. These include warm winter clothing, shoes, strollers, backpacks, toys, and other necessities through donations and their continually updated Target and Amazon wish lists. FBFN has also played a pivotal role in fostering communication within the shelter. The group has established the largest internal communication network at the facility, enabling residents to share vital information and connect with one another.
FBFN's efforts are not limited to direct aid. They also collaborate with the Mayor's Office, NYC Health & Hospitals—the agency overseeing the shelter—and other local NGOs and mutual aid groups as well to help families access essential services and support. Equally as important, they’re pushing for systemic change along with other groups by urging Mayor Eric Adams to relocate families to safer, more permanent shelters across the city.
“The number of arriving asylum seekers has also been dropping for months, and there is more capacity to move Floyd Bennett families into other shelters and hotels. Most of the families at FBF have applied for asylum, and many parents have received their work permits. They are eager to find apartments or rooms to rent and to leave the shelter system,” Jaramillo shared with Luz Media. By facilitating their relocation, the city can not only provide immediate relief but also support families in achieving long-term stability.What Lies Ahead
As the city winds down its emergency shelter operations, advocates and policymakers are calling for sustained efforts to support migrant families. From improving asylum processes to expanding employment opportunities, the next steps will be critical in ensuring New York maintains its legacy as a sanctuary city.
“Beyond relocation, the City and State can pass a number of policies to make sure Floyd Bennett families and all immigrants in New York feel welcome and have the support they need to thrive in their new home. These could include expanding English classes and legal services to help new immigrants quickly gain the freedom to work, allowing more asylum seekers to fill unfilled positions in City and State government, and making health insurance accessible to undocumented New Yorkers,” Jaramillo added.
With just over a month until the transition of federal power, the spotlight remains on Mayor Adams and his administration to execute the relocation plan efficiently while preparing for the challenges ahead. For the families at Floyd Bennett Field, the move marks a new chapter in their journey toward stability and hope.
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Professionalism has been defined to me in a myriad of ways, but I distinctly remember being told once early on in one of my first office jobs that my facial expressions were “unprofessional” and “overly expressive” for the nature of my role.
This feedback was met by me with confusion. After all, what does my face have to do with being a professional? I soon realized that this feedback was given by a coworker of mine who frequently engaged in microaggressions towards me, her attributing my normally loud voice, clothing, hairstyle, direct communication style, and overall expressiveness to me being “such a Latina.”
I’ve had this conversation a lot recently with my friends. We’re finding that although we’ve always worked to be in professional roles, we’re also finding out that these “amazing” jobs we’re given aren’t all they appear to be.
Many of us grew up in homes where going to college and landing a professional job would be considered the pinnacle of success. To many Latine and immigrant parents, having their children occupy professional spaces complete with degrees and fancy benefits is the ultimate dream.
However, once we’re in these spaces, many of us discover that we’re not in a place to express anything negative with either the work or the office, only to be told “be grateful for having a job like yours, mija!”
Expressing any of this means running the risk of being dismissed as too picky and being told to be grateful for the opportunities. But doing so means we’re compromising some of the best skills in our professional toolbox: autonomy to make decisions and advocate for ourselves.
I’m far from the only Latina who has been told to deal with mistreatment from employers and that I should be happy to be included. Which is why we need to redefine how professionalism works for us.
It’s time to set the record straight on why Latina professionals shouldn’t be grateful to just be included in these spaces.
Latinas are setting the new normal of what it means to be an accomplished professional through advocacy for our working lives. Being a professional woman, especially a Latina, doesn’t mean we let ourselves become doormats to our employers. Inclusivity isn’t a reason to take mistreatment or abuse from an employer.
With a good title and salary also comes stress, obligations, and an overcommitment to work and situations we weren’t initially prepared to navigate. The leadership skills we develop can end up being reframed as too “aggressive,” while being expected to adjust to microaggressions and workloads that don’t give us any space to exist outside of our jobs. On top of all of this, the shiny benefits like paid time off don’t actually get used when we’re stressfully checking emails after working hours.
There’s real value in being a Latina professional that’s able to advocate for herself. This includes joining Latino-focused, professional development groups, finding an online community to network, working to create your own spaces/groups in your field for others, and forming camaraderie among your professional contacts that are feeling just as displaced as you are.
While I will always disagree with the notion that Latinas need to be expected to say “gracias!” for even having a space at the table, I know it’s important to use our positions of power to make sure there’s a seat for the ones coming after.
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