¡Que Viva La Mujer!
By Senior Master Sergeant Sonora L. Vasquez, USAF
The United States dedicates the month of March for
celebrating influential mujeres throughout history and
present day, a mission that LATINA Style, Inc. embraces
throughout the year. Mujeres fuertes y poderosas with names that
sound like mine and facial features similar to my own—Dolores
Huerta, Rigoberta Menchú, Ellen Ochoa, Major General Linda
Urr
Urrutia-Varhall, and Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard—these women make
me want to shout “¡Que viva la mujer!” Although said in jest, it is an
honor—an honor to stand on the shoulders of phenomenal Latinas who
carry the torch as Human Rights Activists, Chief Executive Officers,
Military Service Members, and Congresswomen.
This list; however, is not exhaustive.
Este mes también celebramos the “everyday” woman—our
abuelas, madres, hermanas, y amigas. Although these mujeres are not
known to a national audience, they are celebrated within families and
communities as leaders, influencers, mentors, and teachers—they are
the matriarchs.
Rosemary Apodaca, my mother, was raised in Logan Heights, a poor
neighborhood in San Diego, California. Mi abuela y mi abuelo, both
immigrants of Mexican descent, were cannery workers from Nogales
and Tijuana, respectively. As a child, my mother did not recognize
socioeconomic differences—everyone appeared as equals in Logan
Heights. After high school, she began to view the world from a different
lens, prompting her to join the Chicano Movement. She used theater as
a platform to speak her truth and to raise awareness regarding racial
disparities and immigration. She later joined El Teatro Campesino, a
Chicano theater company, founded by Luis Valdez in Delano, California,
which later moved to San Juan Bautista, California. There she performed
“actos” and songs of the Chicano movement to highlight Cesar Chavez’s
United Farm Workers Union while promoting the rights of farmworkers.
Her voice resonated throughout the movement, especially with
memorable songs like De Colores, El Picket Sign, Huelga En General and
No Nos Moverán. Also during this period – and as a single parent – she
earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Arts and a Master of Social Work.
My mother’s story is not unique, as there are many women who
have overcome obstacles to persevere against all odds. My mother’s
strength and determination have instilled within me courage, fortitude,
and tenacity to fight for social justice. Women, in general, have needed
to overcome pervasive sexism within society. Latinas have had to
overcome two obstacles: being Latina and being women. Through her
journey, my mother’s example has served me well.
Let’s take a moment to recognize and appreciate the strengths that
women have brought to our lives. They are organizers on a national level
and mujeres who strengthen us through our everyday relationships.
These individual experiences are what connect us to the larger tapestry
that makes us a movement, and they are woven into our individual
stories as women and leaders. LATINA Style, Inc. has continued to
recognize Latinas in positions of influence and power and by doing so
they underscore the message “¡sí se puede!”
¡Punto Final!
Senior Master Sergeant Sonora L. Vasquez is the
Superintendent, Assignment Policy and Joint Officer
Management Branch. She administers, coordinates
and enforces policy and programs which impact
503,000 Regular Air Force, Air Force Reserve, and
Air National Guard personnel. Sergeant Vasquez
authors and publishes Air Force Instruction and
procedural guidance for Officer and Enlisted
Assignments, Developmental Special Duties,
Assignment Incentive and Special Duty Assignment
Pays, and Joint Officer Matters. She arrived at the
Directorate of Military Force Management Policy,
Headquarters Air Force, Washington, D.C., in May
2019. Sergeant Vasquez grew up in San Juan
Bautista, California, and entered the Air Force in
June 1999. Throughout her career, she has served in
various positions within the personnel career field as
well as a four-year special duty as a Military Training
Leader. Her assignments include the following
stateside and overseas locations: Nevada, Korea,
Italy, Saudi Arabia, Japan, California, Texas and
Virginia. Sergeant Vasquez has also deployed in
support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM,
INHERENT RESOLVE, and SPARTAN SHIELD.
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48 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle Vol. 26, No. 1, 2020
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