Recognizing La Cultura: The Experience of Cultural Scripts in Latina Leadership

Currently, Latinas are the fastest growing population in the United States and comprise one-fifth of the female population (Colby and Ortman, 2015). It is estimated that by the year 2060 Latinas will make up one-third of the females in the US (Colby and Ortman, 2015). Gaps exist in the literature on how Latino/a culture influences leadership, while there are several factors that indicate that Latina leaders bring their cultural scrips to their leadership practices (Espinoza, 2015; Gándara, 2015; González, 2007; Holvino, 2008). This narrative inquiry examines the personal and professional lived experiences of Latina leaders to gain a deeper understanding of how their lived experiences as leaders were informed by their culture. Specifically, this study used Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) as theoretical foundations to examine both data collection and data analysis. The research design primarily used elicitation of narratives through interviews and pláticas (simple conversation used as a way to educate and advocate through the use of storytelling) to examine the lived experiences of Latina leaders. The primary goal of this study is the need to understand Latino cultural scripts and the implications they have for leadership practices. The participants in this study support previous findings that suggest that their firsthand experience and their cultural identity serves as catalysts along their leadership trajectories and practices (Espinoza, 2015; Gándara, 2015; González, 2007). In addition, the participant’s stories can provide critical information to not only serve Latina leaders, but can also help drive and influence Latino women in non-leadership roles. To conclude, this research study contributes to the literature and to the field by offering information that can eventually promote a better understanding of Latina leaders, providing organizations with information which will help them become more inclusive environment that encourage belongingness and a constructive work experience for Latina leaders.