Brenda Lopez Romero on Being Among the First and the Few in Georgia | Ep. 18, Part I

05/17/21 • 28 min

"As young people, your job right now is to put in a lot of work. And for me, I see that as the investment. You have to invest in yourself first, by putting in the work and by doing the best job that you can. And when you're young...you don't have to sleep." - Brenda Lopez Romero

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In the first of two parts of this Episode, we talk with powerhouse Latina, Brenda Lopez Romero. Brenda made history in 2016 when she became the very first Latina elected to the Georgia General Assembly. Born in Mexico, she came to the US at age 5 and became a US citizen in 2008. Let’s listen as Brenda talks about how it feels to be among the first and the few. She shares her personal story, like that of her father’s, as one of responsibility and hard work from a very young age. She also talks about what we can do to offer young people exposure to the places where decisions are made - helping to build experience in the future leaders of our community.

And there we pause the first of two parts of Episode 18 of our interview with Brenda Lopez Romero. Stay tuned and be sure to listen to the second episode where Brenda reveals some critical lessons learned during her 2020 US Congressional campaign in Georgia - a process she says she could only learn from by running and trying it herself.

Podcast Music: “The OGS Present Higher” Written by Divinity Roxx, Marcie Chapa, Katty Rodriguez, Nikki Glaspie, Tia Fuller Published by Hot Tottie Music (ASCAP), Wambui Publishing Company, I M A Funkateer (BMI) Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Previous Episode

Ish Gayle on her Afro-Latina and Asian Background and Serving Multiple Communities | Ep. 17

"Just because I am an immigrant, just because I am a woman, just because I am half Afro-Latina or half-Malay, I can still do it. You have the same power that I do." - Ish Gayle

Ish Gayle shares with us how she grew up in Panama City, Panama with a Malaysian father and an Afro-Latina mother and her experience moving to the US as a young adult. Ish also talks about her time working for the Atlanta Regional Commission and her path to obtaining a college degree later in life

She also describes her work with the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GHCC) and the Center for Pan Asian Community Services in Atlanta (CPACS). Her work with EME Mujer, Empowering, Motivating, and Empowering Latinas, a GHCC program also holds a special place in her heart.

Thank you for listening to Latina South! Please join us for our first Cocktails y Charlas: A Virtual Conversation event on Thurs @7P US EST, May 6, 2021. Register to receive a complimentary Georgia-made, Latina South pottery mug!

Next Episode

Bonus: Brenda Lopez Romero on Being Among the First and the Few in Georgia | Ep. 18, Part 2

"One of the things that I would say was very important for me to run [for US Congress] was because...the reality is that no one else is going to come tell me what that experience is like. It's one of those things that you really have to do, to really understand what it takes [and] what's necessary. One of the things that I learned is what I still need to do to potentially be successful the next time that I may run, or may quite frankly, do anything else. " - Brenda Lopez Romero

In this second of two episodes, we welcome again Brenda Lopez Romero. In this part of the conversation, Brenda talks about the changing demographics in Georgia, her Latina identity including lingering issues within our own Latino community. She also reveals some critical lessons learned about what it takes to run for US Congress in Georgia - a recent process she says she could only learn from by trying it for herself.

In case you missed it, be sure to listen to the first episode where Brenda shares about her early life and how it feels to be among the first and the few Latina-elected officials in Georgia. She also talks about what we can do to offer young people exposure to the places where decisions are made - helping to build experience in the future leaders of our community.

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