The lived experiences of Latinas (original) (raw)

I would like to thank all the women who participated in this study, without you this would not have been possible. I would like to especially thank Jeannette Rodriguez, director of La Esperanza organization in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Your work, love, and kindness is an inspiration for all of us. I would like to recognize all of the women whom I met through my clinical work whose voices are in my heart and are part of this study as well. I would like to express my gratitude to the members of my committee, Professor William Sanchez chair, advisor and mentor. I admire your wisdom and I deeply value your support through all these years. Professors like you make a difference in student's lives and you have done so for mine: "gracias de corazón". Thank you to Professor Mary Ballou for helping me to grow in feminist theory and for our meaningful conversations and friendship. Thanks to Professor Irina Todorova for your intellectually stimulating guidance. Your comments and feedback greatly facilitated my journey in research. To my amigas y amigos from all around the world, thanks for all the emotional and instrumental support and, most importantly, all the caríño received. I want to thank all my family in Spain and The Netherlands who have contributed to make me the person who I am, to mi abuela María who transmitted the importance of knowledge, to my father Julio and mother Maricarmen for teaching me how to critically think and question the world around me, and to my brother Julio for loving me so deeply. Finally, to Jeroen for being in this journey together, altijd, ik hou van je, and, most importantly, to my precious treasure, the sunshine of my life, Johan, for your unconditional love, te quiero mi amor.