Empowering Latinas

COSTA MESA — Ana Nogales believes that every young Latina has the power to succeed — and she has the friends to prove it.

Like Sonia Marie de León de Vega, the founder and conductor of the Orquestra de Santa Cecilia, who once leaned forward to get a better view at a classical concert and was told by another spectator, “You people don’t belong here.” Like Esperanza Martinez, the Mexican painter who watched her sisters die of starvation while her impoverished parents fed her brothers.

Nogales interviewed these women and others for her book “Latina Power! Using 7 Strengths You Already Have to Create the Success You Deserve,” a self-help guide for Latinas trying to overcome social barriers. When Nogales gave a presentation at Girls Inc. here on Monday, the faces of de León de Vega, Martinez and others graced her PowerPoint screen.

“If you’ve had a hard time in life, it’s OK,” Nogales told the audience of 25 high school girls. “You’ve learned something about yourself that you can use in the future.”

Nogales was the first speaker of the fall in Girls Inc.’s College Bound program, which helps high school students apply for higher education. For many of the girls at the nonprofit center, it may be a first in their family to have a daughter attend college. Through speakers like Nogales, administrators hope to take some of the fear out of the process.

“She’s someone who not only has advanced her education, but is very in tune with the community,” said program director Veronica Escobedo. “We felt that was something the girls could relate to.”

During her 80-minute speech, Nogales related a number of stories of famous Latinas around the world and touched on her own childhood, when she dreamed of being a psychologist while her parents urged her to learn hairdressing.

A native Argentine, Nogales immigrated to the United States in 1979 after running a private practice as a psychologist in Buenos Aires. After earning her doctorate in psychology at the United States International University in San Diego, she became a clinical psychologist and founded Nogales Psychological Counseling Inc. to benefit the mental and emotional health of Latinos.

A prolific author and activist, she co-wrote “Dr. Ana Nogales’ Book of Love, Sex and Relationships” and composes a weekly column for the Spanish-language newspaper La Opinión. She has also appeared on a number of radio shows and has been featured in Glamour, Cosmopolitan and other magazines.

Costa Mesa High School junior Jessica Sanchez said Nogales’ visit inspired her — and shocked her at times as well. Early on, Nogales provided a number of statistics regarding Latinas, telling the audience that 25% of them drop out of high school and 24% are pregnant by the age of 20.

“There are a lot of statistics that say Latinas don’t really do well, that they should be working at home,” said Jessica, 16. “Hearing her talk about how you can go past that and do something with your life, it’s really inspiring.”