Latinas4Life

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TODAY'S YOUNG LATINA bridges the rich cultural traditions of her heritage and the exciting life opportunities available to her as a 21st-century American girl. While she deserves the best of both worlds, the statistics reflect a darker reality: Caught between conflicting cultures and generations, overlooked and underserved, she is at greater risk of attempting suicide, leaving school and becoming a teenage mother, than her peers. - "Young Latinas and A Cry For Help." The New York Times, July 21, 2006 El Diario, December 2006



WE ALREADY HAVE the ability to help today's young Latina: We can reach out to her in school, educate her about safe sex, drugs, and the consequences of teen pregnancy, and help her develop the tools to express her emotions in healthy ways - through art and open communication. We can be positive role models and share our honest experiences, so she knows she's not alone, and we can contribute our talents and time. Let's do it! Join me in Latinas4Life. -Caridad "La Bruja" De La Luz.



A Call For Action:

LATINAS FOR LIFE is an initiative being led by Bronx-born Poet/Actress/Hip-Hop MC/Activist Caridad “La Bruja” De La Luz. The aim of the program is to engage artists, activists, media personalities and successful Latina role models from the business world in a dialogue with the alarming population of Latina’s who are most at-risk for dropping out of High School. Teaming up with other organizations in the New York City area including, SISTAS ON THE RISE and ASPIRA, the goal of LATINAS FOR LIFE in 2007 is to produce 20 events at New York City-Area Junior and High Schools. The events will serve to unite powerful communities within the music, art, media and business worlds in an all-out effort to inspire and educate young Latinas. The call is to “stay in school” and break the cycle we are seeing amongst Latinas; and also create a call to awareness towards a cultural and societal system that often neglects their needs.

In addition, it is a hope for La Bruja that through her example, the messages created by artists in the music community will become more informed, enlightened, and balanced as they reach young impressionable minds.

Young Latinas face cultural taboos and religious restrictions that prevent them from openly discussing sex, contraception, planned parenthood or choosing abortion if they get pregnant. Subsequently, young Latinas are at greater risk of not only getting pregnant but also of becoming infected with the AIDS virus and other sexually transmitted diseases.



The events will serve several purposes:

1.To bring media attention to this growing problem and to the organizations which already exist to assist these young women.

2.To inspire young Latina women to seek alternatives and avert negative situations in their lives; breaking the cycle.

3.To encourage and inspire the music community, many of who also come from single parent homes, to change their ways and the content of their messages.



LATINAS FOR LIFE events will inspire and educate young minds by addressing these important issues, and also encourage the breaking of cultural barriers by sparking a dialogue between the younger generation of Latinas and the older generation. L4L will seek to engage the social services sector vigorously to facilitate communication through education and understanding.



LATINAS FOR LIFE has long-term goals of hosting these events annually and will continue to host them and eventually branch out similar styled events across the United States and Puerto Rico.



Latinas4Life - La Bruja sits with Urban Latino Magazine



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