What does it mean to be a “good” mother?

When we think of the ideal of a “good mother” we attribute phrases such as nurturing, kind, tender, supportive, warm, caring and unconditional love.  We have sayings about a mothers’ love, mother’s milk, and a mother’s hands.  All of these phrases and sayings idealize mothers as the epitome of caring and tender-heartedness.

These are the kind of characteristics to which we all aspire and we layer them on the role of a mother.  Is this a good thing?  We want mothers to be the absolute ideal of personhood.

However, on the other hand, when a mother is a “bad mother”, we attribute to her the worst characteristics that are made ten times worse by the fact that a “mother” did it.  We use words like selfish, manipulative, meddlesome, or worse – abusive.

We put mothers on pedestals, and we expect them to be perfect.  And when they’re not, we criticize and judge.  But why is a “mother” held to a higher standard?

And when a mother is simply unable to be the image of perfection they’re held to, how do we hold this against them – or ourselves?

On the one hand, the archetypes that embody the ideals can be inspiring, uplifting, and aspirational.  On the other, when these ideals are not met, when it comes to the “mother” we tend to be less forgiving – even of ourselves.

So let’s contemplate to what standard we hold our own mothers, or to what standard we hold ourselves if we are mothers.  And how are these standards helpful or hurtful?

We know that no one is perfect, we all need help and to the extent we use this idea of motherhood as one to which we can work towards without hurting each other when we fail to achieve perfection, that might be OK.

But when we allow others to hurt us simply BECAUSE they’re our mother, or we hurt others because of the label (and all the ideas that surround it), then the ideal works against us.

And isn’t the idea that EVERYONE needs some nurturing and caring?  Let’s work towards it and not walk away from it…

Judge Sonia Sotomayor

Why is this nomination so important, so historical and so interesting to us as Powerful Latinas?  We are preparing a PANEL DISCUSSION on Sonia, so there will *not* be an interview for the next couple of weeks.  There will shortly be more info on this panel so check back here!

A few facts:  Judge Sotomayor served 11 years on the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, one of the most demanding circuits in the country, and has handed down decisions on a range of complex legal and constitutional issues.  If confirmed, Sotomayor would bring more federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any justice in 100 years, and more overall judicial experience than anyone confirmed for the Court in the past 70 years.

Lucy García-Roberts

President of HMC Advertising, has never taken success for granted and respects the process it takes to get there.  For nearly 20 years, HMC Advertising has been renowned for producing an incomparable suite of multi-cultural services that are professionally recognized.

Lucy has created a regional asset for clients wishing to position themselves in highly competitive markets throughout the Southwestern United States.  She has positioned HMC as an advertising agency of force, specializing in multi-cultural and bilingual campaigns, and succeeding in regional international marketing, advertising, public relations, outreach efforts, and the related intricacies essential to exceeding client’s expectations.

>>  How did Lucy come to this line of work, and what does she believe is different between multicultural marketing as opposed to marketing to the general public?

Born in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, and raised in Southern California, Lucy’s 40-year regional media trajectory encompasses an impressive body of work that has spanned virtually every phase of the marketing dynamic.  Lucy worked for 15 years in television broadcast media with the local CBS affiliate, gaining valuable general market experience, excelling in all phases of production, market research, and promotion.  Lucy also worked at Radio Latina, when Spanish language radio was in the process of emerging onto the bi-regional marketplace. She was integral in introducing Spanish language marketing power into the mainstream.

Always a visionary, she conceived and founded HMC Advertising Inc., astutely recognizing a multi-cultural market growth phenomena that invariably emerged.

>>  What kinds of skills did she gain from the different experiences and what can she tell us about the creation of her own agency?

In addition to her television and radio expertise, Lucy brought many years of advertising, promotions, and public relations experience to HMC. She has provided her expertise to clients such as the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, San Diego Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Pepsi Cola, Blue Shield of California, Baja Duty Free, Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards, Viejas Casino and Viejas Outlet Center, Feld Entertainment, Inc., Toyota of Mexico, NCLR, Pueblo Bonito and the Pre-game Show and NFL Experience for Super Bowl XXXII.

>>  What have been the challenges of working with different types of clients?  What has she enjoyed the most?  What has been difficult?

Lucy has provided media planning, market testing, advertising production supervision, product promotion design, and point-of-purchase advertising services to clients. These projects have encompassed print, outdoor, and broadcast media in Mexico, California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Florida, and Texas.

Lucy is active in a variety of community special events and services with non-profit organizations such as the San Diego Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Chicano Federation, San Diego Blood Bank, Logan Heights Family Health Center, Foundation for the children of the Californias, Latina/Latino Coalition, La Cuna, MANA of San Diego, the Hispanic Marketing Council for the San Diego Ad Club, South County Economic Council, San Diego Library Association and the Bi-national Emergency Medical Care Committee.

>>  What kinds of activities does her volunteer work entail, and how does she choose what to pursue?

Among Lucy’s awards are the following:  an Entrepreneur Leadership Award from Business Owners of America; a Community Leadership Award from the Latino/Latina Coalition; a Latina Entrepreneur Of The Year - San Diego Region Award from Wells Fargo; a Mujer Hispana Of The Year Award from Uniradio; and an International Service Award from the Binational Emergency Medical Care Committee.

>>  I’ll also be talking to Lucy about how being a mother and other family responsibilities have played into her success.

June Recommendations

Marcela Landres is the author of the e-book How Editors Think. She is an Editorial Consultant who specializes in helping Latinos get published and was formerly an editor at Simon & Schuster. Check out her webpage at: www.marcelalandres.com.

	Golondrina, Why did you leave me?: A Novel by Bárbara Renaud González (University of Texas Press). A young Mexican woman makes a heart-wrenching decision to leave her young daughter behind in Mexico as she escapes to el Norte.
	Age Is Just A Number: Achieve Your Dreams At Any Stage In Your Life by Dara Torres and Elizabeth Weil (Broadway). Olympic gold medalist Dara Torres launched her comeback as a new mother at the age of forty-one-years after she had retired from competitive swimming.