A Worthwhile Welcome by the Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Written by: Ana Demendoza
Former Congresswoman and CHLI Board member, the Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, is a Miami firecracker. Serving as the finale of the three-day Zoom orientation for the incoming Fall 2020 Global Leaders, Ros-Lehtinen demonstrated to each of us the power of our Latino identity and authenticity.
The usual protocol for CHLI Connect sessions, each of us as students gives a brief introduction to our guest speaker to familiarize them with our university, majors, and CHLI roles. A Miami native herself, Ros-Lehtinen raved at the many students who are from the South Florida area, myself included. Her enthusiasm to get to know us and our interests is reminiscent of a personality emulating my hometown.
When I picture a member of Congress, the first image that pops into mind isn't necessarily a Latina woman. As the first Cuban American elected to the United States Congress, Ros-Lehtinen breaks the traditional stereotypes. Her identity as a Latina woman is central to her work prior, during, and after serving in Congress for nearly three decades.
Sprinkling Spanglish lingo within our discussion, Ros-Lehtinen spoke about her work in bipartisan efforts with those across the aisle. For me, the highlight of these intentions was becoming the first Republican in the House to support marriage equality for same-sex couples. Ros-Lehtinen explains how she simply could not stand for discrimination and is surprised how much this sentiment nationally is becoming less and less controversial.
However, she credits her bipartisan attitude to her constituents and the nature of her district. Ros-Lehtinen illustrates her South Florida district as one-third Republican, one-third Democrat, and one-third Independent. These ideological intricacies incentivized her to be open to collaborate with those politically divergent from her and pull away from hyperpolarization.
As an aspiring Venezuelan American multimedia journalist, I found it valuable to see her perspective having faced the obstacles as a minority woman in Congress.
Referencing her disdain to a total reliance of technology during this pandemic, Ros-Lehtinen expressed how she resolves her issues with video meetings and remote work, “I’m not afraid to ask for help, people are always eager to help.”
Simple as that statement may be, I believe it demonstrates an openness to learning even after all her experiences throughout her career. I must push myself to always ask those questions when I need help at any stage of my career.
I’m grateful to CHLI for connecting myself and other young Hispanic/Latino professionals with DC powerhouses like Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. Looking forward to my future career in reporting, intimate discussions like these will prove valuable in understanding government in my own storytelling.