What Women's History Month Means to a Mini-Millennial

A Gen Alpha's take on Women's History Month

Every year since 1987, March has provided an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the achievements of women in American history in what is known as Women's History Month.

As the daughter of a first-generation Filipina immigrant, I think it's important to highlight differences between women born in the US and those born in other countries, specifically less developed countries. Because while the US has made strides in women's rights (with still a lot of work to be done), the same isn't true for all women everywhere.

I recall my mother telling me about her upbringing in the Philippines—the lack of educational resources and schooling and the scarce work opportunities with being born and raised in a third world country. As a girl, the lack of voice she was given in her large household—a household dominated by her strict father (my lolo), and her multitude of brothers and uncles, was especially challenging for her.

In my mother's culture, a woman's primary roles are to serve the family, cook and clean, run errands at the market, babysit the children... and also find a foreign husband, preferably an American, who can then move her to the States where she can find work and spend the next few decades sending money back to the Philippines, all the while navigating the long, arduous legal process of helping the rest of her family immigrate over.

At 63 years of age, the latter remains my mother's primary focus, even after all these years.

So for me, when March comes around, I tend to reflect on the immigrant women who come to the States, work their tails off doing the jobs no one else wants to do, so they can provide their families back home a fair shot at one day making it to America so they, too, can find work and give other family members the same chance at living a better life.

Unlike my mother's experience, my own dad—a Boomer—raised me to be extremely independent and autonomous so that I would never be at the mercy of relying on others—for anything. But as we know, anything to the extreme has its own set of negatives, which has proven true over and over again through my adult life. I've come to learn that independence takes a person only so far, and that life is really about community and giving and receiving help from others.

I belong to Gen Y, otherwise known as the Millennials, or the Burnout Generation. When I was 16, I met my now-best friend, Tera. We were both awkward and book-smart and came from lower-middle class families (which is probably why we gravitated to one another in the first place). We recognized a kindred spirit in each other. So when we were graduating from high school, we decided to attend an out-of-state college together where we both scored scholarships and pursued STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields of study. Tera studied physics and chemistry, while I switched from biology to math, and then we graduated—the first members of our families to attend and graduate from college. The rest is history.

Fast-forward to 15 years later and now we're both full-time working moms. I was venting to Tera about expectations and gender disparities in today's environment, and she got an idea to ask her young daughter, Carly, to write an essay in honor of Women's History Month. Rightfully so, Tera was curious to hear what her daughter had to say about the subject. I loved the idea of getting a Gen Alpha's take on Women's History Month so, of course, I accepted.

I want to share what Tera's daughter wrote:

All About Women's History Month

By Carly Palozola

It's really impressive that someone so young is keen to understand the struggles of earlier generations of women, and then be able to articulate an idea so simple it makes one wonder why so many adults struggle to do the same. The idea that perhaps the point of all this is to treat others with respect and fairness and to create a next version of the world that gets better and better for each new generation.

I had asked the NWA Center for Sexual Assault team to share the women who inspired or meant a lot to them, and it's worth passing along who these special people are:

Holly: Lady Gaga

Being a survivor herself, she's an advocate for others, even helping fund a lot of legal fees for Kesha (another survivor), during her ongoing case against her assailant and contract holder. Gaga has also brought awareness to mental health, started her own foundation, and worked with the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr. Yes, she makes fun, catchy, pop music, but she has made a name for herself as not only a successful musician, but as a businesswoman, actress, and political advocate. 

On top of all that, she has done a lot for the LGBTQ+ community, a community she is also a part of as a bisexual woman. She gets criticized a lot and has spoken up about how damaging bi-erasure is.

Samantha: her husband's grandmother, Dorothy

Dorothy passed away at the end of 2019, at 98 years old. She was one of the first Rosie the Riviters as she worked in a factory during WWII. I used to love hearing her stories from the 1920s and on. She raised 7 children, 2 foster children, and helped with 20+ grandkids during her 98 years. She had a really close relationship with my husband and helped shape him into who he is today, and for that, I am forever grateful for her. 

Whether a global icon, a beloved grandmother, an immigrant, a woman in STEM, or any number of important roles women play in a lifetime, it's vital to recognize and applaud the impact women have made throughout history, their unique challenges, and the ongoing issues they face to protect and obtain their rights.