This episode of Tamarindo is a partnership with the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC), an organization dedicated to making a cultural home for the diverse identities that shape the community. October 3rd marked Latina Equal Pay day, a day of action that calls attention to the Latina wage gap. Our friends at the NHCC invited Tamarindo to lead a conversation about how we can raise the pay for Latinas. We had a fantastic panel of Latina changemakers: Melanie Fontes Rainer  who serves as the Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services where she leads the Department’s enforcement of federal civil rights and privacy laws and directs related policy and strategic initiatives. Stephanie Rodriguez who is the Secretary for the New Mexico Higher Education Department.  Pola Lopez, a  New Mexico-born, self-taught artist with a rich background in the Southwestern cultural heritage. She has been a prominent figure in the New Mexico art scene. Even though October 3rd is behind us, the work to bring pay equity for Latinas is ongoing. This powerful conversation shows some of the innovative ways that Latinas are leading the way for pay equity. Follow these resources to learn more:   Equal Pay Today – A campaign aimed at closing the wage gap, offering resources on how to advocate for change, with a focus on Latina Equal Pay Day. (Learn more at EqualPayDay.org) Justice for Migrant Women (Founded by Friend of the pod, Monica Ramirez) – An organization dedicated to protecting and supporting Latina and immigrant women in the workforce. This org also pushed for better data around the Latina Wage gap to capture part-time workers, rural workers, and others that are often marginalized.  National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) – They provide critical research and advocacy tools to help fight for wage equality, with a focus on women of color. Lastly, you can call your representatives and ask that they support to bills that could make a difference: The Paycheck Fairness Act (Makes available info around pay discrimination; trains women and girls how to negotiate; conducts studies on how to end pay discrimination) and The BE HEARD Act which extends protections against harassment Tamarindo is a lighthearted show hosted by Brenda Gonzalez and Delsy Sandoval talking about politics, culture, and self-development. We’re here to uplift our community through powerful conversations with changemakers, creatives, and healers. Join us as we delve into discussions on race, gender, representation, and life! You can get in touch with us at www.tamarindopodcast.com Brenda Gonzalez and Delsy Sandoval are executive producers of Tamarindo podcast with production support by Karina Riveroll of Sonoro Media. Jeff Ricards produced our theme song and also helped produce this episode. If you want to support our work, please rate and review our show here.  SUPPORT OUR SHOW Contribute to the show: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/tamarindopodcast1 Follow Tamarindo on instagram @tamarindopodcast and on twitter at @tamarindocast  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices