👨🏻🙋🏽👱🏾👩🏾👧🏻 The Latinx Collective Issue #23

I loved this article about how a university celebrates Latinx Heritage Month! Latinx students have been attending the University of Pennsylvania for almost 200 years, since Joseph M. Urquiola - who was Cuban - became the first Latinx student to earn a degree from Penn in 1829. On-campus festivities are organized by La Casa Latina, the University’s center for Hispanic excellence, which partners with other Penn schools, departments, organizations, and centers to bring to campus thoughtful conversations, guest speakers, keynote lecturers, exhibits, engagement with the community, and salutations to Latin culture.

Read the stories of: (1) Dior Vargas: a mental health activist and suicide-attempt survivor who came up with the People of Color and Mental Illness Photo Project to dispel the idea that people of color don't suffer from mental health issues as the mainstream media might lead you to believe. (2) Carolina Contreras: who opened up Miss Rizos, a salon in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic that caters specifically to women who want to make the transition back to curly hair, and (3) Angy Rivera, who offers support and lends a voice to others struggling with their undocumented status. In 2015, her story was turned into the documentary Don’t Tell Anyone, which earned a Peabody award.

For the *seventh* year in a row, Sofia Vergara is the highest paid actress on television. The Modern Family star is the top earner not only due to her salary from her role on the hit ABC comedy but also due to her many endorsements and lucrative licensing deals. Her earnings are a WHOPPING 73% more than the second-ranked actress (who's at $24.5 million!!).GET IT, SOFIA!

P. S. I also want to acknowledge that there are many that have a problem with Sofia Vergara. They think her role on the show perpetuates certain stereotypes about Latinas - like that we're loud, dress sexy or have a temper. Vergara has spoken up about this and she thinks women should be able to be funny, have sex appeal, make fun of themselves, and make money without being judged for it or looked down on. I agree with her, do you?

LGBTQ History Month is celebrated during the entire month of October. Although they've been at the forefront of nearly every queer movement, Latinx, Afro-Latinxs, and indigenous people of color have long been marginalized—even erased—from LGBTQ history. This list of LGBTQ activists and creatives who changed the course of queer history, honors and remembers some of those people.

Simply put, this is a roundup of resources that includes podcasts, activists, bloggers and organizations that are available to Latinas coping with mental illness. Check out the slideshow and give them a follow if you find them helpful.