International Women’s Day was originally called International “Working” Women’s Day, a day where women the world over celebrate the respect, appreciation and love that women have fought so hard to achieve, but it is also a celebration for women’s economic, political and social achievements.  Alma Latina chose on this day to follow the story of three strong, assertive Latinas– all of them women that, in my years in the media, I have had the fortune to cross paths with in a professional environment, and who started off by achieving recognition in Canada, only to continue their paths to success in other countries in Latin America and the United States.  We caught up with all three of them to learn what life outside of Canada has meant for them as professionals and as Latin women who grew up or experienced life as a Canadian and the impact this had on the lives they lead today.

Lea la Versión en Español Aqui.

We had a chance to chat with Gisel Della Chiara, television personality, producer and host of Latin Vibes on OMNI Television and The Sex Files on Discovery Channel; Argentina-born Sabrina Macías, radio and television personality and magazine editor and Ladisú Castro, also a television personality, from Mexico.  In their life in Canada, the three of them achieved great success in their professional careers, and they all presented a positive and inspiring image of a strong Latin woman not just for being strong, beautiful women, but also for being assertive, ambitious and goal-oriented– qualities that, together with their own personal talents and skills, made them succeed in their chosen professional fields.

Gisel, for instance– gorgeous but also a fiercely assertive woman, an unstoppable go-getter, who was on the airwaves for almost 17 years, until she left for Chile in 2005–achieved a level of success as a Latin woman in television not before seen in Canadian mainstream.  Her “Spanglish” show, Latin Vibes, served as a platform that connected her to audiences both in Spanish and with non-Hispanics in mainstream Canadian media.  “Reaching my dream of becoming part of the Discovery Channel team was huge for me personally,” she tells us, “since it was my dad’s favourite channel and it was mainstream television.  Being one of the first “rostros latinos” to get recognition from media other than Hispanic ones was something I’ll always be proud of.”

Sabrina– whom I remember from our working days together as keen, dynamic, vivacious and assertive, and always on the go– tells us how she juggled university, television, print and radio jobs as well as being a member of a dance troupe– “I was super busy,” she says, “but loved every minute of it.”  Ladisú, a classic beauty, always disarming and sweet in her demeanour, came from Mexico in 1998, started off as a volunteer at TLN Television and eventually was given the opportunity to become a reporter and host of various shows, and also hosted TLN Latinfest and Miss Universe Canada 2003. “I had so many great memories of those days, I can truly say it has been one of the best chapters of my life,” she admits.

Today they no longer live in Canada, and life is completely different for all three, not just individually, but also from the Canadian perspective.  Gisel has been in Chile since 2005, raising her daughter Soffía (7), truly a mini-Gigi (she’s the spitting image of mom) whom she calls “my beautiful little actress, drama mama, and the most important person in my life, my one and only love.”  Now single, she started the first-ever relocation agency in Chile and is no longer working in television.  Ladisú, back in Mexico since 2005, continued on the television path, working for Mexico Travel Channel, where one of her biggest accomplishments to date has been covering the Miss Spain pageant in 2009 and travelling all over that country along with the contestants, and also producing the actual pageant that took place in Cancún that year.

Sabrina, on the other hand, has achieved great success in her chosen path in Communications/Public Relations, specializing in multicultural marketing strategies, after moving to New York City in 2001.  She is now mother to 9-year-old Sebastian– “My absolute anchor and my very best friend,” she says, with whom she has travelled all over the world.  She is currently the Director of Marketing Communications at NASCAR, work that is not only highly satisfying but has also made her “the coolest mom ever.”  She credits the language proficiency she obtained from her parents and the Canadian educational system, and her unique life experiences, in achieving the success she has in the United States.

One thing they all agree on is that having been raised or experienced Canadian meritocracy, where people succeed based on their skills and experience, not on how much money they have or what family or class they come from, has changed them forever in their new life outside of Canada.  For Sabrina, having to raise her child in the very competitive educational system that is the United States, taught her to appreciate how easily available education is for all here in Canada and the wonderful programs (arts, sports and otherwise) children are exposed to from an early age.  “I have a very unique outlook as a result of growing up in Canada. Canadian education is that of empowerment and progress,” says Sabrina.  “You are never concerned about how you are going to pay for school, you just know you are going to go because that is your goal.  The American perspective offers fewer opportunities and is more focused on the negative than on the positive, which hinders a lot of people’s progress.  They don’t see an attainable path to success.”

Gisel and Ladisú agree. For both, one of the biggest challenges living in Latin America is coming to terms with the inequality women still experience, where machismo, classism and less opportunities for women are still in existence. “That is the most important impact this change has had on me, ” says Gisel, “the freedom of living in peace, with safety and equality.” Ladisú, on her part, has taken what she experienced living here and took it as a challenge to help make things different where she is now.  “It’s difficult,” she says.  “There’s still a long road for Latin women to be professionally treated as equal to men in our countries.  And though that could be frustrating at times, it motivates me to be part of that change, to know that respect starts with yourself and it shows in all aspects of your life, in your family, your friends, your job and society, and that is something I learned living in Canada, and would always be grateful for it.”

Although far from Canada now, they are still inspired by the affection and admiration the Hispanic Canadian community gave them at the beginning of their careers. Gisel, who is unable to return to Canada permanently because her daughter, whose father is a Chilean national, must remain in Chile until she turns 16, admits to missing Canada greatly, “more than I could ever express on paper,” and is forever grateful for those in Canada, both Hispanics and non-Hispanics, who supported her career for so many years.  Nostalgia for this icy and yet warm-to-the-core land is a feeling shared by all. “I would always have a nostalgic feeling for those days and for Canada, and how much it changed my life and opened my mind,” Ladisú tells us.  “Living there, I was able to fully understand the meaning of respect and tolerance.”

Sabrina is equally indebted for the support she received from the community here and for having grown up in this country of endless opportunities.  “I learned so much and met so many people that I am still in contact with today.  I received such support and acceptance as I grew into my own skin from the Hispanic community in Canada and I will be forever grateful to them for their support of my dreams and successes. I am a true believer in saying the things that you want for  yourself and your family out loud and being able to envision your future.  I can’t emphasize the importance of preserving a second language and even a third.  A college degree– so, so important in your career progression and finally a very strong network of family and friends that you know you can always fall back on if you fail, just in case.”