102: Taking a Break From Working As An Immigrant with Diana Valdivia

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Oh my goodness. I'm so excited today because we have a guest speaker who is going to be talking to us all about taking a break from working as an immigrant. Our guest is Diana Valdivia I'm going to be going ahead and introducing her with her bio to get us started. Diana Valdivia most identifies as an immigrant woman of color whose immigration status is undocumented. Her experiences have led to organizing within immigrant rights and higher education. She recently retired from student affairs at the age of 33, with her most recent role as the director of undocumented student services at UC Santa Barbara. During this transition, she is resting, taking the time to assess what's next for her and breaking intergenerational cycles of the immigrant hard working work ethic. Oh my gosh, I keep adding my little reactions. She's also currently launching a platform- First Gen And, to share and uplift the multi dimensional experiences of first generation immigrants, and those of immigrant descendants. This is why I'm so excited to have you on today, Diana. Welcome to the podcast.

Diana Valdivia

Yay, thank you so much for having me.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

I kept having to interrupt myself as I was reading your bio, because I was just getting even more excited. It's one thing to know someone. It's another thing to then read their bio, and then be reminded why they're so awesome. I already knew that, but...For folks that don't know you, I would love for you to get started by sharing a little bit more about yourself, background, backstory, educational trajectory, whatever you feel comfortable sharing.

Diana Valdivia

Yeah, it's so funny, because I feel like that's literally the most accurate bio I've ever written of myself. I'm like on point with where I'm at. Other things to know about me- I'm an immigrant, and my immigration status is undocumented. But a little bit more to that- I moved to the US when I was 13. This October was our 20th year anniversary in this country. I don't know if I would call it an anniversary, but you know, just the gist of it. So I moved here when I was 13, moved to San Diego County. So I lived in border towns, which I think has a lot to do with what I do, and how I perceive the world, and traumas, and many things. I lived in San Diego county but also lived in border towns, because I lived in Mexicali in Baja California, and then I also lived in Ciudad Juarez growing up.

Diana Valdivia

Then I went to college too in San Diego County. I went to Cal State San Marcos- back in the day when there was no California Dream Act, and no DACA. There was only AB 540 which at that moment, it made it quote unquote semi affordable to attend a CSU. So I went to Cal State San Marcos, did an undergrad in Business Administration, and did a minor in communication. Then again, back in the day, there was no DACA, no sight of it, and no California Dream Act. I was able to go into grad school, and part of it was because I had limited options as someone who didn't have a work permit and didn't have financial aid.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Can you expand a little bit about that? Because I know that's something that I've had folks actually ask- can you go to grad school if you're undocumented? I know the options were different for you than they are now. But maybe you could share a little bit about that, about what it was like for you to go to grad school versus what it's like now? Because I know you also- as a former director of undocumented student services- you're more familiar about that than I am.

Diana Valdivia

Yeah. And I love talking about grad school. I'm doing a panel tomorrow about it. I'm like, yes sign me up. I love talking about it. Because I mean back then, I'm pretty sure I was the only- well, I knew I was the only one and the potentially first one in my program. I went to San Diego State. But I did have two other friends and then my sister go to grad school at the same time, and we all went to San Diego State. So there's no restriction in terms of going into graduate school. There's no federal law that prevents undocumented folks to go to grad school. The biggest piece is the financial aspect of it. So I lived with my parents in both undergrad and grad school, and that's potentially one of the only ways that I was able to afford to go to grad school. But my last semester of grad school, the California Dream Act went into effect. And at the CSU level, most of the CSU's are able to offer financial aid to graduate students. That meant that I had access to financial aid. I think, based on my income, which was not a lot, I got most of my tuition covered. Tuition was $4,500, or something like that.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

That was just your last semester, right?

Diana Valdivia

Yeah. Literally it passed, and I was like, oh my God. There's financial aid. What? Because I didn't have any financial aid- except for one scholarship that I had applied that I got. So don't do that. Apply for scholarships. Get all the money that you deserve. But I was working, and was only able to get one scholarship - or the California Dream Act, or access to financial aid because of the California Dream Act. So yeah. I was like, $600 instead of $4,000? I will take it. In my second year of grad school, I got my work permit. That was the other thing too. My first year of grad school, I had got an assistantship. I didn't know many undocumented folks, but I was like, you know what? I'm just gonna apply, because I did a program where they set you up with interviews to do assistantships. So I think I might have gotten one or two assistantships, but I couldn't do them because of the lack of social security.

Diana Valdivia

I ended up getting an internship that was not paid, and not my best experience, per se. But that was more on the site, as opposed to me having a work permit. But then my second year, I got a work permit. Right now, having more permits help, and not many folks have- or, you know, there are still undocumented folks that don't have work permits. But now, having a work permit helps. If you're going to a Masters, consider CSU's. I'm super biased, because I went to CSU's and they have provided financial support. I know PhDs is a little bit different. But I have friends that have gone through all the pipelines that you can with law school, medical school, and grad school in general.

Diana Valdivia

Again, there's different components, and the biggest one, I would say, is financial. Usually one of the things that I tell folks is that- as much as I would want to tell folks like, yes, you're gonna get like this full time scholarship and that's it. A lot of the times what I tell undocumented students is that it might take multiple sources of fundings. This might be a little bit similar to just first gen US citizens, but it's still different, right? Because even though - like say, A is financial aid from the California Dream Act, and B is scholarships. There's no access to the federal funding aspect of things, and so that might be where people fall short. So that's a little bit. It's more accessible - grad school, I think, for undocumented folks. The other thing, too- sometimes I think now, I see more people not being the only ones or the first ones. I had a faculty, the faculty director of my program, who- we were both learning about DACA, because it had just come out. He's like, what does this mean? What does that entail? That was super supportive.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Yeah, I think it helps that now, the language is more widely available. That way, it's not unfamiliar territory. And when it's not unfamiliar territory, more programs are learning about how to work with undocumented students. I remember when I was in- I mean, we're the same age. When I was in undergrad, I had friends who were undocumented, and just how hard it was for them to have to figure out funding, having to figure out which scholarships they were and weren't eligible for because the language was unclear. They thought about tuition more than I necessarily did, because I knew that I was covered with either a Pell Grant or loans. And probably were even more financially illiterate than I was, because they had to think about it. Whereas for me, I was very naive. And I didn't learn about financial literacy in undergrad. I wish I had, because then I probably wouldn't have accepted all those loans.

Diana Valdivia

Yeah. And right now, there's some loans available for undergrads who are undocumented and also for grad school. There's a couple of things available for loans. I've had friends been able to take loans. I think the last thing that I'll say too, is that I think- so there's the financial aspect. I think the other aspect was work experience.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Yeah.

Diana Valdivia

So I think there's a difference in that I was able to have way too many jobs when I was an undergrad- and some of them didn't pay- in student affairs that allowed me to feel competitive to be able to apply for graduate programs. But that could be another layer. When I was working with undocumented students full time, that was one of the things, trying to come up with a resume if you had limited experience, and being able to have access to those experiences, especially if you didn't have a work permit. But at the end of the day, the number one thing that I tell folks- which is an advice that one of my friends gave me- is that your job is to apply and tell them why you're the best and most competitive applicant. Your job is not to decide whether you get in or not.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Right.

Diana Valdivia

That's literally their job to figure out who gets in and who doesn't. And I think the other piece, too, is that graduate program should be providing lots of financial support, because undocumented students make programs and fields better period.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Yes.

Diana Valdivia

Our experiences make things better. That's valuable, and that needs to come with some financial support.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Right. I'm grateful that you're sharing a little bit more about your backstory, and then also the work that you've done working with undocumented students. But you came today to talk about taking a break.

Diana Valdivia

Yes.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

And taking a break from working- because you just mentioned that you had a lot of jobs.

Diana Valdivia

Yes.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

I would love to transition into that, because I feel like it's such a big shift. And I would love to learn about that transition. What was that like for you, and why is it so important to share this message of taking a break- especially now?

Diana Valdivia

Yeah. I've been working since I was 18. I had a job all the way in undergrad for five- six years. For six years, I was able to have a job that paid. And in undergrad at one point, I had three jobs, and two of them did not pay. So literally my last year of undergrad- to be honest, I don't know how I did it and it feels like a blur. Because now I think about it, I'm like, how did I have three jobs- which at the end of the day, was kind of having a full time job- take five courses, and then apply for grad school. I ended only applying to one school because I was like, how am I supposed to do all this?

Diana Valdivia

But part of it felt like- well, one with the financial aspect of it. I wouldn't have had the other two jobs that didn't pay if they actually paid me. But also feeling - and this is common with undocumented folks. We do have to perform and do better than our peers, because we don't have access to things. A little bit of that is very real, and I think a little bit of that is internalized. The hard working ethic- because I remember in the jobs that I had when I was undergrad, people complimenting and being like, you're a hard worker. Back then, I was like, oh yeah, I'm a hard worker. But now, I'm just like, I don't wanna be a hard work. I just want to chill. And if I'm gonna have a job, I'm gonna do it in sustainable ways, as opposed to having to sort of feed into this hard work. I think it has a lot to do with the immigrant ethic.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

I was gonna say that too.

Diana Valdivia

Yeah. So I had those jobs. Then in grad school, I still had one job. It's funny, because once I got my work permit, I actually took a break, which is a little while I feel like. I'm like, I want to have a work permit- and I took a break. My last year of grad school, I took a break. But I was still doing grad school, and I started organizing. I learned more about how DACA came about and what organizing was all about. So I was traveling, volunteering and doing all that fun stuff.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

When you say your break- sorry to interrupt. Do you mean a semester or a year or a few weeks? What does that mean?

Diana Valdivia

It's funny, because I'm like, I need another word- because it wasn't a break. I was still doing grad school.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Oh.

Diana Valdivia

Maybe it's a partial break. It's also a break from having to work three jobs and having to do it all.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Yeah.

Diana Valdivia

So it wasn't a break. It was more of a break from the full time job aspect of it.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Yeah.

Diana Valdivia

But I was volunteering, and I was still doing grad school and doing that. Then right after grad school, my confidence was, I think, at one of the lowest points that it has ever been as it relates to applying to jobs, because here I was, graduating from a Master's, but not having the same experience as my peers. I would go into job interviews, and I could see it and other people who are interviewing can can see it. So I decided to transition into nonprofit work organizing DACA clinics. And to this day, I don't regret it. I think a lot of the times, when you're in grad school, it's great to have a cohort that you can relate with. But it's also a lot of pressure because everyone's applying for jobs, and you compare yourself. So I stopped doing that, because I'm like, I just have to accept that my experience is completely different from my cohort, period. There was no other undocumented person in my cohort. So I stopped doing that.

Diana Valdivia

Then I was doing organizing for a year. And then the job that I wanted to do when I went into grad school- a bunch of positions came up to work at the UC with undocumented students. And I applied. I got a couple interviews. I ended up in the middle of California- never ever before that gone to Merced. And I lived in Merced for two years working with undocumented students, and then working with undocumented students for almost five years at UCSB. So I always been working, just working - whether it was part time, volunteering, or whatever that i-s always been working since I was 18. Or being in grad school, it's just working, working, working, producing, producing, producing. I was supposed to take this break that I'm on in summer 2020. But as we know, there is a pandemic. And when I had submitted my resignation, I was very open with my supervisor about the fact that I needed to move because my partner lived in another city. She is super supportive and open and all that good stuff. So it was March 2020, when they were gonna get ready to post my position. And I was like, can we hold off on that? Because I need more time to transition- because I was going to take a break from working ,working. So his break has been sort of in the making for a lot longer.

Diana Valdivia

Then I was able to take it a year after. I think one of the things that happened for me- because I think about this often during this break- I think it's hard to take it when it feels like you need to be- I mean, we're in the middle of a pandemic. Like I should be doing something. I should be volunteering. I should be doing this and that and that. But it also feels like this is the time. There's never gonna be a correct time or the best time to actually take a break. So I put my foot down with myself, which I do a lot when it comes to taking care of myself. Like I am way better than I was when I was in my early 20s. I told myself no, this needs to be the time that you take a break. And I can go more into all those things that I tell myself. I'm like, no, I need to be working. But then I'm like, no, I need to just chill for a moment.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

And I wonder what it is- that shifts from your 20s to 30s. Or even for some people, it's their 40s and 50s that you reach that point where you- I don't know if it's just complete and utter burnout, or it's your body telling you and forcing you to take a break. Or you reach a point of wisdom where you no longer care what other people think, and you define your own joy, happiness, success. I don't know. We have very different paths, but I can resonate and relate to so much of what you said - even down to the rhetoric of the hard working immigrant. It still applies to children of immigrants as well. So for me, I always prided myself in being hard working. I was like, I may not be as smart as my peers- again, assuming that I wasn't smart- but I am going to outwork them. Then outworking everybody up to the point where I made myself sick, and then realizing I too needed to take a break.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Anyway, I don't know what the question is, except that it's interesting that you reach this point in your 30s. And I know that there will be listeners- my listeners, the age group, according to the data that I have- it's people in their 20s. As young as 18, all the way up to their early 30s- that's like the average listener. So it's mostly in their 20s. They're probably- most of them are either an undergrad, or taking a gap year, a few gap years, or they're starting grad school. And they're not there yet. They're not at that point where they think that they can, or they realize that they can even take a break.

Diana Valdivia

Yeah. I think for me, there's a couple of things. One, culturally, we're not there. The US is literally the poster child for over workers, because of the conditions that we live under. That's a whole other thing. But because of that- so when I was telling people like, hey, yes, I'm transitioning. I cannot tell you how many people were like, so what are you doing next? And then I would literally say, I am chilling.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

I'm sorry if I asked you the same question.

Diana Valdivia

No, its okay.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

I don't know if I did. I don't remember.

Diana Valdivia

You know, I think part of me, half of me is like, it's super annoying. And the other half is like, I can't get mad at people if they never have seen people take a break. I might literally be the only one. I have a couple of friends now that are in their early 30s, and two of them are taking a break, and one of them took a break. But that's it. I have a lot of friends, and there's not that many of us that have been able to take a break. And I think culturally, it's because we're expected to be able to work and work and work. When you tell someone, I am just taking a break and just doing that. There's no other job. There's no hidden agenda that I have. There was no issues with my job. I'm literally just taking a break. It's really hard for folks to digest the possibility of just taking a break.

Diana Valdivia

And then I think the other thing for me that has happened is my relationship to money, my relationship to my financial stability. I wouldn't have been able to take a break- even though between grad school, and having my full time job at UC Merced, I decided to take a job that wouldn't pay as much as I would have with a Master's. So I feel like that was sort of like my baby step, to be like one of these days, I'm gonna take a break- a full break. I think that has been a game changer, particularly as an immigrant. I think the other thing too, a lot of unlearning that I had to do about- growing up, producing leads money, and producing means money that I can use to help out my parents, to help out- to build quote, unquote, generational wealth.

Diana Valdivia

And there's some level of access that I have. I don't have any student loans. I have car loans that I have to pay, but they're not the biggest. And right now, my partner is the one helping me. He takes on all the costs of living. So for me, it was unlearning, that I can rely on a partner to do the bare minimum of financially supporting me. Because in my 20s, if you would have told me- was like, Miss Independent, whatever. If you told me, hey. When you're in your 30s, you're gonna have a man help you- blah, blah, blah, all this really toxic way of not seeing that you can be interdependent with someone as opposed to codependent.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Yes, yes.

Diana Valdivia

So I had to do that too. And my partner, we've been together for almost four years. He's super supportive with me and taking this break. He's also able to. He works in STEM. So I'm like, again, bare minimum for him to be able to support me. But I feel like that's a whole other train of thought as a relates to the learning and relearning that I had to do with money, and having access to money and stability. I'm ready to be applying for jobs now, because I'm like, okay. My savings is getting a little bit shorter. So I'm gonna have to like work. But, you know, I think that's the other thing too for me. Right now, I'm in in a position where we're renting, and there's a pressure to have a house. So I had to tell myself, it's gonna happen when it happens. I'm not gonna rush this period. I could be working so that we're in this path to build generational wealth. But I'm like, no. It is worth for me to take a break right now.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Yeah.

Diana Valdivia

And the money is gonna come when it comes. I even did- I've been doing a little vision boarding during my break, and I did one around financial resources and thinking about that they are and can be abundant. Like one of my mantras has to do with- if an emergency ever happens, I have communal financial abundance, that my parents can help me, my sister can help me, my partner can help me. Instead of thinking of money as a deficit, which has been literally my whole life, being able to count on other folks to be like- if an emergency comes, someone will get me, and that's okay.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

You said so much there. There is so much to unpack. And we only have- I want to stick with the time.

Diana Valdivia

Yeah.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

But oh my gosh. Tthe whole money aspect of it- I think it should be a separate episode. And I think it will like shift some paradigms for folks listening. I know it would have if I had been the listener. But being in that position where you're going from that scarcity to that abundance mindset is huge. Even if you don't have a lot of money in your savings, even that shift that you went through of like, I have abundance through the community that will support me and has my back in case anything happens. That is so true. Even for myself, right now, I'm waiting - any day now, hopefully, we'll get a visa to move abroad. But in the meantime, I'm staying at my mom's. And I told myself- I moved out at age 17. And I've been working ever since I was 16, and then hen didn't stop working until this year. Every year, I always had one job, two jobs, sometimes even three jobs. And I told myself at 17, I'm never gonna move back home ever. Because it was just one of those things that I prided myself on, being the first to move away and work and be independent, etc. Now, I'm here and I'm like, hahaha, never say never. But at the same time, so incredibly grateful to even have that option.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Then you also mentioned, this whole idea of constantly kind of unlearning the messages that we are raised with- whether it's culturally, whether it's based on our family, whether it's the culture of the country that we're living in. And then you mentioned interdependence rather than codependence. I think that's a big one, especially for folks who are partnered- because that was a big thing too for me and for a lot of people. Growing up, I was raised by a single mom, who taught me never depend on anybody but yourself to take care of yourself, because you never know. My dad passed when he was in his early 40s, so my mom learned really hard- you can't depend on someone financially, because anything can happen.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

But also allowing yourself to be interdependent, and to even- that reciprocal type of relationship where I got your back, you got mine. So just because you're providing and supporting me financially doesn't mean that I'm not supporting or you providing for you in other ways. And vice versa- our situations and circumstances change all the time. So for the longest, I was the primary breadwinner and now I'm not. Even for me, I still struggle with that. One other question I wanted to ask you- well, actually two, I guess it's two questions. One is are there any learning- or what are some learning lessons that you've gained from your break? And also, how- I think this is just an idea that I've been struggling with for myself is- how do we define ourselves outside of the work that we do?

Diana Valdivia

Literally, my life for the past six months, because I'm like, who am I? What do I do? What's life? It's an existential crisis for sure. I had my moments. I mean, I think one of the learning lessons is the roller coaster of taking a break. You know, for folks that are listening, they might be like- well, she's taking a break. How can she be in an emotional rollercoaster? I'm like, well, I am.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Well all of your shit comes to you when you have the time to think about it.

Diana Valdivia

Oh, yeah. Yes, yes.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

I feel like working, for me, was a coping mechanism to run away from my problems.

Diana Valdivia

And it is for folks, right?

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Yeah.

Diana Valdivia

Overworking is a way of coping for folks. So when you have to figure out more of who you are and your things, yeah. Now you literally have the time. So I've been thinking a lot about labor, interestingly enough. I was not expecting to be thinking about labor a lot of the time when I'm taking a break. And thinking about how we can create sustainable ways of working. Because I think one of my pet peeves when I was working is that I did the best that I could to take care of myself. I have a interesting relationship with the word self care, the concept of self care, because we really need community care. And I think a lot of the times, when we talk about self care without systemic ways of taking care of folks, it's a little bit of gaslighting- to be like, hey. Take care of yourself- when we really need systemic ways of taking care of each other.

Diana Valdivia

So yeah. The roller coaster has been something that I didn't think about. And I think I would say at this point in my experience- about four months ago, I started having joint pain in my hands. I think that impacts a lot of the ways in which I'm experiencing my break. So having to do physical therapy and all that stuff. I think if I didn't have my joint pain, my experience would be a little bit different. But I actually have hobbies. I think, as an immigrant, sometimes someone asks you- what are your hobbies? And you're like, I don't know. So I actually have hobbies. I used to- I have had hobbies, but I think it just hits different when you're on a break. It hits different to have a hobby. I think maybe one of the last things that I'll share in terms of learning- and this is a little bit of a tip.

Diana Valdivia

When I told my parents that I was going to take a break- and to put a context, my dad has been working forever and my mom stays at home and does the familial work. I think it was not a shock, because I feel like my parents know the kind of kid that they raised, to be rebellious in some kind of way. But you know, they're concerned. They had concern. I should talk to them. I'm like, are you still concerned that I have a break - or that I'm on a break? Because I think it's hard for them to then be like, what? You're taking a break? But I think over the years, they have also shifted how they think about resting. When I was working, I would tell my dad like, I'm taking sick days. And he's like, yeah, you should take them. They're yours.

Diana Valdivia

I think that's another thing too that I've learned and sort of a tip. With my partner, it was like, yeah. Take as much as you need. With my parents, it was a little bit of like, are you sure? Are you sure sure- type of thing. It was sort of like a one time conversation. But I'm sure they're a little bit worried of like, when is she gonna get a job? Does she need help? And all those things? Then your second question- I can't remember. Maybe I already answered.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Well, you you answered about some of the lessons learned. Also it's like, how do we even define ourselves outside of the work that we do?

Diana Valdivia

Yes.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

I feel like that's the tough- maybe it's a rhetorical question. Maybe we can't actually answer it- because I know I struggle with that too.

Diana Valdivia

It's funny, because I haven't really been bored in my life. Bored is not a thing that I experience- or boredom is not a thing that I experience. I literally cannot remember when was the last time I was bored. But except last week, it was the first time that I was actually bored. I was like, what I do with myself? So it took six months, I think, of a break to actually experience that, and being okay with it. Boredom is not like a bad thing, I think, because it's just you existing. One of my friends who I've talked to about this break was sharing that our purpose is just to exist. And I think that's literally one of the things that I learned.

Diana Valdivia

I used to have my dream job, which is literally the dream job that I had. And now, I think about working a lot different than I used to. I don't necessarily have dream jobs. I have more of like- what are the conditions and what do I want to do? What kind of impact do I want to make? But I think about work just so much different. But ask me in six months after I start working again, how I'm defining myself - because it's so hard, right? When you introduce yourself, you're like oh, I'm doing this and this and that.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Of course.

Diana Valdivia

Yeah, yeah. You know, if my bio was from the time that I was working, it would have been like, Diana is the director of undocumented student services. That would have been the first thing, right? And my credentials would have been part of it, too. So that's why I say the bio is like literally to the point right now, because it doesn't focus as much on what I'm doing- or really sort of detaching myself of, who am I outside of work? Which I'm so many other things than my productivity.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

That's so powerful, yeah. I have a feeling that I'm gonna get a lot of listens- or you're gonna get a lot of listens in this in this episode, because a lot of folks are thinking about that. I mean, some of my most played episodes have been- are you thinking about quitting grad school, or why I left higher education, those episodes. It's like, folks are thinking about- what is life outside of, say, the folks who are listening to me are either interested in grad school or going to grad school. So what is life outside of that?

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

And also, with this wave of what people are calling the great resignation, and more people are rethinking what they want to do with their lives. I think the conversation of taking breaks is really important. Defining ourselves outside of what we do, outside of the professional, quote, unquote, professional roles or titles that we get, is so critical and so important. And it's valuable. I feel like everybody deserves a break. Not all of us are able to or are in the privileged position to be able to take it. But even just planting that seed is good, so that way folks can set themselves up to be in this space where they can either take a break, or be more intentional with the kind of work that they do. So thank you you so much DIana.

Diana Valdivia

The last thing that I would say, I think, is one of the things to sort of set yourself up if you're thinking about a break. It's that you really have to trust yourself that you will get a job. Because that's the thing, right?

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

After the break?

Diana Valdivia

Yeah.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

I wonder about that for myself too.

Diana Valdivia

Yeah. I'm getting to the six months, and I'm gonna start applying for jobs. I'm like, oh my god- a little thought of like, they're gonna see my resume and see the six months and start thinking. Blah, blah, blah, all these thoughts. And I'm like, well, I don't want to work in a place that is going to judge me for taking a break.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Right.

Diana Valdivia

Or is gonna think other things, like make assumptions of me taking a break. Let me tell you what happened, as opposed to making assumptions. So you really have to trust yourself that you have the skills, the knowledge to be able to get a job. I'm talking to myself right now. That is gonna start coming up a little bit more as I apply for jobs, because it's there. But people have the skills and knowledge. Jobs are always going to be there.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

That's right.

Diana Valdivia

Obviously, not necessarily the quote unquote, perfect, but there will always be ways of making money. I'll leave it at that.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Okay, last thing for sure. If folks resonated with what you said and would like to reach out or connect in some way, shape, or form, is there a way for them to connect with you?

Diana Valdivia

Yeah, so the platform that I shared- first gen and. In June, I was gonna launch it and then I got all these joint pains. I'm like, okay, I need to take a break. So it'll be launching a little bit more- in early next year in 2022. For example, one of the workshops that I want to do is taking medical leave for mental health, which is something that I did right before I took this break. Because I'm literally the only one that I know that has done that and I had to Google a bunch of things. That would be one way to follow more on what I learned and what I want to share with people around being first generation and our multidimensional experiences that we hold.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Awesome. So make sure to follow first gen and, and see how it develops. I'm excited about it and I know that workshop- I could have taken that one. I needed it.

Diana Valdivia

Yeah, myself needed it years ago.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Okay, thank you so much Diana. It was really great chatting with you.

Diana Valdivia

Thank you. Thank you