Washington, DC – Rep. Joe Baca (D-Rialto) spoke today on the progress of Latinas in breaking the glass ceiling and achieving success as business executives in a keynote speech to an audience of Latina business leaders attending a conference in Washington, DC.

Rep. Baca said, “We are fortunate to live in a time and place where our daughters have opportunities that our mothers and abuelitas (grandmothers) did not.”

He acknowledged that the success of Hispanic women in business did not happen easily or quickly and that continued success will require ongoing effort.

“We cannot be complacent.  We cannot take for granted that our daughters and their daughters will have a smooth path to success.  We must work together to assure that they will be judged by their character, intellect, judgment and leadership – not by their gender,” Rep. Baca said.

Rep. Baca pledged to use his role as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to further pursue the efforts he started as Chair of the CHC Corporate America Task Force, which enables leaders from government and business to work together to increase Hispanic representation in corporate leadership and works with companies to develop best practices for recruitment, retention and executive development of a diverse workforce.

The event was the LATINA Style 50 Awards & Diversity Leaders Conference which recognized 50 companies identified as the best in the U.S. for Latinas to work for.

LATINA Style is a magazine that was founded, published and edited by the late Anna Maria Arias, daughter of Jess and Rita Arias, friends of Rep. Baca’s who were both elected officials in San Bernardino.

Rep. Baca cited Anna Maria Arias as an example to other Latinas and praised her for her hard work, determination and persistence in making her dreams come true by establishing and leading a magazine.

Rep. Baca also expressed his respect for his wife Barbara, his partner in business as well as in marriage.  He noted that the two of them created one of the first Hispanic-owned travel agencies in the Inland Empire and remarked that while helping to run a successful business Barbara was also a loving wife and mother.