Latina Leadership @ OWA
A Q&A with Ana Martinez
OWA Senior Campaign Manager Anastasia (Ana) Martinez was inspired from a young age to work for political change because of the inequities she experienced in the Toledo public school system. She holds a B.A. in Public Policy from The Ohio State University along with a Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Instruction from Boston University. Over the past 5 months, Ana been participating in the Latina Mentoring Academy, where she and other Latina professionals developed a program to combat food insecurity in Columbus. She has also been instrumental in planning Columbus-area Hispanic Heritage Month activities taking place this month! As Hispanic Heritage Month continues, we celebrate Ana and all Latine leaders who fight for Reproductive Justice.
How does your identity as a Latina woman impact your work for reproductive justice?
In the Latine community, the idea of a village being part of your upbringing and family extending beyond blood is huge. My entire childhood, regardless of the zipcode I was in, I always felt safe and secure in my neighborhood because of my village. This is a strong value of mine and informs my work in reproductive justice every day- this idea and value of children being able to grow up in safe and sustainable communities.
What inspired you to get involved in policy work?
Being the first person in my family to attend college came with a lot of culture shock. It was immediately clear to me that my upbringing was an outlier at this institution and I wanted to know why. This led me to study public policy for my degree which answered my question of why- structural racism woven into the foundation of our nation. So now I’m left with one major question I strive to answer every day through community engagement and policy- “How do we change that?”.
What leaders do you look to for inspiration?
I’ve been extremely fortunate to meet incredible people, be mentored by leaders in the policy space, and those experiences are invaluable. But when it comes to inspiration and what lights the fire in my belly, it will always be my parents- Atanacia and Stephen Martinez. The older I get, the more in awe I become by their perseverance and determination to create a loving, safe, and strong home for me and my brothers.
What advice do you have for folx who are interested in getting more involved with reproductive justice?
My biggest piece of advice is to take the first step. Figure out what you’re good at, what you love to do, and where that fits into the reproductive justice world. Are you an extrovert and love planning events? You’d be an excellent organizer! Are you more of an introvert and love numbers and data crunching? Guess what- RJ needs data wonks too!
How do you refuel or practice self-care?
My favorite form of self-care is lighting some candles, grabbing some good snacks, curling up on the couch with my partner and my cat and watching a good show!
What are you listening to, reading, or watching right now?
Listening to: Latina to Latina — an incredible podcast!
Reading: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Watching: Light & Magic on Disney+