Born in Acapulco, Mexico, Mariana Rodriguez migrated to Oshkosh with her family at 8 years old. While her family came to the U.S. for a better life, Rodriguez encountered difficulties no young person should face.
She witnessed her father experience exploitation in his career as a tailor. And eventually, as a teen, Rodriguez experienced dating violence herself.
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Her work today is dedicated to stopping cycles of trauma for future generations of Latinx individuals and their families. After graduating from Alverno College – the first in her family to earn a college degree – Rodriguez worked with male offenders at a halfway house and then as a drug and alcohol counselor.
She grew concerned about the lack of resources for survivors of violence, especially Latina immigrants who may not speak fluent English. “If these women didn’t have a long-term plan and support in divorce, immigration services and housing, they were actually going back to the perpetrator and the violence became much greater for them,” Rodriguez says.
Determined to help, Rodriguez joined a Latina Consortium focused on supporting these women. Eventually, she was hired by UMOS, a nonprofit that advocates for underserved populations, and launched the group’s Latina Resource Center. The center is the state’s first bilingual program for Latina survivors of domestic violence.
It began with a mere $50,000 budget. Twenty-three years since the center’s opening, Rodriguez and her staff of 15 have raised millions of dollars and lead programs that address teen dating violence, human trafficking and more. The center also trains local organizations, from Catholic churches to law enforcement, to better serve those who have experienced abuse.
In the end, the Latina Resource Center provides the support Rodriguez wishes she and her family had all those years ago. “It’s so important to have people who can listen and say, ‘You didn’t deserve this. There’s better for you.’”
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