Patricia Rosa said she learned the word “wages” when she was around 7 years old. Rosa was translating her father’s taxes, a Mexican immigrant in Chicago. She recalls not knowing what it meant, so her father passed her a dictionary so she could find the meaning. Now, she is the senior vice president of First Women’s Bank.
First Women’s Bank is the only women-owned, founded, and led commercial bank in the U.S. focusing on raising women’s economic growth. Despite the continuous increase in women’s economics, the gender gap in access to capital is significant. According to the First Women’s Bank, women obtain 16% of conventional business loans and 4.4% of the total dollar amount, creating business barriers.
Rosa grew up with her parents in Logan Square and Humboldt Park. “My parents never spoke a word of English. My dad was a construction worker. My mom never worked,” said Rosa. “Their focus was to take advantage of everything. I tear up because it’s really important to them, and you have to do it for them. Now that my daughter is second-generation, it is important to me that she speaks Spanish.”
Rosa said showing pride in her roots is vital because it is part of her life, from her breakfast to why her daughter feels proud of her heritage.
Before joining the First Women’s Bank, Rosa was in banking, where most employees were male and white.
Right before she joined First Women’s Bank in 2021, she was the only woman in a group of 25 and one of two Latinx. Now, she feels relieved to finally be in a bank where she feels supported and part of the community.
“When you compare where I am now, we are the majority,” said Rosa. “It’s inspiring because you know that we’re working for the same purpose, working towards that mission.”
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Maria Jose Arango is a third-year journalism and legal studies student at Northwestern University. Her background as a Colombian immigrant raised in Miami fuels her passion for advocating for and amplifying the voices of her communities.
Publisher’s Notes: This story, among others, was produced by undergraduate students in the bilingual reporting class at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media & Integrated Marketing Communications. Led by Prof. Mei-Ling Hopgood, the class aims to help journalism students practice sensitive and ethical engagement and reporting with multicultural communities in Spanish and English. Students visited the Illinois Chamber of Commerce Business Expo at Navy Pier this fall and interviewed local business owners.