Daniel Farbiarz, a Florida Atlantic University student, watched his mother move to Florida from Colombia three years ago with dreams of building a better future. But despite holding a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, she found doors closing at every turn.

“She would go to interviews and come back excited, saying they liked her, but they never called back,” Farbiarz said. “Even now, at her current job as an assistant teacher in Boca Raton, she feels like she’s treated differently because she’s one of the few Hispanics working there.”

According to an article by the Pew Research Center in 2023, the gender pay gap is the difference in earnings between men and women, and it has barely changed in the past two decades in the U.S. In 2022, American women earned 82 cents for every dollar men made, only slightly up from 80 cents in 2002. However, Latinas earn significantly less, falling well below that average.

Latinas working full time, year-round, earn just 58 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men, according to a report in 2024 from the National Women’s Law Center.

Although there was a penny improvement in Latina’s average earnings in 2023, the overall wage gap remains significant. When part-time workers are included, the pay gap for Latinas widened to 51 cents for every dollar, down from 52 cents last year, according to a 2024 report from the National Women’s Law Center.

In practical terms, this pay gap can result in a loss of nearly $1.3 million over a 40-year career, according to CNBC. Farbiarz explained that his mother experienced this firsthand when she discovered that her white coworkers at the private school where she works enjoyed benefits she was never offered. 

“Some of them just ask for a raise and get it, or they get better benefits like discounted tuition for their kids. My mom never even knew those were options, and they are all women,” he said.

A 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report highlights how the earnings disparity affects Latina women across different occupations. In management and professional-related fields, Asian women earn about 30% more than Hispanic women, while White women earn 15% more and Black women earn 3% more. 

Jorge Duany, director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University, highlighted the economic challenges faced by Puerto Rican women in particular.

“Even though Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, their economic outcomes are often worse than those of other Latino groups,” he said. “When a Puerto Rican moves to the mainland, their citizenship is often questioned, and their qualifications are undervalued, leading to persistent economic disparities.”

Duany also pointed out that Puerto Rican women have historically been concentrated in lower-wage sectors, such as garment work, which collapsed in the 1980s and forced many into unstable employment with few benefits.

Cristalís Capielo Rosario, a Puerto Rican associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Counseling Psychology at Arizona State University, believes that while education is crucial in addressing the gender pay gap, it alone does not eliminate the disparity.

“Even when we may have degrees or significant work experience, the assumption is that we don’t know or that we’re not prepared,” she said.

She also shared a personal experience explaining that she repeatedly asserted her expertise on a topic being discussed, yet her white male peers insisted that someone else should be consulted.

“I was consulting with a student for their dissertation, and despite my expertise, I was told to consult someone else. It’s an everyday experience,” she added. “This persistent perception, rooted in systemic discrimination, significantly affects the wages of Latinas across various sectors.”

Farbiarz shared a similar situation with his mother. When she finally found a job as an assistant teacher at a private school in Boca Raton, she started facing discrimination from her co-workers. 

“She has been working hard to improve her English. She started a course last year, and now people can understand her just fine. She speaks slowly and clearly,” he said. “But her co-workers act like they can’t understand her and always ask her to repeat herself in a rude way.” 

One day, when she asked a teacher if she could help with anything, the response shocked her. 

“The teacher told her, ‘No, I’m ok. I’m the teacher. Obviously, you can’t even speak English. So you don’t have that good of an education. Just let me know if the kids ask you anything,’” He said it was one of the most hurtful things his mom had experienced.

Farbiarz’s family initially came to the U.S. to escape political turmoil in Colombia, but despite their hopes for better opportunities, they came with the proper documentation to work but still faced challenges that made them long for home.

“We wish we never left,” Daniel admitted. “All of our family and friends are back there, and it’s home. But the opportunities here for my future are better.”

Beyond education, Latinas face structural barriers in the workforce. According to the Economic Policy Institute, Hispanic women with a college degree still earn 36.4% less than white men with the same education level, a gap nearly identical to that of Hispanic women without a high school diploma.

Jane Caputi, professor of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at FAU, noted that in order to understand the existing pay gap, it is necessary to understand that gender roles continue to align Latinas with jobs perceived as “women’s work,” such as caregiving and cleaning.

“Even though these types of jobs are utterly necessary to society, they are low paid because patriarchal cultures expect women in the home to do these jobs and to do them for no compensation,” Caputi said.

Farbiarz shared that his mother remains hopeful and dedicated to her job, even though discrimination persists. 

“She loves what she does, but she knows she has to work twice as hard to be treated the same,” he said.

Hispanic women’s participation still falls behind that of Hispanic men and all men overall, according to the Economic Policy Institute report.

“Latinas are not, of course, a unified group. Some with origins in Argentina, for example, make much more money than others with origins in El Salvador and Guatemala. Colorism, or discrimination based on skin color, can be a factor,” Caputi said.

The wage gap among Latinas varies widely by community. Honduran women typically make 47 cents, Guatemalan women 48 cents and Salvadoran women 51 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men. This occupational segregation means Latinas are more likely to be in lower-paying jobs while being underrepresented in higher-paying sectors, according to the same report.

“Many Latinas are pushed into jobs seen as traditionally female, such as domestic work and caregiving, where they are not only paid less but often lack benefits such as health insurance and paid leave,” Caputi said.

For Farbiarz and his family, the future remains uncertain. They are grateful for the opportunities they have in the U.S., but they still miss their home every day. 

“We hope Colombia improves because we’d love to go back,” he said. “But for now, we’re trying to make the best of it here.”

This story is in the UP’s latest print issue Vol. 31, “Women in Paradise,” which can be found in the distribution boxes around the Boca Raton campus or in the Student Union room 214.

Sofia De La Espriella is the Editor-in-Chief of the University Press. Email sdelaespriel2022@fau.edu or message her on Instagram @sofidelaespriella for information regarding this or other stories.