Martha Niño Rodriguez is part of the only ~2% of underserved professionals in the Silicon Valley Technology industry. She hopes with this book others see they too can be in industries they never thought were for them. That we consider careers that are not typical in our families and we break cycles of what was to what could be. Her stories are the truth and have served as lessons to understand, “The Other Side”. The Other Side – The side that is unspoken.
The Other Side – The side that is tabu. The Other Side – The child’s side. She is a Mexican-born; the United States “adopted” immigrant. She was smuggled across the border as a child and given to a stranger in hope of a better life. She was undocumented, lived-in poverty, and got kicked out of school and despite those and many other obstacles in her life – for over 25 years she has been thriving in the competitive Silicon Valley Tech industry. She didn’t do it alone. It took believers who were patient and showed her how to get there. We need more believers. She hopes that with this book, you see the value in coming from different, that others see value in underserved backgrounds and that doors with opportunities are opened a little wider so those coming from different feel more comfortable coming in. She hopes her story gives hope.
I had the pleasure of meeting Martha who gifted me her book after telling me her story. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it made me think of how many times I have looked past those people without a second thought. This has helped me be more empathetic and understanding of the struggle that I have been fortunate not to have experienced. Martha has helped me realize that everyone you encounter shapes you. Thanks for that reminder and congratulations on your success. I will gift this book to someone else and ask that they do the same.