who are the Sandoval Sisters?
Elva, Nora & Jessica
The Sandoval Sisters
From Jalisco, Mexico to Baja California the Sandoval family eventually set roots in South Pasadena. The Sandoval sisters attended Arroyo Vista Elementary, South Pasadena Middle School, and High School. They recalled a time when Arroyo Vista’s mascot was still a unicorn. Although surrounded by strong and powerful women with an unbreakable bond, each sister, Elva, Nora, and Jessica were able to have unique shared and personal experiences. Throughout their childhood, the parents of the Sandoval sisters insisted that they maintain their native language and speak Spanish at home. Their parents stressed the importance of education. As their father was unable to pursue education, Elva noted that their father said “regardless of how women traditionally grew up to have children, my father rejected this and from the time that we were old enough to understand it we knew we were going to college.” Additionally, it was important, especially while growing up, to keep their culture and language alive in the Sandoval household, therefore their parents were very diligent about them only speaking Spanish at home and going to school to learn English. Having immigrated at a young age and being the eldest, Elva knew no English when first starting school, and was immersed in this new language on her own. By the time she went to first grade she had a basic knowledge of English, however, faced many challenges with her reading and speaking in English. Yet, although Elva struggled, her hard work and perseverance made way for her ability to help guide her sisters when they began to learn, going to school themselves. For Nora, Spanish as well was her first language, but she already knew how to read and write in English by the time she was in kindergarten because of her older sister Elva. Nora remarked that when she was four years old Elva would take her underneath a tree at their home where they would play school and Elva was her first teacher. As a result, Nora was able to excel in reading and writing, being top of her Kindergarten and 1st grade classes. When Jessica entered elementary school, as the youngest she already was speaking English and had two sisters to support her early learning. At times it was a challenge for Jessica to speak Spanish at home, however, she was so incredibly grateful for her father's insistence that she speak and learn Spanish.
Over time, each individual sister combated prejudice and racism but was always reminded by their father to continue to stand tall in the face of adversity, ask questions and speak up for what you believe in. All sisters represent their own different time periods, however the social stigma and microaggressions that people of color often receive followed them throughout their academic careers at South Pasadena. In their own way, each sister had to also deal with the socioeconomic discrepancies that aligned with the wealthy neighborhood they grew up within as first-generation Americans in an immigrant family. Both Nora and Elva distinctly remember the anxiety of going to the grocery store and hoping no one would go see them signing off on the WIC checks for their mom or using food stamps to pay for their groceries. Although the two did mention that prior to being exposed to the overwhelming insecurities that develop as we mature, they enjoyed signing their for their mother, because it made them feel special, Elva even stated that their mom “was a coupon queen!” All three sisters were excellent students and were able to seek higher education, attending the University of California Berkeley. While there each Sandoval sister was able to step into their own and truly feel as if they could finally have a space and place where not only are they seen, but so was their culture. Overall, the impact of living within a supportive family of humble beginnings has contributed to the amazing accomplishments of each Sandoval sister.
Elva’s Story
The eldest of her family, Elva was the role model, setting an example for her siblings on how to deal with an ever changing world full of bias towards people of color. Oftentimes growing up, Elva was reminded by her father that there were no excuses of “I cannot do it” or that she was unable to because she was Latina. “Nothing that hurts more than when you receive prejudice from your own people, no one knows your experience,” Elva stated. Elva’s family had a transnational experience, crossing the border monthly sometimes for dental care. She is proud of her culture and its contributions to society, and unfortunately, throughout her high school experience, Elva had to deal with the demoralizing ignorance on school campuses. She told the story of her first day in civics class in which the teacher tasked one nameless girl to pick one word to describe each person in the class. As if this wasn’t uncomfortable enough, when she got to Elva the girl hesitated and described Elva as “ethnic.” There was a lack of understanding and appreciation for other cultures and an apparent disdain to differentiate between minorities that further contributed to her and other minority students’ ongoing sense of isolation. Nonetheless, Elva persevered, excelling in sports such as softball and school activities like the French Club.
Elva graduated in 1987 from SPHS, but even back then the microaggressions still occurred and were manifested in many different ways. Once she was accepted into UC Berkeley there were little whispers of “affirmative action works” or “will see if she can make it” or “I didn’t know you were smart Elva” behind her back, degrading her worth. When she finally left South Pasadena Elva felt like she was able to be treated with a level of acceptance by society. Elva noted that it took moving to UC Berkeley to understand the level of ignorance at that time in South Pasadena, and understood that it was not like that everywhere.
While at Berkeley Elva majored in Sociology and minored in Education. In addition to school, Elva also started The Raza Recruitment and Retention Center where she was a director of an amazing organization that not only provided camaraderie and support among the incoming Latino students, the organization also helped familiarize students with facilities/services that were available to Latino students at UC Berkeley. It functioned as an outreach to the larger Berkeley community including workshops and information to encourage students in middle and high school to go to college and receive a higher education. The Raza Recruitment and Retention Center was completely student-run, focusing on the social awareness side, as well as being involved with students and their education. Elva added that this was something that she vividly enjoyed because she was on the social side, whereas her sisters were involved in business and political science. Today, Elva is currently the executive director of the non-profit organization Families Forward in Pasadena which is a multi-generational learning center that makes a large impact on the community and her sisters applaud her for how incredible she is in the work she does. Elva is a truly amazing asset to our community.
Nora’s Story
Thriving throughout her formative years due to the wonderful help of her older sister Elva, Nora’s kindergarten teacher, Ms. Lorde treated her in a very special way because of her advanced skill set in reading. Nora described elementary school as wonderful, however it was not until SPMS and SPHS that things began to get more complicated. As a Latina with a fairer complexion Nora faced a double-edged sword. She often saw racism/colorism from both sides because non-minorities felt comfortable sharing their honest opinions with her especially when going to school every day and seeing it manifested in different ways. One example of blatant racism Nora vividly remembered during her high school career stems from their Homecoming theme and dance entitled “South of the Border”. Nora noted, “That’s where the real racism came out, where I just saw it strictly in my face… people were dressed up in sombreros and ponchos, wearing billboards that were green that said green card on it… I’ll never forget this one girl who was wearing a green card outfit that had a photo of a dark-skinned man named Pablo Lopez, which just happened to be the name of one of my uncles…and I was sitting there looking at her and was thinking ‘Oh my god, are you kidding me? This is awful.’”
However, despite the cultural barriers she faced during her time at South Pasadena, Nora stayed on track and was very involved in school all four years. She was the Associated Student Body (ASB) Freshman and Sophomore Class Treasurer and during her Junior and Senior years, she was a part of Pep Squad. Nora noted that although she loved ASB, sports were her thing and there she learned much about her identity and what it takes to be on a team. She lettered all four years in Softball and Cross Country. Additionally, Nora remembered being crowned a Homecoming Princess her Freshman year, yet there was a lack of representation on the court, therefore she aimed to try and break through the racial and socioeconomic barriers between her and her classmates. “My homecoming dress was made by my tía, I designed it and she made it… even though yes, I was involved, I still felt different… Representation matters, it is important that you represent,” At one point in her senior year, through her father’s connection, Nora was able to have Edward James Olmos come and speak at a school assembly, “So here I am, a high school senior and I get this actor to come and speak… I worked with the assistant principal at the time who was amazing, and we got Edward James Olmos to come to South Pasadena High School. I introduced him, and I had this moment of ‘wow’, as he spoke of the current events of the time in the middle of the 92’racial unrest and then mariachis played after.” This was a huge step in bringing Latino culture to the school and an eye opening experience for the student body. Growing up in South Pasadena Nora was able to explain at a young age why she was proud of where she came from and who she was, therefore by the time Nora reached her senior year, she purposely got her class ring with the Mexican flag to embrace her cultural heritage.
“As soon as I got to Berkeley I was known as Elva’s little sister,” Nora stated. “But soon she made a name for herself!” Elva chimed in. When Nora was in college she majored in political science where she was introduced to influential Chicana feminists such as Cherríe Moraga –Latinas that truly spoke to their experiences as multilingual, immigrants adapting to a new country. One inclusive opportunity for Latinas on campus were sororities, and Nora was ethically opposed to the concept of having to rush and be chosen. “As Latinas we struggle already on so many different levels and ways, you just want community, you should not have to be selected to be a part of something,” she further elaborated. From this she and her friends came together to start a Latina organization called Trenza where she was co-chair, which has now continued at UC Berkeley for almost 30 years. Nora explained how it incorporated academic success, sisterhood and service, being a truly wonderful experience to not only organize, but be a part of. At Trenza they did a lot of service for the community, had parties to fundraise, provided scholarships for Latinas at Berkeley, as well as aimed to spread social awareness. Trenza was a time for Latinas to have their own space, to be themselves and not have to code switch noting that it is nice to see that it is still thriving today. In addition to Trenza, Nora also helped found the Chicano Latino Political Science Organization. Although she noted that the organization is no longer around anymore, it was geared towards including the sprinkles of Latina political science majors and emphasized the impact of politics on the Latino community. They hosted debates with professors that Nora moderated such as Sandy Muir, the speechwriter for the Bush campaign, as well as on other topics of discussion such as the Reagan legacy. “We had to exist because things were not being talked about in that way,” Nora elaborated.
After graduating from UC Berkeley with a major in political science and a minor in ethnic studies, but also falling in love with education and sociology Nora decided to stay in Berkeley and worked as a peer counselor. She met her husband and once they had their son they wanted to be closer to family. Her husband, also being from a small town in the Central Valley, liked the small town feel of Nora’s hometown, South Pasadena, which had changed dramatically from the days Nora went to school there. For a while she worked at a middle school after their move, but her passion was higher education, and was soon hired at USC. Currently, Nora is an administrator at the USC School of Engineering and has been there for about nine years. Nora works in student affairs and is the executive director for student engagement at USC. She looks at student experiences as a whole, stepping away from focusing on just academics, but moreover all of their co-curricular pieces. At USC, Nora is one of the higher ranking Latinas at the Engineering School and she knows her representation is impactful and vocalized, “Every single day I am showing up as a Latina, as a Mexicana, whether it is through the hiring I am doing or working and supporting students or even just showing up in a room where I am the only person of color… I know what that means and truly believe that representation does matter.” Nora has now received her Master’s degree at USC and is currently in a Doctoral program at the Rosters School of Education, “Which is full circle because the dean there is my former professor from Berkeley!” she added.
Today as an adult and parent Nora has many achievements and accomplishments to be recognized. She is extremely proud of her children who are a part of the South Pasadena Elementary Dual Immersion Program and are able to learn in a different context. Nora added that the Monterey Hills Elementary School principal has been very open and supportive of celebrating Latino culture. That has been emotional for her because of the stark contrast of her upbringing within South Pasadena due to the lack of representation she experienced, “To see that now and have our kids’ experience, it is absolutely surreal.” Additionally, UC Berkeley celebrated influential women last year, as they do every year, and Nora was nominated for this prestigious recognition of 150 Women of Cal Berkeley. Nora stated that you nominate women of Berkeley to be acknowledged for their accomplishments. “That to me was such a humbling experience, you do all these things and you don’t realize what impact you make… until after the fact… That was such a wonderful honor, especially coming from a former mentor.” Finally, through the Chicano Alumni Association at Berkeley their family came together to establish a scholarship fund. Still being and staying involved is something that is important to Nora.
consejos/advice for the next generation of Latinas & Youth
“Adelante siempre, the social capital that you have and the knowledge that you have as multilingual, if you are, or bicultural is tremendous… And then growing up in South Pas. it is even greater… And the reason for that is that by getting through here you not only have social capital because of your ties to your culture/ethnicity and what they represent but growing up here you have learned to adapt to social capital all over… It may not feel like it right now, it may not feel like a lot, but everything you have had to endure as someone from a marginalized community on top of being a woman gives you and equips you in ways that you never thought possible.”
Jessica’s Story
Being the youngest and having two older sisters who were already attending UC Berkeley Jessica felt very empowered and knew that she was going to college. When she was in elementary school, her parents always maintained a level of focus and discipline which she felt really helped her to succeed. Jessica excelled in her academic career at an early age and saw her desire to continue to learn as a mentality that was instilled within her own education. From both her sisters and parents, Jessica understood the value of putting your family first, as well as the importance of maintaining a strong work ethic. However, still through school, Jessica had to find ways to combat the microaggressive comments and subtle notes of racism that resided within the community. She elaborated that the prejudice she received could almost go unnoticed as she received comments from classmates that suggested, “Jessica you’re not one of them,” phrased as if it were a compliment to her. Nonetheless, Jessica made the most out of her high school years, despite her feeling that everything was very different from a cultural perspective. When at South Pasadena High School she was in ASB all four years–Freshman treasurer, Sophomore class president, Junior commissioner of finance, and Senior the first Latina ASB president. She was highly encouraged and motivated to get involved in leadership from her sister’s active leadership roles at UC Berkeley. In addition, Jessica competed in a multitude of sports including Cross Country, Track, Soccer and Softball. Running especially was something she enjoyed and has kept with. She took on captain roles in two of her sports and felt that they were a place to build friendships outside of her core group of friends. Now, full circle, her children are involved in the Dual Immersion Program in South Pasadena which is very indicative of the importance of culture in their family.
Following in the footsteps of her sisters, Jessica attended UC Berkeley as well, majoring in business. To let the tradition continue, Jessica took over the co-chair position at Trenza, the Latina empowerment club that her older sister Nora had started. Additionally, because Jessica was interested in business she started LBSA which was the Latino Business Student Association. The ambitious community she found within LBSA was empowering as everyone was focused on supporting each other getting into the highly selective Haas School of Business. They were like a family and were exactly the push and structure she needed. In order to get into Haus School of Business Jessica explained that students must first apply as undeclared and then are able to transfer at the end of their Sophomore year if they wanted to major in business. Furthermore, she talked about how incredibly competitive the school is and the severe lack of representation in which Native Americans, African Americans and Latinos combined were beneath 5% in acceptance. But, Jessica’s hard work and perseverance paid off and she was accepted into the Haas Business School, an incredible achievement of hers. Jessica was able to succeed at both Haas Business School, internships and LBSA, crediting the LBSA community and staying on the board of the organization. Unfortunately, during the middle of Jessica’s Sophomore year, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Rather than seeing her diagnosis as a setback, Jessica’s MS motivated her to push further and helped her realize how much she could do. She was determined to accomplish her goals, even recalling a time when she was unable to feel her fingers while taking a final, but nevertheless persisted. However, Jessica leaned on both her sisters, particularly Nora, stating, “Knowing and having family there and finding the strength in that was wonderful.” While at Cal the first internship she got was through InRose, an organization that helps POC (people of color) college students interested in business positions seek out internships. This was the importance of service that her parents emphasized as they were incredibly involved in their church and this compassion she has carried on in her own life. Additionally, Jessica made a point to find opportunities to work with young students in her work-study jobs. At Berkeley High School she helped run the early academic outreach program for lower-income students and the tutoring program at the dual immersion for one of the elementary schools in Berkeley. “For me those experiences were very meaningful to me,” and even to this day Jessica stated that, “I always try to keep my foot in something service oriented.” Jessica earned an internship with Deloitte Consulting, later on asking her back every summer until she eventually received a full time offer after her graduation from UC Berkeley. Jessica graduated from Haas with a BS in Business and a Global Management concentration as she wanted to study abroad and take upper division Spanish, she studied in Monterrey and earned a certificate there.
Once graduated, Jessica started working in strategy and operations and recalled, “It was an amazing job, I loved it. There is no other job that I can imagine in which you get the level of exposure and experience that you do in management consulting. It was very fast paced, very demanding, and everything I enjoyed… but it was also very stressful.” Having to work long hours, traveling a lot, and falling asleep with her computer still on, took a toll on her health and due to her battle with MS Jessica had to stop working at Deloitte full-time after a couple of years. Although, because she liked the work in strategy and operations Jessica went to work for a company, Open World Wide, that was less demanding, doing operations from home. At the same time Jessica also knew that she had always had a passion to do something in education, thinking that if she got her MBA she could pivot her career into education. Ambitious and determined to go back to school, Jessica was accepted into the consortium program at USC for her MBA, applying to internship opportunities for MBAs interested in education. She interned as focused on their budget and creating better models for teacher pay. When Jessica began to interview for full-time positions at LAUSD or at firms because she was in her second MBA year her health was rapidly declining. Due to this, Jessica decided to do consulting and take a step back from pursuing her education. Once she started having children Jessic’s health deteriorated, although she is hopeful that she can get back into a space in the future to pursue her career passions she reflected, “Motherhood has been a huge accomplishment and as a young, very career driven woman I would never have imagined myself saying that… Not because I never understood the importance of motherhood, my mother is amazing and I feel so fortunate to have grown up with the mother that we have, but more so because of how important my career has been to me.” Now with limitations due to health and a newfound understanding and purpose that resides with her children.
consejos/advice for the next generation of Latinas & Youth
“Always keep moving forward, and always look around at who else you can help too… Never lose sight of that and when feeling overwhelmed just remember that there is always someone else along the way that needs help too, especially in our community. Look for help and ask for it, but also offer it to the people along the way as well.”
