My mother used to tell me, “Get an education. Have a career so that you never have to financially depend on a man.” Having grown up in poverty, she was the first in her family to earn a college degree, becoming a nurse in Cuba before immigrating to America. She believed that education wasn’t just a path to a career – it was a path to freedom.

For families like mine, success wasn’t measured only by income. It was measured by giving the next generation choices their parents never had. The women who raised my generation weren’t rejecting marriage or family. They simply wanted more for their daughters.

We followed their advice. We earned our degrees, built careers and achieved the financial independence our mothers prayed for.

Over the past two decades, Latinas have made remarkable gains in education, careers and income. Their median hourly earnings have increased by 22% since 2003, and more Latinas than ever are earning college degrees. For many young Latinas, economic independence is no longer the goal – it is the starting point.

Today, many aren’t looking........

© USA TODAY