Refined by Fire: Examining Acculturation, Resilience, and Crucible Experiences of U.S. Latinas in Public Relations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to examine how crucible experiences (i.e. transformative life experiences) influence the leadership development of U.S. Latinas in public relations. Through 24 in-depth interviews with mid-management and senior-level Latina public relations leaders, the findings suggest that crucible experiences differed between immigrant and first-generation Latinas and non-immigrant Latinas in topics such as language expectations (proficiency in English or Spanish), bicultural identity, cultural and social isolation, and access to power structures. They met their career and personal challenges mainly through advocacy, seeking instrumental support, and resilience. This unique inquiry fills the literature gap by proposing a new theoretical framework that examines how intercultural identities and crucible experiences influenced their PR leadership development, and underscores the growing importance of DEI in public relations.

KEYWORDS:

• Latinas in public relations
• acculturation
• crucibles
• DEI
• intercultural identities
• resilience

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to give very special acknowledgment to the women who gave their time, trust, and rich insights to make this research project possible. Additionally, the authors would like to thank Dr. Maria Len-Rios for her invaluable support and feedback on this study.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.