No Más Máscaras: What Latina Leadership and Autism Taught Me About Masking at Work

When my son was diagnosed with autism at age 3, I didn’t understand what masking meant.

But soon, I began to see it everywhere.

The world around him—therapists, teachers, and even well-meaning support systems—was already teaching him to suppress his natural ways of being.
He was encouraged to quiet his stimming.
To make eye contact.
To behave “normally.”

Not to be himself.
To perform himself.

And it broke my heart.

Because I realized—I had been doing the same thing my entire career.

When Latina Leadership Meant Masking to Survive

As a Latina climbing the corporate ladder, I knew how to mask before I even had a name for it.

I softened my accent.
I smiled when I disagreed.
I filtered my bold ideas to avoid being labeled “too much.”
I worked twice as hard for half the visibility.

I wasn’t being celebrated for who I was.
I was being rewarded for how well I could blend in.

That wasn’t professionalism.
That was survival.

A Turning Point: Watching My Son Thrive Without Apology

My son didn’t choose to mask—he was taught to.

And so was I.

But I didn’t want him growing up thinking that belonging meant erasing who he is.
I wanted him to thrive, not perform.
To be seen, not just tolerated.
To lead his life—not survive it.

So I started the unlearning process for myself, too.

I dropped the masks.

I stopped shrinking to fit into rooms that couldn’t hold my fire.
I stopped code-switching just to make others comfortable.
I stopped asking for permission to be powerful.

And I started building new rooms—
Where Latinas don’t have to prove they belong.
They just lead.

Con Voz, Con Fuego, Sin Máscaras

Today, I walk into boardrooms with my voz, my vision, and my roots intact.

I don’t filter my voice to make people comfortable.
I don’t question whether my presence is “too much.”
I don’t apologize for taking up space.

Because just like I’m helping my son thrive without apology, I now help Latina leaders do the same.

Because masking doesn’t just silence us—
It burns us out.

If You’ve Been Masking at Work, I See You.

You were never too loud.
You were never too emotional.
You were never too much.

You were just in a space that didn’t know how to hold your brilliance.

🔥 It’s time to rise without hiding.
💥 It’s time to lead sin máscaras.

💬 Ready to Lead Without Burning Out?

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Con corazón y fuego,
Dr. hc Carmen Paredes
Latina Leader | Keynote Speaker | Coach