"Women of Color in Corporate Management: A Statistical Picture," the results of the study conducted by the research organization Catalyst and available for purchase on its web site (www.catalystwomen.org ), notes that in 1997 only 5.2% of the 2.9 million American women holding administrative and administrative jobs were Hispanic. Moreover, 60% of minority women managers are employed in some of the lowest paying industries:� retail trade, professional and related services, and finance, insurance, and real estate. On the other hand, "Working Women" (Hispanic Business, November, 1998) mentions another study that shows Hispanic women opening their own businesses at four times the national average.

The tendency for Hispanic women to start businesses was one of the topics of a roundtable discussion of five successful Latina women chaired by the Los Angeles Business Journal and reported under "Latina Experience in L.A" in the February 28, 2000 issue. The reason cited was simply the absence of career growth opportunities in mainstream corporations due to stereotyping.

The participants recognized, however, that there are now more Hispanic women in business schools and in the workforce in general, suggesting that the situation may improve in the future. The companion article "Tight Labor Market Means More Openings for Latinas" reports that graduating business managers are now being pursued by management consulting and start-up companies, while before opportunities were primarily in marketing and finance. The same issue of the journal highlights women who have overcome such obstacles in "20 Up-and-Coming Women in the Latino Community" and "Latinas Making Great Strides in Elected Positions."