EL PASO, (By Ken Flynn, El Paso Times) August 24, 2007 — The old saying in Spanish, that only the male's contributions to the household are valid, is fast becoming history as more and more Hispanic females earn graduate degrees and get higher-paying jobs.

A U.S. Census report shows that Hispanic women with advanced degrees — 2.9 percent of all U.S. Hispanic women -- had higher annual earnings, $58,623, than the group of all women with advanced degrees, $50,756.

"More and more Hispanic women are coming back to school to pursue graduate degrees to better themselves," said Linda Lacey, dean of the New Mexico State University graduate program. "The majority of the female graduate students are enrolled in education, followed by social work and the medical field."

Typical of the successful Hispanic women in El Paso with advanced degrees is Olga "Cookie" Mapula, who holds a master's degree in educational supervision and Spanish from the University of Texas at El Paso. Mapula owns Technology Communications Gateway and AdEdge Computer Training Center, companies that gross $1 million a year in sales.

"An advanced degree means a lot in the business world," Mapula said. "It gives the woman credibility. It helps validate skills, knowledge and education."

The census report indicates that in 2002, 203,000 Hispanic women in the United States had advanced degrees.

"Hispanic women should pursue graduate degrees," said Julie Lozano, city of El Paso spokeswoman who has a master's degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix.

Lozano, 35, divorced and mother of three children, said she is able to demand a better salary because of her graduate degree.

"With a master's degree there are many more options available for women," she said. "I decided to go back to school after I had been out and working for two years. I don't regret it."

Statistics from the University of Texas at El Paso show 1,658 women were graduate students in the fall of 2004, and 1,029 of them were Hispanic.

In the same period, 590 Hispanic men were enrolled as graduate students out a total of 1,232 male graduate students. Hispanics make up 56 percent of UTEP's graduate students.

Vivian Carrasco, who received her master's degree from the University of Oklahoma, said she hopes the doctorate she is seeking from UTEP will give her more job options.

"I'll be able to maintain the same standards I had on the East Coast when I get my doctorate," she said. "It's not all about the money. It's about being qualified for more job options."

At New Mexico State University, 626 Hispanic women were enrolled in graduate school, out of a total of 3,416 students of both genders. NMSU's total enrollment, graduate and undergraduate, is 41.4 percent Hispanic.

Mapula said Hispanic women for the past few decades have been progressing in educational and business circles.

"First you have to have the ganas (ambition) to get ahead," she said. "Then you have to get the education and training you need."

One of Mapula's companies, AdEdge Computer Center, provides job training, GED classes and basic computer skills for displaced workers and others who are trying to better themselves in the business world.

"Hispanic women have come a long way," Mapula said. "We've had to overcome a lot of obstacles. The old stereotypes of Hispanic women have changed. There is a better climate for success today because Hispanic women are more prepared than ever."

Alma Altamirano, who owns her own counseling service on the West Side, said Mexican men are changing as a result of the increased education of Hispanic women. Altamirano holds a master's degree in clinical psychology from a well-known Jesuit school, Universidad Ibero-Americana in Mexico City, and a master's degree in counseling from Webster University.

"Hispanic men are getting more interested in raising and educating their children and getting more involved in the home," she said. "We're still about 20 years behind, but there's a definite trend as Hispanic women become better educated."

Chuck Ambler, UTEP graduate school dean, said there is a shortage nationally of Hispanic women with doctorates, especially in science and engineering.

"We hope UTEP will be able to play a significant role in this area," he said. "We are also seeking Hispanics with doctorates to diversify our faculty."

Gloria Villaverde, who earned a master's degree in biology from NMSU and taught at El Paso Community College, is enrolled at UTEP, seeking a doctorate in environmental science and engineering.

"When I graduate in 2007, I'll be able to demand a better salary," she said. "My area of concern now is wastewater, so there will be many job opportunities."