I think that as a Latin woman, a person of color, I see that there is a difference in the way that I am treated. The services provided to me, and my community, and my family [should be the same] provided to white people, to people with more money. So, since the beginning I saw the difference. But instead of saying, “Well, that’s the way things are,” I’ve always had the energy to want to change things. I’ve always wanted justice. And I will die wanting social justice.
Isabel González-Webster was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 2nd, 1979. She grew up in Brooklyn and went to Clara Barton High School. She lived and worked in Brooklyn as a translator until she moved to Worcester in 2008, where she has now worked for five years. Isabel does not have any children, but has seven nieces and nephews. She is married to Angelique Webster. She identifies herself as a Boricua (native from Puerto Rico) or a woman of color. She does not practice a religion and, until recently, served the city of Worcester as the chief of staff for Mayor Joseph O'Brien. In this interview, Isabel talks about her struggle with assimilation and speaking in Spanish and English. She also talks about social justice and the program in which she participates called the African Children Education Program (ACE). This program educates immigrant African refugees now living in Worcester.