Emily Loya Ep. 28 - The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a loosely defined region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Hear the story and the surrounding mystery as Emily says, "I lost my Dad to the Bermuda Triangle." Emily served her country in uniform as both a member of the armed forces and donning a nurse's uniform to serve the medical needs of other servicemen and servicewomen during the Vietnam war era. Following active duty, she continued her commitment to health and wellness as a home health skilled nurse, and subsequently attending to the needs of those placed in hospice care; all while raising four children with three who followed her lead and becoming members of the uniformed armed forces.
Top Takeaways:
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- Understanding what it meant to cross racial boundaries and marry someone from another race in the 70s
- How racial discrimination is perceived in different parts of the US
Hear about the many racial and gender inequality challenges people in the 70s had to deal with as narrated by Emily.
""You need to fight for what you want. If you speak up, you get what you want. If you don't, nothing changes." -Emily Loya
Interracial Marriage Was Against the Law
In 1960 interracial marriage was forbidden by law in 31 USA states. Emily crossed that boundary. Emily tells about how she faced discrimination in a variety of ways, from her marriage to gender discrimination in the military.
Women were approved to serve in all combat roles in 2013 and in February 2019 a federal judge in Houston ruled that a military draft that applies only to men is unconstitutional. But is it over? At the same time, there is disturbing evidence that traditional gender attitudes and behaviors persist in the military.
Listen in to hear about the three military generations Emily's family turned out to be.
Key Moments:
Emily narrates the death of her father at the Bermuda Triangle and the mystery it still is [1:21]
Why she chose a career as a military nurse, married a military pilot, and later had her children joining the military [6:43]
The different areas of nursing Emily practiced over the 45 years of her career and why she settled for home health [13:39]
She describes what it was like to be married to a Mexican and having mixed-race children in the 1970s [15:31]
The only white woman in the family- Emily describes her very racially diverse family [22:17]
She narrates her experiences with gender discrimination in the military and how things are progressing better today [30:04]
Resources:
Is There Still Discrimination in the Military?
Is There Interracial Marriage Discrimination Today?
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