[media-credit name=”Courtesy Images by Christopher Martinez” align=”alignright” width=”199″][/media-credit]America’s most renown Latina playwright crafts inspiring stories of strong, independent women who buck convention to chase their dreams.

Josefina Lopez has a great role model – herself.

Creativity, intelligence and determination are traits most parents try to instill in their children, but for the daughter of a campesino (a peasant farmer), this was not the case. Lopez grew up in San Luis Potosí, Mexico with seven brothers and sisters. Once a “commoner,” she is now a successful playwright, screenwriter and author of works like “Real Women Have Curves,” “Simply Maria” and “Detained in the Desert.”

Lopez challenged a Mayan Hall audience to question why men were seen as more important than women, especially in a traditional Mexican home.

“The fact that I was intelligent and creative as a woman was such a burden,” she said. “If I had been born a boy, those would’ve been incredible assets.”

Lopez has become a motivational icon for women everywhere. Emotion filled the theatre as she talked about the difficulties of growing up in a society where women are demeaned for not following traditional ways.

“Most of us sell out to be liked rather than to do what is right,” she said.

Lopez said the power of the media to instill a seed of hope and courage is strong and should be used to promote freedom, justice and equality.

Growing up she tried to make her parents proud and worked hard every day to meet their standards. Today she knows the best way to do that is to do what you love and do it well. Her mother came to the premier of the film version of “Real Women Have Curves.”

“She said she was proud of me for the first time,” said Lopez.

Women cannot just stand by, complain and do nothing when they are degraded.

“You have to shut up or do something about it!” she exclaimed. “We all have to honor our spirit because otherwise we die if we don’t.”