Sandra Alva is an excellent example of a woman who overcame the stereotypes associated with being a tall woman and a big busted one. A tall woman in the United States is often associated with strength, aggression and sexuality whereas a big busted woman is often depicted as passive, submissive, and/or sexless. For example, did you ever think that the first female President of the United States was a large-breasted woman? Not only did she overcome these preconceived notions about her physical attributes, but she overcame them by becoming the most powerful First Lady in America! Sandra Alva certainly accomplished what she set out to do when she entered into a physically imposing marriage with a much smaller man.
So what exactly did Sandra Alva accomplish by becoming the first African American women President of the United States? Well, besides the fact that she finally got to be an important and influential global leader, Sandra Alva accomplished something very important as well; She made tall women look taller. By taking a larger burden off of her shoulders and overcoming the physical limitations of her height, Sandra Alva not only achieved a new level of self-confidence and independence, but she accomplished a new level of respect for the physically challenged. Because of this, she was able to help guide young girls to take on their own ambitions and pursue careers in a profession that they have never even considered before.
It is very interesting that there is still so much pressure on women to conform to traditionally ‘womanly’ occupations in the workforce such as doctors, teachers, etc… While all these occupations require certain skills, some are very physically demanding and physically impractical. However, there is one occupation that requires virtually no physical skills, yet it is one of the most prestigious and highly paid occupations in the world today; The President of the United States! By overcoming size issues and getting involved in a physically demanding career, Sandra Alva showed us that even though we might not be able to achieve the heights of professionally successful men, we can still achieve a lot of success in a very challenging profession.