Hispanic Heritage Month '24

Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) is a time to celebrate and recognize the impact Hispanic Americans have made to history and culture of the U.S. This year’s theme is Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.

The 30-day celebration started on September 15th - a significant date for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua that marks their independence.

While the real change is at the systemic level, there are actionable steps we can all take to support our communities or be an ally.

Note: For this newsletter, I am using the terms Hispanic & Latino/a/x interchangeably and have abbreviated them (H&L) throughout where necessary. Always ask how people want to be addressed or how they identify before assuming.

👤 For Individuals

Invest in Learning More: During important months like Hispanic Heritage Month, understanding the history, contributions, and experiences of Hispanic & Latino/a/x Americans allows us to be informed to better support initiatives that address inequities and advocate for presentation, which is often underrepresented in mainstream narratives, and corporate America.

Pronounce Hispanic & Latino/a/x Names Correctly: If you’re unsure how to pronounce a name or surname—just ask! This also applies to spelling names correctly, especially in emails. When this is done incorrectly, its considered a microaggression, because it lacks consideration of an aspect of one’s identity that is closely linked to their heritage.

Pro Tip: Copy and paste if you’re not confident!

💼 For Organizations

Organize Employee-Led Groups: If your workplace doesn’t have employee-led groups (affinity groups, ERGs, BRGs, etc.) already in place, this is a good starting point.

• Review data of your employee demographics to understand whether an employee-led group for this community would even make sense, or if you should focus on an allyship group. This will inform what type of programming makes sense.

• Partner with HR or your People Team to survey employees on what types of groups they’d like to see. A Hispanic & Latino/a/x group may come up. If not, it might indicate a need for allyship training or point to trust issues that need to be addressed.

• Start small. Not every employee-led group needs to be an ERG or BRG. Sometimes these groups work best when the focus is first simply on networking and building community.

Support Existing Employee-Led Groups: If your workplace already has employee-led groups, great! Let’s dig into how you can support them during Hispanic Heritage Month.

• Create toolkits and frameworks to support HHM planning.

• Ensure budget spend is aligned with the group’s annual goals.

• Meet regularly to check-in and confirm the group doesn’t need support from HR / People Team.

• Assign Executive Sponsors, if you don’t already have them, to help the ERG work towards their goals.

• Create visibility for the ERG to share upcoming events and encourage employees to join and increase engagement.

Host an Educational Panel: Consider organizing a panel discussion that educates employees on the history and impact of Hispanic & Latino/a/x communities and/or emphasizes the importance of allyship. Storytelling is another option - panels that highlight the contributions and experiences of your Hispanic and Latino/a/x employees creates a platform for authentic voices and fosters a deeper understanding of the unique challenges within these communities.

Pro Tip: If you opt-in for storytelling, make sure this initiative is optional for employees and provide a survey form for them to volunteer. Signaling employees out can be awkward if they’re not interested or ready to be their authentic selves, and that’s okay!

Enact Equitable Policies: It’s great that your organization wants to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, but what are you doing at a systemic level? As a leader or manager, if you’re not creating or providing opportunities for employees to thrive, everything else is performative.

🤝 For Both

Support Hispanic & Latino/a/x Owned Businesses: While H&L businesses are on the rise and heavily contributing to the American economy, entrepreneurs and small businesses still face a ton of financial challenges. In an article published by Forbes, ‘Latino-owned businesses encountered lower approval rates for loans over $50,000 compared to white-owned businesses and less than 1% of all venture capital funding in 2021 allocated to Latinos.’

As an organization, you can build a supplier diversity program to financially support underrepresented founders, or simply form corporate partnerships with organizations that aim to empower these communities. There are a ton of organizations looking for support - all it takes is a simple Google search.

The same goes for individuals looking to make an impact. When shopping or going out for a bite, take the extra time to look for small businesses that represent the community. We all know you’re going to spend the money, so why not spend it where it counts the most? You could also give back with your time - many non-profit organizations are looking for mentors and volunteers who have specific skill sets or backgrounds in a specific field where they can lend their knowledge and help the community.

❗️Celebrate Year-Round: While months like Hispanic Heritage Month are necessary and important to start the conversation, it's important to consider that the actions we engage in this month only have real impact if we’re committed to them throughout the year.

LATEST REPLAY 🎥

In partnership with Prospanica, I had the privilege of being a guest panelist for Women’s Equality Day and shared insights on how women can use their voices and platforms to challenge stereotypes and advocate for systemic change.

Watch the replay here!

IN THE MEANTIME…

✍️ Reply and let me know what specific topics you want to learn more about or share any questions.

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