draft for editing 2021 hispanic heritage month mib

MEETING IN A BOX

2021NATIONALHISPANICHERITAGE MONTH

Table of Contents

Timeline: Hispanic/Latinx History in the United

States 04

6 Hispanic/Latinx People Making a Difference 10

The Debate Around the Term "Latinx" 13Facts and Figures 16

Leadership Spotlight 19

From Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, we celebrate theculture of the diverse community ofpeople whose ancestors come fromSpanish-speaking countries as part ofHispanic Heritage Month.

This Meeting in a Box is a valuable tool toshare with employees as part of yourorganization’s cultural competenceeducation. This month, we will highlightthe contributions of the Hispanic/Latinxcommunity to the U.S. and the workingworld.

Introduction

NATIONALHISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

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1865 U.S. Navy Seaman Philip Bazaar becamethe first Hispanic Congressional Medal ofHonor recipient for his service carryingdispatch communications betweensoldiers onshore and the USS Santiago deCuba during the assault on Fort Fisher offthe coast of North Carolina.

1867 Following the defeat of the Frenchmonarchy, Mexico entered an era knownas the Restored Republic underPresident Benito Juárez, the first Mexicanpresident of Indigenous origin. Amonghis achievements were: the secularizationof the country to limit the Catholicchurch’s power in Mexico, the recognitionof his government by the United States,and the advancement of equal rights forindigenous peoples.

1893 The Garza Revolution, an armed conflictbetween the Mexican state of Coahuilaand Texas, came to an end. It was animportant confrontation that shaped theU.S.-Mexico border today and the lives ofthe people who occupy those lands.

1902 Cuba gained independence from the U.S.as the Republic of Cuba. The country’snew constitution allowed the U.S. toretain the right to intervene in Cubanaffairs and supervise its finances andforeign relations. The Platt Amendmentallowed the U.S. to lease the GuantánamoBay naval base.

Historical Timeline

MEETING IN A BOXNational Hispanic Heritage Month

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1914 The Panama Canal officially opened onAug. 15, completed at the cost of morethan $350 million. It was an event thatwould reshape global trade and helpedestablish the U.S. as a global power buthad a tremendous cost in the century tocome, changing the landscape anddemographics of Panama permanently.

1918 The Hispanic American Historical Reviewprinted its first issue. Latin Americanhistorians who felt the AmericanHistorical Association had marginalizedtheir cultures sought to create aninstitutional structure that would providea scholarly journal to examine LatinAmerican history.

1893

Historical Timeline (cont'd)


1928 Octaviano Larrazolo became the firstMexican American to serve in the U.S.Senate. The former governor of New Mexicohad been serving in the New Mexico StateHouse of Representatives when U.S. SenatorAndrieus Jones died. Larrazolo won theelection that would see him serve for theremainder of Jones’ term.

1929-1939 With backing from the U.S. FederalGovernment, cities and states began massdeportations of Mexican and MexicanAmerican residents to Mexico. Estimates ofhow many people were deported range from355,000 to as many as 2 million, with 60% ofthose being first-generation U.S. citizens ofMexican descent, predominantly children.

1942 World War II drastically changed the U.S.views and policies toward Mexicanimmigration. The governments of the U.S.and Mexico jointly created the bracero(laborer) program, which encouragedMexicans to come to the U.S. as contractworkers to support wartime industries.

1952 Puerto Rico proclaimed its constitution andwas approved by the United StatesCongress, officially establishing a formalgovernment structure to include a legislativebranch, an elected governor and a judicialsystem based on civil liberties.

51952

1928

1942



1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhowerinstitutes a controversial programknown as “Operation Wetback” inwhich the U.S. government detainedand deported more than 1 millionpeople. Rhetoric blaming immigrantsfor low wages led to the policy, whichwould only last a few months due tofunding and a lack of support afteragriculture was severely disrupted.

1959 Ritchie Valens, the first-ever MexicanAmerican rock and roll star, was killed ina plane crash in Iowa along with BuddyHolly and other musicians on Feb. 3 (anevent often referred to as “The Day theMusic Died”). Valens was the creator ofthe famous song “La Bamba.”

1962 Civil rights activists César Chávez andDolores Huerta establish the NationalFarm Workers Association to advocatefor migrant workers’ rights. In the 1960s,it became the United Farm Workers ofAmerica.

Rita Moreno wins the Academy Awardfor Best Supporting Actress for her rolein West Side Story. She goes on to winan Emmy, Grammy and Tony Awardduring the 70s, becoming the firstLatina actress to win all four majorawards (commonly referred to as“EGOT”).

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1963 The last baseball game ever played at NewYork’s historic Polo Grounds was the first andonly Hispanic All-Star Game. Hall of Famerssuch as Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda,Luis Aparicio and Juan Marichal were allfeatured in the game.

1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson signs theImmigration and Nationality Act of 1965,better known as the Hart-Celler Act. Thereform bill ended the quota system thatallotted immigration opportunities based oncountry of origin. The act gave priority tohighly skilled immigrants and those withfamilies already living in America.

1973 As the U.S. government officially recognizedthe word “Hispanic,” the Dade CountyCommission unanimously passed a resolutionfrom Miami's mayor making Spanish the city'ssecond official language and creating adepartment of bilingual and bicultural affairs.Later that year, Maurice A. Ferré was electedMiami's first Hispanic mayor and the firstPuerto Rican to lead a major U.S. mainlandcity.

1962

https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1951-2000/Immigration-and-Nationality-Act-of-1965/

https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/18/archives/latinization-of-the-miami-area-is-showing-no-signs-of-abating.html

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/maurice-ferre-elected-mayor-of-miami-first-puerto-rican-mayor



1975 The Voting Rights Act of 1975 makesbilingual ballots a requirement in manyareas.

1986The Hispanic Association of Colleges andUniversities was founded to championhigher education for Hispanic students.The Hispanic Association on CorporateResponsibility (HACR) was founded toadvance the inclusion of Hispanicprofessionals in corporate America.

1987 The National Hispanic LeadershipInstitute addresses the lack ofrepresentation of Latinas in corporations,politics and nonprofits.

1989 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen becomes the firstHispanic woman elected to Congress.

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1990 Antonia C. Novello becomes the firstwoman and Hispanic surgeon general ofthe U.S.

1993 Ellen Ochoa becomes the first Hispanicwoman to go to space.

1995Dreaming of You, the posthumous albumby Selena, becomes the first predominantlySpanish-language album to debut at No. 1on the Billboard 200.

1999 California’s controversial 1994 ballotmeasure called Prop 187, which sought tostop illegal immigrants from receivingbenefits or public services in the state, wasstruck down by a federal court mediation.Judges labeled most of it asunconstitutional, declaring that the statecannot regulate immigration and that nochild will be deprived of education orhealthcare due to their place of birth.

1989

1993



2001 Representative Luis Gutiérrez proposes thefirst version of the Development, Relief,and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM)Act, granting citizenship to those whoentered the U.S. undocumented aschildren.

2003 Hispanics have become the nation’s largestminority group yet remainunderrepresented in workforce leadership.

2007America Ferrera becomes the first Latina towin Outstanding Lead Actress in a ComedySeries for her role in Ugly Betty.

2008Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights winsthe Tony Award for Best Musical and goeson to produce the equally successfulHamilton.

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2009 Puerto Rican Sonia Sotomayor becomesthe first Latina Supreme Court Justice.

Richard Gonzalez becomes the CEO ofAbbVie, achieving status as one of thehighest-paid CEOs without completing acollege degree.

2012 The Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals(DACA) begins under President Obama. Itallows those who entered the U.S.undocumented as children to haveeligibility for a work permit and a two-yeardeferred action from deportation.

2017 “Day Without Immigrants” protests takeplace across the nation to show thegovernment how valuable immigrants areto the economy. These protests getwidespread media attention and raiseawareness about immigration issues.

2001

2012



2018Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez beats out Joe Crowley, alongtime representative of New York’s 14thcongressional district.

Antonio Neri becomes the CEO of Hewlett-Packard.

Esteban Hotesse, the only Dominican to serve as aTuskegee Airman during WWII, was posthumouslyawarded the Congressional Gold Medal for hisbravery. Hotesse was one of the airmen who stoodup against the Army's segregationist orders andwent on to reach the rank of second lieutenant. Hedied in July 1945 on his 68th mission with the allBlack squadron. He was 26.

2020 The Supreme Court blocks efforts to end DACA,ensuring that 700,000 young immigrants can workand study in the U.S. without fear of deportation.

18.7 million voters (around 1 in every 10 votersnationwide) were of Latin American descent in2020, with a historic 53.7% of the Hispanicpopulation eligible to vote. For the first time in thehistory of U.S. presidential elections, Latinos born inthe U.S. voted at the same rate as naturalizedcitizens.

2021 U.S. Census Data revealed that the Hispanicpopulation of Texas is now equal to the whitepopulation of the state before accounting forundocumented immigrants, signaling a shift in thestate’s demographic makeup in the coming yearsas Hispanic voters and consumers will become themajority.

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2018

2021

6 Hispanic/Latinx People Making a Difference


Chef José Andrés The famous chef and restauranteur is also the founder ofWorld Central Kitchen, a nonprofit devoted to providingmeals in areas where natural disasters have occurred. Hewas awarded the National Humanities Medal for 2015 and isconsidered an influential figure best known for bringing"tapas"-style dishes to America. In 2021, Jeff Bezosannounced that Andrés would be one of the first tworecipients of the Courage and Civility Award, which comeswith a $100 million donation from Bezos. Andrés haspledged the award toward doubling food aid efforts atWorld Central Kitchen in a continued effort to fight hungerand food insecurity.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez The representative from New York’s 14th congressionaldistrict has too many legislative and politicalaccomplishments to list in a paragraph. She couldn’t even fitthem neatly into two minutes of rapid dialogue for herYouTube channel and the list will continue to grow followingher re-election in 2020 with 72% of the vote. She’s become atarget for right-wing attacks and rhetoric but has stood tallin the face of everything to co-sign 78 pieces of legislation,14 of which were signed into law. She’s not been short oncharity work either. In late 2020, the 31-year-oldcongresswoman live-streamed the game Among Us onTwitch on numerous occasions to encourage everyone tovote in the 2020 election and also to raise $200,000 for foodbanks, eviction defense legal funds and communityorganizations.

In any group of people, there will be stars, influencers, leaders and philanthropists. Butonce in a while, those special few people prove to be the complete package. Let’s takea look at some of the Hispanic community’s most influential difference-makers doingtheir part to lift marginalized communities.

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https://www.diversityinc.com/aoc-livestreamed-among-us-on-twitch-to-encourage-everyone-but-particularly-young-people-to-vote/


Indya MooreThe model/actor of Puerto Rican and Dominican roots hasbecome a star on screen and off it due to their work as anactivist for transgender causes and advocation ofshowcasing realistic representations of trans people onscreen. In 2020, the star of FX’s Pose raised funds to helpBlack and trans people navigate the uncertainty of COVID-19. In 2021, Moore teamed up with Tommy Hilfiger to launchthe TommyxIndya collection to create gender-fluid fashionoptions.

Carmen Maria MachadoLook at a list of the most influential sci-fi or horror fictionwriters of all time and you’re likely going to see a collectionof mostly white male faces. That may be changing with thearrival of Machado, however. The 35-year-old author from Pennsylvania has establishedherself as one of the most influential voices in sci-fi, fantasyand horror writing of the last decade. She’s a regularcontributor of short stories and essays published in TheNew Yorker and other literary magazines, breakingboundaries for LGBTQ authors through her explorative,genre-bending work.

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Mj Rodriguez Another star of FX’s Pose, Rodriguez has gone beyondfilm and stage to kickstart a music career underMichaela Jaé. The breakout star has also moved intotrans activism, particularly the Black Trans Lives Mattermovement. The winner of the 2018 Hispanic HeritageTrailblazer Award, Rodriguez has supported and helpedfundraise for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight EducationNetwork (GLSEN), which works to ensure safe schoolsfor all students, and The Trevor Project, an advocacygroup focused on suicide prevention among LGBTQyouth.


Discussion Questions for Employees How should companies look to highlight the achievements and contributions ofHispanic/Latin American citizens more?

Many of the people mentioned here showcase how intersectionality makespeople and their experiences complex. How do you think that intersectionalitychanges their experience as Hispanic/Latin/Latinx citizens?

Belcalis Almánzar, aka “Cardi B”A controversial figure to some because of her song lyrics orspending habits, the rapper known as Cardi B has done hershare to lift people up in the past year. After donating morethan $1 million to coronavirus relief funds, she gave anothermillion to fans via Cash app and 20,000 meal supplementsfor New York area hospitals to distribute to medical staff.She followed that by challenging her detractors onInstagram to post their receipts of what they’d donated tocharity and offered to match them in giving to those samecharities.

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More than 20 million Latinosidentified with more than one race on

the 2020 census, up from 3 million in 2010.

As inclusivity has taken center stage inour culture and workplaces, new termsand phrases are adopted to ensure thatwe’re as intentional in our language aspossible. Who that language is for and how we useit is an important part of its developmentthat can’t be overlooked. Sometimes, anew term begins to be usedinterchangeably with another that meanssomething different. For example, youmay have noticed how some people useAfrican Americans when referring toBlack Americans. Similarly, this is true ofHispanics, Latin and Latinx, the latter ofwhich has been a source of divisivedebate.

Throughout the last 60 years, Americancorporations, media outlets andpoliticians have searched for a singleterm that could capture the diverseinterests, political agendas andexperiences of people from LatinAmerican cultures. Each of these efforts,be it Latin American,

The Debate Around the Term "Latinx"


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Hispanic, Latino or Latinx, has generatedcontroversy of its own.

Sometimes, adjustments to terminologyare made yet don’t quite suit the culture— or worse, they don’t make it easy forthe people those terms that aresupposed to serve to identify with thelanguage used. Many have begun towonder about the use of Latinx andwhether it’s a culturally appropriate wayto create inclusive language aroundLatin American culture.

Writing for Mother Jones, activist andauthor John Paul Brammer said theusage of the term Latinx increasedfollowing the 2016 shooting at PulseNightclub in Orlando, Florida, when agunman killed 49 clubgoers and injuring53 others during a “Latin Night” event.Latinx is a gender-neutral compromisefor those who didn’t identify as “Latino”(male) or “Latina” (female), as is the casefor many within the LGBTQ community.



Ks – as in “tax” or “example”Z – as in “xenophobic” or“xylophone”Gz – as in “executive” or “examine”Kzh or Ksh – as in “luxury” or“obnoxious”Silent – as in “faux pas”

A Linguistic Issue The term is reflective of a mentality ofgender-neutral inclusion, but notnecessarily Hispanic culture or thelanguage that permeates it: Spanish.Pronounced “La-TEEN-ex” by people in theEnglish-speaking world, the phrase doesn’ttranslate well or phonetically to thelanguage that many of the people it’smeant to represent.

The letter X is always preceded by a vowelin Spanish, meaning Latinx isn’t consistentwith Spanish linguistics. As a result, somehave proposed alternatives such as “Latinu”or “Latiné.”

Pronunciation is important because theletter X is often used in so many differentways that just the mere sight of the wordLatinx could be confusing. On paper, it mayappear to those new to the term as a typo.When speaking, X can be used to replicatea variety of sounds in both English andSpanish, so much so that linguistssometimes call it a “phonetic chameleon.”

Examples of sounds X include:

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Writing for Mother Jones, activist and authorJohn Paul Brammer said the usage of theterm Latinx increased following the 2016shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando,Florida, when a gunman killed 49 clubgoersand injuring 53 others during a “LatinNight” event. Latinx is a gender-neutralcompromise for those who didn’t identifyas “Latino” (male) or “Latina” (female), as isthe case for many within the LGBTQcommunity.

After more than a decade of usage, andafter the term Latinx was added to theMerriam-Webster Dictionary in 2018, youmight expect it to be widely adopted bypeople within the Latin and Hispaniccommunity, just as it is in corporatediversity pamphlets.

According to an August 2020 study fromPew, that simply isn’t the case. Only 25% ofthe Hispanic population has heard ofLatinx, while roughly 3% actively used it.The majority of those who use the termare younger people, with 7% of those aged18-29 using it compared to just 2% ofpeople over 30.

The research also shows that Americansprimarily use the term, most often by well-educated people who tend to lean left onthe political spectrum. This has led criticsto conclude that the use of Latinx is anexercise in political correctness rather thanserving the people it aims to include.



As you can see, the letter X is versatile. Forthe non-English speaker or someonelearning and using English as a secondlanguage, this can be difficult to understandor get right every time in simple terms.

In Spanish, the letter has some similar usesand some that are completely different,such as an “H” sound in names like “DonQuixote” or the Spanish pronunciation of“Mexico.” Speakers of certain Spanishdialects pronounce X with a “sh” sound;Xela, Guatemala’s second-largest city, ispronounced “SHEH-lah.”

Beyond the language, the culturalperception of the letter X is differentbetween the countries that make up LatinAmerica. As Billboard’s Leila Cobo notes, inMexico or Colombia, a person referred to as“equis” (X in Spanish) is the equivalent toJohn or Jane Doe. It also could beinterpreted as “nobody” or being someonewith a bland personality.

There are also varying cultural and symbolictranslations of the letter X throughoutcenturies. It has a long history of being anumber or symbol of representingsomeone being incorrect, evil, dangerous,exact, unknown, prestigious, canceled out,pornographic or it denoting a status, death,quantity, size, generation or chromosomes.

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This one letter has such varied meaningsthat by its very nature, it is ambiguous andubiquitous. For those in search of a termthe encapsulates their identity and lifeexperience, it’s not surprising that Latinxhasn’t been met with widespread embrace.

What Can You Do?While the search goes on for a neater wayto create an inclusive language for theLatinx population, the best thing thatcompanies and their HR teams can do inthe meantime is simply learning andrespecting how these individuals self-identify.

In the end, people will use language toexpress their life experiences how they seefit. Many will embrace language thatalready exists, but in either case, the termsused do not create the person’s reality.Ultimately, this is what you are trying togive your respect, empathy andconsciousness to.

For a growing number of people, Latinxmakes sense and is something theyidentify with. Those numbers may continueto grow as widespread media usage andthe government’s application of the termwields a certain amount of influence overthese matters. But for those who don’t,perhaps it’s time we let them set the termsthey are most comfortable with.

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/9514370/latinx-term-latin-community/


How should colleagues establish an understanding of their Latinx peers and theirpreferred ethnic and gender terms? Is it inappropriate to ask questions about theirethnic identity? What can we do as a company to be more supportive of our Latinx colleagues?What do you think about American influence over Hispanic language and culture?

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Discussion Questions for Employees

Facts and Figures After discussing Hispanic/Latinx history and identities, the next step is to look at the availabledata to understand why equality for Hispanic and Latinx people has profound demographic,financial, educational and business benefits, addressing issues that these communities face orhave overcome.

Here, we also include DiversityInc’s exclusive data on Hispanic/Latinx leadership andemployment in our Top 50.

Demographics

Hispanic/Latinx in the Workforce - DiverisityInc Top 50


Education

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States with the Highest Hispanic/Latinx Population


Buying Power

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Finances


The data shows an education gap for Hispanic/Latinx citizens. Why do you think that isand what can be done to address it in corporate America?

As the Hispanic/Latinx population grows, so does its buying power. How do you thinkcompanies need to change their ways of doing business to better serve thisdemographic and thus improve the outlook for the business?

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Discussion Questions for Employees

Leadership Spotlight Perhaps the most notable workplace trend of 2021 has been the number of people leaving it. It’snow referred to as the “Great Resignation” as people come to the grip with the finite nature of lifeand opt to seize the day by pursuing careers in new fields they find more invigorating andfulfilling.

This mass movement of talent is also becoming known by some as the “Great Opportunity.” Withincreased turnover and hiring on the rise, there has never been a better time to develop apersonal brand that can be used to pursue the career you’ve always wanted.

For Hispanic/Latinx professionals looking to reshape their futures, developing their personalbrand around their abilities is as easy as it is for everyone else, but building it around theirpossibilities is an opportunity that should not be left for another day. To help with that journey,here is some advice from Hispanic/Latinx and diversity leaders on how to go about reshapingyour career.

"We cannot change the past and we may not be able to change our presentcircumstances. What we can do is choose positivity over negativity andaction over inaction. We can choose to meet adversity with resilience anduncertainty with inquisitiveness. We can seize the smaller win that leads tothe bigger victory. Opportunity is always present. Personal growth should beconstant. Choose to look ahead, go forward, and live fully.” –David Rodriguez, Global Chief Human Resources Officer, MarriottInternational


"Bring intention and purpose to all the paths you pursue and the challengesyou take on. As you navigate the new opportunities in today’s changingbusiness world, it is a welcome relief to meet someone who is purposefuland mindful of their personal growth.” –Salvador Mendoza, Vice President, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion,NBCUniversal

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"Behind every great personal brand is a story. Beyond your career, you carryan identity that brought you to where you are today. Think through thatidentity and the path you followed to arrive at your current destination. Whowere your guiding lights? How did your experiences support your interests?What skills do you possess? How do those skills play into your strengths?Then, craft your narrative and tell your story as you’re building relationshipsin person or via your professional networks online. Use your résumé as aplace to continue the dialogue. Call out the unique skills you have, such asbilingual fluency, critical thinking, agile project management, or strategicplanning. Remember that your diverse cultural heritage and background area dynamic plus as our country and world continue to diversify. Lastly, don’tworry about having a plan. Stay open to new possibilities. Some of the bestcareer choices and opportunities happen unexpectedly.” –Carly Sanchez, EVP of Talent Acquisition and Diversity Recruiting,Wells Fargo

“Building a personal brand may sound intimidating. To help you get started,ask close friends, family and coworkers you trust to help you identify yourbrand elements. Do not be afraid to be vulnerable. If English is not your firstlanguage, use that as a strength because it shows you are bilingual or multi-lingual, which can be a competitive advantage. Be open and willing to takerisks, share your personal story about what differentiates you, and do not beshy about the value you bring. Be authentic and genuine about it. Have aclear vision on what you want to do next and go get it!” –Tony Tenicela, VP Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Sodexo USA

The U.S. population grew by 22.7 millionpeople from 2010 to 2020. Hispanics/Latinxpeople accounted for 51% of this increase, a

greater share than any other group.

draft for editing 2021 hispanic heritage month mib

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