Last week, Electives teacher Susana J. Ferradas, Ph.D shared insights into the contributions of the Hispanic Diaspora with one of our partner companies in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Although Hispanic Heritage Month only runs  from September 15-October 15, it is important for us to continuously acknowledge and honor Hispanic Heritage, not within a constrained period of time. Here are a few key takeaways from the discussion: 


We need to celebrate role models and individual contributions made throughout U.S. history.

Winston Churchill once said that “History is written by the victors.” As a result of this, we typically learn one version of events throughout U.S. history. For example, we may have learned that President Johnson established Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 to commemorate the contributions of Latinx and Hispanic individuals, and President Reagan expanded it to a month-long celebration in 1988. But, did you know that the celebration was created because it coincides with the national independence days for many Latin American countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and El Salvator, to name a few?

Additionally, we do not typically learn about contributions made by Hispanic individuals. For example, Dr. Ferradas shared facts about healthcare contributions made by Latinx/Hispanic individuals. Did you know that Luis Miramontes co-invented the first oral contraceptive pill in 1956? Additionally, Claudio Castillo Levano invented the neonatal artificial bubble for high-risk newborns, a technique that is still used today. Furthermore, Miguel Angel Ondetti helped develop the first class of drugs called ACE inhibitors. One employee from our partner company (which is in healthcare) heard these stories and said, “Those facts on Hispanic contributions to healthcare were amazing to learn.”

The Latino vote is important, but not universal.

When we typically discuss contributions of the Hispanic diaspora today, we hear about it through the importance of the Latino vote, which has played a major role in recent political campaigns. However, it’s crazy for society to think that the “Latino vote” is one similar vote because there are so many people who come from so many different backgrounds. How can they all possibly share the same political views? Therefore, we can’t continue to assume that the Latino vote is universal. 

That being said, the Latino vote is powerful because there is a significant number of voters. For perspective, if the Latino/Hispanic population in the United States were an independent country, the U.S. Latino population GDP would be ranked 7th in the world! Therefore, political candidates need to better understand the unique challenges and stories within the Latino/Hispanic population in order to better support and advocate for varying needs.

We need to better understand the terminology within the Hispanic diaspora.

At the beginning of the class, Dr. Ferradas shared terminology that is used to describe individuals within the Hispanic diaspora. This was important because not all people within the Hispanic diaspora fit under one term. For example, Latino describes people from Latin America regardless of the language they speak. The term Hispanic describes people from Spain or Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America; this excludes Brazil as they are a Portuguese speaking country. The term Latinx describes people of Latin-American origin or descent. Furthermore, Afro-Latinx describes Black Latinos: people from Latin American countries with African ancestry. Class participants were grateful to have someone explain the difference between Latinx and Hispanic because they can take that away and apply it to their daily lives.

We as a society still have a lot of work to do.

One of the biggest takeaways from the discussion with Dr. Ferradas was very simple: we still have so much more work to do. In order to better support the Latinx and Hispanic communities, we need to think about how race intersects with social class. To learn more about intersectionality/the intersection between race and social class, check out this recent Boston University article. Additionally, Dr. Ferradas encouraged employees to think about how they (and the tech industry more broadly) can improve their hiring practices and retention metrics so that their organization may be more diverse and Latinx and Hispanic individuals can have successful careers in tech.

So, what are some ways we can honor Hispanic Heritage Month outside of September 15-October 15? 

Read a book that features Latinx/Hispanic characters

Support local Latinx/Hispanic businesses in your local community

Watch movies, documentaries, or TV shows that acknowledge a story of the Hispanic diaspora

Learn about the achievements of Latinx and Hispanic actors/actresses in the film industry

Donate to a local charity that supports the Latinx/Hispanic community

Connect with potential Latinx and Hispanic candidates for roles within your company and encourage them to apply

Last week, Electives teacher Susana J. Ferradas, Ph.D shared insights into the contributions of the Hispanic Diaspora with one of our partner companies in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Although Hispanic Heritage Month only runs  from September 15-October 15, it is important for us to continuously acknowledge and honor Hispanic Heritage, not within a constrained period of time. Here are a few key takeaways from the discussion: 

We need to celebrate role models and individual contributions made throughout U.S. history.

 

Winston Churchill once said that “History is written by the victors.” As a result of this, we typically learn one version of events throughout U.S. history. For example, we may have learned that President Johnson established Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 to commemorate the contributions of Latinx and Hispanic individuals, and President Reagan expanded it to a month-long celebration in 1988. But, did you know that the celebration was created because it coincides with the national independence days for many Latin American countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and El Salvator, to name a few?

Additionally, we do not typically learn about contributions made by Hispanic individuals. For example, Dr. Ferradas shared facts about healthcare contributions made by Latinx/Hispanic individuals. Did you know that Luis Miramontes co-invented the first oral contraceptive pill in 1956? Additionally, Claudio Castillo Levano invented the neonatal artificial bubble for high-risk newborns, a technique that is still used today. Furthermore, Miguel Angel Ondetti helped develop the first class of drugs called ACE inhibitors. One employee from our partner company (which is in healthcare) heard these stories and said, “Those facts on Hispanic contributions to healthcare were amazing to learn.”

The Latino vote is important, but not universal.

When we typically discuss contributions of the Hispanic diaspora today, we hear about it through the importance of the Latino vote, which has played a major role in recent political campaigns. However, it’s crazy for society to think that the “Latino vote” is one similar vote because there are so many people who come from so many different backgrounds. How can they all possibly share the same political views? Therefore, we can’t continue to assume that the Latino vote is universal. 

That being said, the Latino vote is powerful because there is a significant number of voters. For perspective, if the Latino/Hispanic population in the United States were an independent country, the U.S. Latino population GDP would be ranked 7th in the world! Therefore, political candidates need to better understand the unique challenges and stories within the Latino/Hispanic population in order to better support and advocate for varying needs.

We need to better understand the terminology within the Hispanic diaspora.

 

At the beginning of the class, Dr. Ferradas shared terminology that is used to describe individuals within the Hispanic diaspora. This was important because not all people within the Hispanic diaspora fit under one term. For example, Latino describes people from Latin America regardless of the language they speak. The term Hispanic describes people from Spain or Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America; this excludes Brazil as they are a Portuguese speaking country. The term Latinx describes people of Latin-American origin or descent. Furthermore, Afro-Latinx describes Black Latinos: people from Latin American countries with African ancestry. Class participants were grateful to have someone explain the difference between Latinx and Hispanic because they can take that away and apply it to their daily lives.

We as a society still have a lot of work to do.

 

One of the biggest takeaways from the discussion with Dr. Ferradas was very simple: we still have so much more work to do. In order to better support the Latinx and Hispanic communities, we need to think about how race intersects with social class. To learn more about intersectionality/the intersection between race and social class, check out this recent Boston University article. Additionally, Dr. Ferradas encouraged employees to think about how they (and the tech industry more broadly) can improve their hiring practices and retention metrics so that their organization may be more diverse and Latinx and Hispanic individuals can have successful careers in tech.

So, what are some ways we can honor Hispanic Heritage Month outside of September 15-October 15? 

Here are a few ideas:
Read a book that features Latinx/Hispanic characters
Support local Latinx/Hispanic businesses in your local community
Cook your own Latin inspired meal 
Watch movies, documentaries, or TV shows that acknowledge a story of the Hispanic diaspora
Learn about the achievements of Latinx and Hispanic actors/actresses in the film industry
Donate to a local charity that supports the Latinx/Hispanic community
Connect with potential Latinx and Hispanic candidates for roles within your company and encourage them to apply

How companies and employees can celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month during September 15-October 15 and beyond

How Companies and Employees Can Honor National Hispanic Heritage Month

Wed Oct 13 2021

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