Reflecting On How Hispanic Heritage Has Influenced Career Development

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we are excited to celebrate and appreciate the rich cultural contributions of our Hispanic colleagues. At IYF, we take pride in recognizing and valuing the vibrant heritage of the Hispanic community. Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is central to our mission, guiding our efforts to create a world where every individual’s unique background and perspective is appreciated. Our commitment to DEI extends beyond our work with youth; it also involves introspection and growth within our organization. To drive meaningful and lasting change, we have established a global staff-led DEI Council that works closely with local teams to ensure our approach incorporates diverse, on-the-ground insights. Discover more about our DEI Council here. For this special month, our dedicated staff members have taken the time to reflect on how their Hispanic heritage has influenced their career development, sharing their unique experiences and insights with us. 

My Hispanic heritage has influenced my career development in too many ways to list. However, the perseverance of my ancestors is deeply rooted in me and has strengthened me in career development spaces that were not traditionally designed for me. The essence of enduring strife, persisting, and thriving despite challenging circumstances has enriched my unique work experiences and reaffirmed my confidence in passionately and purposefully creating meaningful impact!

My Hispanic heritage has actually had a huge impact and influence on my career development. My parents are immigrants from the Dominican Republic, making me the first generation in my family to successfully complete and finish my education. Since I was younger, I would be reminded that we are being provided the opportunities that many in my family were not able to receive, and to be grateful and continuously always work hard until achieving my goals. My father has constantly always told me if you fall, always get back up, and to do whatever we want to achieve in life but always put our education first. In many Hispanic families, education, and completing your education, is something that is drilled into us from a very young age, especially from the tíos (uncles) and tías (aunts) during the holiday parties. But now, looking back at it many years later, having these values introduced to me at a young age has actually helped me to always stay focused on a very important milestone in my life, which was to graduate college and work at a company that helps me feel like I am making an impact for those that do not have those same opportunities when it comes to education. 

 My Hispanic heritage has influenced my career development in a lot of ways. As a first-generation college graduate—and the first of all my siblings and cousins to graduate with a Master’s—I always felt a pressure to be successful, to become something my family would be proud of, and to work hard enough to break generational cycles. It’s been a blessing and a curse, a motivation and a burden. I’ve always wanted to provide a better future for my family growing up, and I don’t think that’s a burden meant for adolescents and young people. It’s certainly not one I want my daughter to feel, ever. I think this is why my career development has always led me to organizations and positions dedicated to improving the lives of children, youth, and families. I know what it’s like to need help and to wish for more resources, and that drives me to work in a capacity that empowers and equips people in vulnerable situations. It’s a way of life for me. Even outside of work, I constantly find myself helping immigrant families navigate our U.S. systems, whether it’s translating letters from school, accompanying them to important appointments and meetings, or providing homework assistance to ESL students. I want to be the support that my mom and younger me needed when she moved us to the U.S. 

Reflecting on the various aspects that shape my identity, including my Mexican nationality and Spanish as my native language, has helped me grow as a youth development professional. Understanding the diverse social identity groups I belong to and their significance in a broader societal context has made me more mindful of what it takes to fully support and empower young people with their own unique and complex identities. 

I am proud of being Venezuelan and of my Hispanic roots. Being part of this community has given me a strong sense of resilience and adaptability that I apply in my life, including my professional development. Also, my native language is Spanish. Being bilingual has opened great opportunities for me to serve my community while continuing to grow in the workforce. I would also say that as a member of the U.S. workforce, I have gained a deeper appreciation for diversity and a wider perspective of the world. I hope that I am also contributing to allow others to do the same. 

If there is one thing my heritage has taught me, it is the importance of fostering a community and instilling a deep commitment to giving back. I grew up learning the importance of community and the solidarity you find in the people who make up your community. It has driven me to seek opportunities to help mentor, support, and uplift others on the same level that people have invested in me. I knew straight away I wanted to work either in a field or an organization where the mission is driven to create lasting impact, and it is no question that IYF’s commitment to uplift/invest in youth on an international scale was the perfect fit for me. 

Latino heritage has influenced every aspect of my life, including my career development. As a mixed woman, Latino heritage and culture have instilled in me and taught me to love, appreciate, and be proud of all the intersections of my being like magic. In Puerto Rico, la isla del encanto (the island of enchantment), it’s our culture, our beaches, our views, our music, dance, food, y la resiliencia de mi gente (and the resilience of my people). Everything is touched and infused with the sazón (flavor) and sauce of our African and Taíno ancestors like the perfection it is, we are. The real flex in life is how many lives we can positively impact. I walk each day in my purpose of life, not solely work or any one job, but in my 'why,' which is to reach and positively impact as many youth and young people as possible, whether in Puerto Rico or across our diaspora. To all our young people, you are my why. Not just as the CFO & EVP of IYF, but also as Chair of the Board of Directors at the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC), Latino heritage has instilled in me these values – Transformando vidas, juntos.