Latino Heritage Month is over, but that doesn’t mean we should forget about Latinos until next year! We celebrate Latino Heritage Month every year to honor Latinos in the United States. One month is a good start, but not good enough. Organizations don’t have to create year-long celebrations, but there is one thing they should all do. All organizations should focus on promoting inclusion with their Latino community.
The Data Supports Promoting Inclusion with your Latino Community
Latinos have become integral to the success of the United States and they are only becoming more important over time. According to the Pew Research Center, there are more than 57 million Latinos living in the U.S., making up 17% of the population! They are business owners, executives, essential workers, and students. Communities are led and propped up by Latinos all over the country.
Honor Latino Heritage by Promoting Inclusion
You can honor Latino heritage by promoting inclusion through your organization. Inclusion is the idea that everyone belongs and deserves to be treated with respect. You can support your Latino community by removing barriers that prevent them from feeling welcome.
Here are five ways you can promote inclusion with your Latino community:
Seek Input
Lean into your Latino community to understand their needs and desires. Ask them directly to show them how much you value their perspective. The last thing anybody wants is for a well-intentioned manager to lead a poorly planned and executed event for their Latino staff.
Provide Equitable Access to Information
Make sure your website is fully translated into Spanish and any other languages spoken by your target audience. You are doing a disservice to your community if you aren’t providing the same access to information that English speakers get.
Promote a Welcoming Environment
Make sure that all your marketing materials reflect the diversity of your community. Include images of people from different backgrounds and races, genders, orientations and abilities.
Donate Money or Resources
Donate money or resources to organizations that support Latinos in need such as United We Dream or Voto Latino. Even better, find a way to get involved personally on issues like immigration reform or education access.
Form a Latino Resource Group
Support the creating of a Latino Resource Group. This can empower Latinos in your organization to step up as leaders. Resource groups can be great ways for people to connect with like-minded individuals.
Get Results By Promoting Inclusion with Your Latino Community
Promoting inclusion has been shown to increase employee engagement, retention, and performance. By creating an environment that welcomes the Latino heritage of your staff, you are setting your organization up for success.
