by Diana Castro Vasquez

Julian Castro once said, “In the end, the American dream is not a sprint, or even a marathon, but a relay. Our families do not always cross the finish line in the span of one generation. But each generation passes on to the next the fruits of their labor.” 

In the United States of America, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans and their ancestors, who came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America and other countries. The celebration of Hispanic Heritage lasts from September 15 to October 15. President George H.W. Bush became the first president to declare September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month on September 14, 1989.  

Every year there is a different theme for the month. This year’s theme is “Prosperity, Power, and Progress.” This year will focus on recognizing the significant achievements of the Hispanic community in the economic and political industries. Yrthya Dinzey-Flores, the Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Social Impact and Sustainability at Justworks, states that “there is still a lack of representation of Latinos at every level of our society, even though we make up 18 percent of the U.S. Population… only three percent of Latinos occupy positions in the corporate executive suites and only eight percent of private tech sector jobs.” This is a fact that is easily Googled, with most cities stating that Hispanics make up about 19 percent of the U.S. population but make up less than 11 percent in higher management jobs of any kind.  

We do not hear much about Hispanic important business figures. Sure, we hear about Hispanic musicians like, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. But when you think about important business figures you think of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. You never think about Hispanic figures even though there are many, Nina Garcia, Daisy Auger-Dominguez, José Hernandez, Susana Martinez, José Morey and Gaby Natale to name a few. 

Nina Garica is a fashion icon who has appeared on the Peabody award-winning show Project Runway since 2004. She is the editor-in-chief of Elle, author and a judge on the Bravo/Lifetime reality television program Project Runway since its first season. She has also written many books, ‘The One Hundred,” “The Style Strategy,” “What to Wear for Any Occasion” and “The Little Black Book of Style” to name a few. Garcia recently was awarded the “Individual Achievement Award” from the Hispanic Federation to showcase her career achievements as a respected Hispanic professional. Daisy Auger-Dominguez is recognized as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women by People en Espanola. She has worked for global organizations such as Google, The Walt Disney Group and Viacom. She is also the founder of Auger-Dominguez Ventures.  

José Hernandez is an enginner and former NASA astronaut. He is best known for \working as a mission specialist on the NASA STS-128 mission. He also became the first person to use the Spanish language in space while tweeting. He also ran for candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012.

Susana Martinez became the first New Mexico Hispanic female governor in 2011. She was governor from 2011 to 2019 and she served as chair of the Republican Governors Association from 2015 to 2016. She was named in Time Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People in the World. Martinez is currently serving as a board member for the Foundation of Excellence in Education and an advisory board member for the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation. 

José Morey is the founder and CEO of Ad Astra Media LLC, a company that provides STEM content to Hispanic people to encourage diversity throughout the industry. One of his goals is to bring more diversity into the STEM world. He is also the author of “Latinx Business Success: How Latinx Ingenuity, Innovation, and Tenacity are Driving Some of the World’s Biggest Companies.”

Gaby Natale is the first Hispanic woman to win three daytime Emmys back-to-back during her time on SuperLatina. She is currently the President of AGANARmedia, a content development and experiential marketing company that focuses on Hispanic audiences that serve Fortune 500 companies.  

One important thing to do is inform. Many people, outside of this Hispanic community, do not know about Hispanic Heritage Month. This is something that should change both in the workplace and in school. This is a month to celebrate the rich culture of Hispanics. Hispanics come from many different backgrounds and countries, each country with its unique culture, foods, music and traditions. Greensboro College has a couple of activities that will take place, most hosted by Juliet Lowery with the Sankofa Center.  

Ricky Martin once said, “Every day begins like a blank chalkboard, on which each one of us can write the poem of our present and our dreams of the future.” All the people previously mentioned completed their American Dream and so can you. As a minority, we might not be given many opportunities but it is important we try our hardest and make history, whether that be first-generation college students or starting our own business.