Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Jose Navarro & Martin Renteria
September 15th marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, a month which celebrates and recognises the contributions that have emerged from Hispanic and Latinx history, culture, and influence in the US and across the globe.
José Navarro (Multiverse Digital Marketing Coach based in Los Angeles) and Martin Renteria (Software Engineering Apprentice at Verizon based in Washington) discuss their experiences around being Hispanic and getting into the digital and tech space.
How has being Hispanic helped shape your identity?
José - The first thing that comes to mind is how I value my relationship with family, my community, and celebrating just about everything around food and loved ones. I also think of work ethics. Growing up in a working-class family in Spain I quickly learned that a good harvest takes hard work, and our community takes a lot of pride in this. Seeing my parents work so hard (with and without resources) so my brother and I could have a better life than they did, instilled a sense of responsibility in me that wouldn’t allow me to give up, even if just to prove to them that their sacrifice was worth it.
Martin - Being Hispanic has shaped my identity in many ways, such as caring for the community, valuing family, and having resilience through hardships. A popular phrase that we always say is “Si se puede”, which means “it is possible”. No matter how hard the struggle or how tough the obstacle is, it is always possible to get through it. That’s the mindset my family raised me with as well. No matter what, I always took the challenge and aimed to come out on top. That helped me get through school, work, and overall in life. Although this mindset did help me achieve my goals and even in the problems I face today, the expectation to always succeed and be successful weighed heavily on me. Latinos, especially in the US, have to constantly strive for the best possible grades, get higher education, and obtain high-paying jobs; with no room for failure. These expectations and the pressure of success are placed on you by your parents as many Hispanics have immigrant parents that gave up their life back home for the opportunity to give their kids a better life. These expectations and our resilience to overcome them are part of our identity and among the many gifts that shape us.
What was your experience of getting into the digital & tech industry as a Hispanic person?
José - I started in the digital and tech space just a couple of years after I moved to the US. I moved by myself, leaving family and friends behind, and during that time I was still figuring out who I was in this country, learning the language, and starting to understand what it meant to be in a minority. During those first years, I went to a school with the majority of students identifying as Hispanic, and after that, I landed an internship in an ad-tech startup that was predominantly white. At first, it felt a little bit like going to a party where you didn’t get the memo about the dress code and your outfit wasn’t appropriate. Whether they were conscious or unconscious, there was no shortage of subtle signs reminding me that I wasn't meant to be there. I knew if I wanted to develop a career there I would need to work hard to prove I could do it and that I belonged in that space. I let my work speak for itself, and used that to build my confidence. This took years, but eventually, I felt like I had proven enough that I could break out of my shell and be my authentic self around my colleagues instead of constantly trying to adapt and blend in.
Martin - Getting into the digital & tech space as a Hispanic was a lonely journey; I often felt that I didn’t belong and was isolated from my peers. With the tech space being primarily white-dominated, I thought obtaining a job in tech wasn’t possible and was discouraged because it would be an uphill battle. It was only when I began to slowly become more interested in software engineering, I thought less about if I was going to be able to do it but instead started asking myself how. My willingness to connect with fellow Hispanics/Latinos in amazing groups like Techqueria made me realize I wasn’t alone in this journey anymore. I realized many were going through similar hardships and connecting with this community is what drives my own personal ambition to also uplift other Hispanic individuals to pursue tech. The Hispanic community is ever so supportive and encouraging and together, “si se puede”.
How being Hispanic is your superpower?
José - I feel lucky that my culture reinforced a sense of not giving up and resiliency in me. This has helped me overcome most of the challenges I’ve faced and had an impact throughout my life both personally and professionally. I would also consider my Hispanic community a superpower on its own. I’m blessed with a support system within the community that I can rely on, with whom I share my values, and whom I don’t need to code-switch with. Feeling part of this community has given me the confidence I needed through my journey of immigrating to the US.
Martin - Being Hispanic has given me the superpower of never giving up, even in the darkest of times. It has given me resilience, perseverance, determination, and dedication, to work through struggles. My family and the Hispanic community believe that responsibility and accountability are collective. Not one person is responsible for achieving a goal, rather, it is a team effort to push each other forward.
What would advice would you give to a younger you or young Hispanic person?
José - If I could talk to my younger self I would tell him not to worry so much about blending in in order to feel a sense of belonging. I’d tell him that only by being his authentic self and by embracing his determination and dedication will he gain the confidence to feel that not only does he belong, but that he is capable and worthy of the opportunities that will come along the way.
Martin - Advice that I would have given myself or to a fellow Hispanic about pursuing a career in tech would be to not focus too much on what everyone else is doing and focus on what you can bring to the table as a Hispanic person in tech. It is easy to doubt your abilities when you compare yourself to your fellow peers, even more so, when you feel like you don’t represent the greater tech space. Focusing on my personal development and growth allowed me to see what I needed to work on and see my strengths as a developer. Connecting with individuals with the same passion and goals will naturally bring you to the career that you're hoping for in tech.
The theme of this year's Hispanic Heritage Month is “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation”. What does inclusivity mean to you and what can non-Hispanic people do to create equity at work and in wider society?
José - To me, inclusion means equal access to opportunities and being able to embrace your authentic self without feeling like that might jeopardize your chances of success. It means not only being invited to the party but being comfortable at the party (as opposed to feeling like you missed the memo on the dress code!). When I think about what non-Hispanic people can do to create a more equitable space, the first thing that comes to mind is that we need them to not only reflect and understand why that’s not happening but to be an ally. To me, this means speaking up and also becoming an agent of change when they identify a situation where that’s not happening (at work and outside).
In my past experiences, there have been many instances where non-Hispanic colleagues would come talk to me and other Hispanic colleagues after picking up on microaggressions, showing support by confiding privately about how wrong they thought so and so was for saying something inappropriate. I always appreciated them reaching out to check in, but while I was glad to hear that they were able to identify those situations as unacceptable, oftentimes they would leave the burden of speaking up to us - almost to the point where we would feel guilty not confronting the situation ourselves, thus perpetuating that feeling of not belonging to the party.
Martin - Inclusivity, for me, means a sense of belonging. One of the worst feelings ever is feeling like you don’t belong or don’t deserve to be where you are. This is true when you feel like you cannot relate to any of your peers or be able to connect with anyone of your same culture. What I always appreciated about working with diverse teams is the awareness of each other’s culture and the values and beliefs that they are a part of. Often others are shy to share parts of their culture because of fear of being judged or perceived as odd. Being uncomfortable to be yourself often makes a person come off as shy or anti-social, but in reality, they just don’t feel comfortable enough to share parts of themselves that make them who they are. What people can do to create equity at work and in wider society is the ability to have an open mind and be willing to hear about other perspectives without judgment, rather, hearing their stories with a curious mind and appreciation for the differences we all have that make us unique.