When I came to study in the U.S. six years ago from Lima, Peru, the first thing I noticed was that I was only seen as Hispanic or Latinx. All the nuanced parts of my identity—like my country or hometown—didn’t seem to matter. I was later able to adjust and overcome the feeling of a lost identity thanks to the amazing support of my newfound network of Latinx peers, who come from different parts of the U.S. and Latin America.
I’ve found the same type of support in the Amigos@Dataminr employee resource group (ERG). Our shared heritage is why we’ve come together, but we are so much more—which is why we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s a time for us to honor our vibrant, multifaceted, multiethnic community and reflect on our experiences and accomplishments.
If you’re not familiar with National Hispanic Heritage Month, here are a few facts to get you up to speed:
- Observed in the U.S. every year from September 15 to October 15
- Celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of those whose ancestors hail from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America
- Started off as Hispanic National Week in 1968; expanded to a full month in 1988
- Coincides with the Independence Day of several Latin American countries, including Belize, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua
Fostering a community of resilience and hope
This year’s theme is Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope. It’s especially fitting as 2020, and now much of 2021, have been particularly difficult for our communities. As the global leader of Amigos@Dataminr, it’s important to me that our ERG offers not just a safe space for our Hispanic/Latinx colleagues, but one that fosters resiliency and hope.
We do so by creating opportunities for candid conversations on the topics and issues that matter most to our ERG members—and by conducting research to facilitate critical, evidence-based discussions about the intersectionality of gender, race and cultural identity. We also provide resources and support to organizational partners like Techqueria, a nonprofit that serves Latinx professionals in the tech industry.
Having the freedom to have such discussions and offer resources to key Latinx organizations are a few of the reasons I truly appreciate Dataminr. The company prioritizes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), which allows our Amigos ERG to not only support our Hispanic/Latinx colleagues and communities—but our entire Dataminr family.
Bringing National Hispanic Heritage Month to life
This year, our aim is to bring our community and allies together by hosting the following activities and events:
- A conversation on inclusive leadership and how to lead with empathy and respect, featuring Fernanda Ceravolo, Pinterest Head of Content for Latin America. She will share what it’s like to be a Latinx leader in the tech world, the challenges she faces, and how she tackles them.
- A Jeopardy-inspired contest focused on Latinx history, music, popular culture and current affairs
- A cross-ERG collaboration that allows Amigos@Dataminr to introduce our favorite dishes—the ones our abuelitas, abuelitos and families used to cook—to our Dataminr colleagues
I’m incredibly excited about the next few weeks and can’t wait to share what we love most about our heritage with all of Dataminr—as well as who we are and where we come from.
Interested in joining our team? Check out our open roles.
