Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the vibrant cultures, histories, and traditions of hispanic nations from September 15 - October 15. This date is significant because many countries celebrate their independence days during this time frame.
Did you know:
- September 15 is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico’s independence day comes just one day later on September 16th, and Chile’s falls on September 18th (source).
- “Hispanic” and “Latino” mean different things. The label “Hispanic” refers to people who speak Spanish and/or are descended from Spanish-speaking populations. This is contrasted by “Latino” (or Latina or Latinx), which refers to people who are from or descended from people from Latin America (source).
- Hispanic Americans represent a large part of America’s population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanic Americans number nearly 60 million and represent over 18% of our country’s population!
There are countless ways Hispanic Americans and their Allies can honor and celebrate the vibrant cultures of these nations throughout this special month.
At SoFi, we have a community called SoFi Unidos, a SoFi Circle who is on a mission to promote the awareness, diversity, and education for and of the many Latinx cultures represented within SoFi.
Today, we’re getting to know the co-founders of SoFi Unidos, Yesenia Rivera and Cassandra DeJesus, who are sharing some of their Hispanic Heritage Month traditions and how SoFi is supporting this community.
(Photo: Yesenia Rivera (left) and Cassandra DeJesus (right), co-founders of SoFi Unidos)
First off, very important question: what is your favorite family recipe to make or eat...or both?
Yesenia: Some of my favorite memories growing up were when my abuela (we called her Mami) would get in the mood to make pastelillos - the Puerto Rican version of an empanada. Choosing a favorite food is impossible - but making pastelillos with my abuela from scratch definitely made them taste better than anyone else’s.
Cass: My favorite family recipe and dish was always Arroz con gandules - Puerto Rican rice and peas. My mom always added just the right amount of Puerto Rican seasoning (sofrito) that always made it perfect!
Can you share what you do at SoFi? How does your work support our mission of helping our members achieve financial independence to realize their ambitions?
Yesenia: I am an Employee Experience Program Manager here at SoFi. I help lead the strategy around our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, which is a true passion of mine. I strive to ensure that everyone not just has a seat at the table, but has a voice so that all our employees can bring their authentic and whole selves to work.
The chance to propel strategic DE&I efforts forward across the organization by sharing its importance and necessity via different platforms is, in my opinion, a fundamental aspect of SoFi’s mission (and is one of our core values). The work done in this area only strengthens the dedication that we have to our external members and internal workforce.
Cass: I am an Associate Manager for our Escalations Team here at SoFi. I am responsible for ensuring complaints are resolved in a timely manner per compliance standards, and that agents have the tools and resources needed to assist members and resolve member friction points. This is directly tied back to our mission of helping our members achieve financial independence and one of our core values of putting members first.
You’re both founding members (and leaders!) of SoFi Unidos, one of our SoFi Circles. Can you tell us how you and others went about starting this group?
Yesenia: I came to SoFi in September 2019 and was introduced immediately to the amazing Circles (ERGs) that we have within the organization. However, I did not see a platform for the amplification of the Latinx voice/communal support. I was extremely fortunate to be connected with Cassandra DeJesus on a work trip to our Claymont, Delaware office who shared the same sentiments. We started collecting data to see if there was an appetite for a Circle like SoFi Unidos - which, goes without saying, there absolutely was! We quickly put our heads together and carved out a mission and strategic vision for the Circle, and the rest is history!
Cass: I met Yesenia through a mutual friend when she came to visit our Claymont, Delaware office. I was immediately drawn to her passion for our shared Latin culture, and her drive to bring more awareness to our culture through a possible Circle (ERG) here at SoFi. We began working together and collaborating on how we could create this community and vision across all of SoFi.
Both: SoFi Unidos was born out of a love for our cultures, respect for our diverse histories, and a fervor to create unity. Fun fact, “Unidos” translates to “united”.
What is SoFi Unidos’ mission?
Both: SoFi Unidos is on a mission to promote the awareness, diversity, and education for and of the many Latinx cultures that are represented within SoFi. We aim to provide a forum of communal support, resources, and purposeful amplification of the Latinx voice within our organization.
Can you share some of your favorite Hispanic Heritage Month traditions?
Yesenia: At my house, every day is Hispanic Heritage Month! My mother is a firm believer in education (she was a high school teacher) and that translated into many opportunities for us to learn about our roots and culture in the home. My mother would read us children's books in both Spanish and English, she would teach us our island’s native dances of Bomba and Plena, and make sure we never forgot where we came from. My Puerto Rican heritage is very central to who I am. As an adult, it is important to not only continue to embrace my own culture, but learn about others.
Cass: I try to continuously celebrate my culture throughout the year. Whether that is reading up on current events, learning to cook special/new dishes, or discovering new music. Anything to celebrate the melting pot of Latinx cultures.
How is SoFi Unidos celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month?
Both: We have an exciting month planned for our amazing Unidos members and SoFi community! Some of the programming include:
- A virtual cooking class,
- A behind-the-scenes tour of our BRAND NEW Mexico City office led by our Chief Risk Officer, Aaron Webster,
- A (virtual) sit down with our SVP of Talent and Diversity, Ana Recio, to discuss the importance of Latinidad and community,
- And finally, a fireside chat, keynoted by the absolutely amazing Dolores Huerta.
(Photo: Dolores Huerta)
Additionally, we have swag giveaways and trivia sprinkled throughout the month for our members to continue the celebration big and small.
From your perspective, why is Hispanic Heritage Month important?
Yesenia: The Latinx-American community is not a monolith and cannot be treated as one. This month is about celebrating each of these cultures, the contributions that Latinx individuals have made to the United States (and they are vast) and to continue to embrace diversity in every facet. The impact and importance of this community are deserving of a platform for celebration, for education, and for continued awareness for the betterment of the future.
Cass: This month is about celebrating each of the many Latinx cultures, and contributions that Latinx individuals have made to the United States.
What can allies do to further amplify Hispanic Heritage Month?
Yesenia: Historically, the prototype of being “Hispanic” or what it “looks like” has been skewed dramatically in the consciousness of the world around us. I invite individuals from all walks of life to challenge these systemic biases - and educate yourself! The world is filled with such beautiful diverse cultures, backgrounds, and histories - the Latinx community is a great example of this. To be an ally means that one must work to actively promote and aspire to advance the necessity of inclusion through intentional, positive and conscious efforts. One cannot do this - effectively - without investing in one's own self-awareness and pursuing the humility that comes from seeking to understand someone who is not like yourself.
Cass: Educate themselves! Being an ally is so important to the success of not only SoFi Unidos’ mission, but for the belief in unity and the hope that we can all bring out in each other.
We will leave the readers with a few of our favorite educational resources:
- The Chicago Public Library put together this comprehensive list of non-fiction books by Latinx authors to read during Hispanic Heritage Month.
- This quick read by Forbes on 5 Simple Ways To Be A Better Ally At Work.
- Finding Latinx, a collection of stories by journalist and activist Paola Ramos, who embarks on a cross-country journey to find the communities of people defining the term, “Latinx”.
- Embracing Diversity Podcast - Check out SoFi`s external Spotify podcast brought to you by SoFi`s Employee Experience Team. Each month, the podcast focuses on themes/topics that impact our diverse communities.
Thank you for sharing your stories with us!
The individuals featured are SoFi employees. Their personal experiences, obviously, do not take into account your own specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. Results will vary.
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