National Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month
We come together to pay tribute to the generations of Hispanic and Latin Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society. This celebration is an opportunity for us to learn more about the cultures and history, and to make connections with persons of Hispanic and Latino heritage.
The 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month observance theme is “Latinos: Driving Prosperity, Power and Progress in America,” in recognition of the significant contributions of Hispanic and Latin Americans to the economic, social and political growth of the U.S.
EPIC – Equal Parts of Inclusive Cultures
Join our EPIC Employee Resource Group!
Our team values the strength of differences. This cultivates inclusion and drives innovation and creativity.
The EPIC employee resource group (ERG) is open to all employees and encourages diversity by exploring the many cultures around the globe. Team members promote the heritage or ethnicity of our employees and offer opportunities for all to leverage their unique backgrounds which contribute to the success of our Company.
Join our EPIC ERG!
ERGs enable team members to share perspectives and experiences, advocate for common interests and provide recommendations that support key business objectives. They are a great place to build skills through leadership opportunities, training and community outreach.
To join the EPIC ERG as a team member, supporter or ally, please contact Sonya Malcolm, EPIC Chair, at [email protected].
An EPIC Cookbook Challenge
The EPIC employee resource group is creating a multicultural cookbook, Global Delights, that represents the various backgrounds and cultures across the Company. This food-for-thought guide is a collection of diverse and delicious recipes shared by employees, accompanied by their stories and family traditions.
Share your taste of culture! Submit a recipe to [email protected] to be included in Global Delights. All submissions will be entered in a prize drawing for 5,000 Gratitude points ($50 value).
Deadline for recipe submissions: Oct. 15.
What is the difference between Hispanic and Latino?
While many people use Latino and Hispanic interchangeably, these two words have different meanings.
The term Hispanic refers to someone who comes from or is a descendant of a Spanish-speaking country. Latina or Latino (or the gender neutral, Latine) refers to someone who comes from Latin America or is a descendant from any Latin-American country.
This means a person can be both Hispanic and Latino, however, not all Latinos are Hispanic. For example, a person from Spain is considered to be Hispanic, but not Latino, since they are not geographically located in Latin America. Persons from Brazil, for instance, are Latinos but not Hispanics as their native language is not Spanish.
Ideas for Celebrating Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month
- Join the EPIC employee resource group as a member, ally or supporter!
- Experience the Hispanic and Latino cultures through music and dance. Take a dance class with family and friends: salsa, bachata, merengue or flamenco.
- Take a virtual tour of the National Museum of the American Latino.
- Watch a documentary about the Hispanic or Latino experience.
- Read books written by Hispanic or Latino authors and poets.
- Take a Spanish language course.
- Submit a recipe, perhaps a Hispanic or Latino dish, to the EPIC Cookbook Challenge at [email protected].
EDI Spotlight: Inspiring Hispanic and Latino Heroes
Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month honors the diverse and tremendous achievements that Hispanic and Latin Americans have made throughout history. Here is a snapshot of the many who have contributed to shaping our nation, then and now.
Roberto Enrique Clemente (Aug. 18, 1934 – Dec. 31, 1972)
Clemente was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1973, Clemente was posthumously inducted, becoming the first Caribbean and the first Latin-American player to be honored in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Clemente was an All-Star for 13 seasons, selected to play 15 All-Star Games and was the National League Most Valuable Player in 1966.
Sonia Sotomayor (June 25, 1954 – Current)
Sotomayor is the third woman, first woman of color, the first Hispanic and first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court. An American lawyer and jurist, who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Sotomayor was nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, and has served since Aug. 8, 2009.
Ellen Ochoa (May 10, 1958 – Current)
An American astronaut, Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman in the world to travel into space when she served on the Space Shuttle Discovery nine-day STS-56 mission in 1993. In 2013, Ochoa became the first Hispanic director and second female director of NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Frida Kahlo (July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954)
Kahlo was one of Mexico’s greatest artists and feminist icons remembered for her self-portraits, and bold, vibrant colors. She is celebrated in Mexico for her attention to the Mexican and indigenous culture; and drew inspiration from her life, nature and the artifacts of Mexico.
Jorge Luis Borges (Aug. 24, 1899 – June 14, 1986)
An Argentine author, Borges is arguably the father of magical realism, a uniquely Latin American-born genre of writing. His vocal support for the freedom of the Argentine people influenced the political landscape.
Celia Cruz (Oct. 21, 1925 – July 16, 2003)
Cruz, a Cuban singer, is internationally renowned as the “Queen of Salsa,” “La Guarachera de Cuba,” as well as the “Queen of Latin Music.” She is considered an authentic symbol of Latin culture worldwide, producing a total of 37 studio albums and numerous live albums, and earning two Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards.
Joan Baez (Jan. 9, 1941 – Current)
Baez, legendary folk singer and song writer, sang “We Shall Overcome” at the March on Washington for civil rights in 1963. A civil rights activist, Baez was an active spokesperson for the anti-war effort in the 1960s.
Dolores Huerta (April 10, 1930 – Current)
An American labor leader and civil rights activist, Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers of America, an organization that worked tirelessly to improve the working conditions for farm workers. In 2012, President Obama bestowed Huerta with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Cesar Chavez (March 31, 1927 – April 23, 1993)
Chavez was a labor leader and civil rights activist who employed nonviolent means to bring attention to the plight of farm workers. He, along with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the United Farm Workers of America.
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