Latin/Hispanic Heritage Month: Celebrating our Differences at Wish
September 15th to October 15th is Latin/Hispanic Month, a celebration and exploration of Latin/Hispanic culture in the United States. Here at Wish, we think it’s a great time to amplify the voices of our Latin/Hispanic employees, merchants, and customers while lifting up stories of hope to create equitable change in Latin/Hispanic communities. We’re also using it as a time to learn how we, as an organization and individuals, can be better allies.
For some background, Latin/Hispanic Heritage Month began in 1968 as a weeklong celebration under President Lyndon Johnson and, in 1988, it became a month-long celebration under President Ronald Regan. It celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots back to Spain, Mexico, and Spanish-speaking countries of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. This month, our Latin/Hispanic Employee Resource Group has curated this month’s theme: Celebremos which encompasses celebration, learning, listening, and understanding of Latin/Hispanic topics ranging from family, traditions, and music. Additionally, on the heels of Wish’s rebrand, the team took time to also reflect, rebrand, and relaunch our new Latin/Hispanic Group name and mission statement, drum roll please…introducing, SOMOS WISH!
“Somos Wish translates to We Are Wish. We are here, we are part of Wish, and we belong,” explained Erika Dominguez, Product Manager, and SOMOS Lead. “It encompasses the true meaning of belonging and inclusion for Latin/Hispanic people. We also wanted the name to be inclusive, which means it had to work for both Spanish and Portuguese speakers. Somos Wish does that.”
As a group, SOMOS continues to build a community of belonging and a safe place for all Wishians to come together to network, learn, and empower each other. There are a number of social events, such as salsa dance lessons at our San Francisco HQ; panel discussions about how we can all be better allies; Wish Wednesday All Hands staff meetings sponsoring local Latin/Hispanic kitchens; and, cooking FAQs on how to make the perfect tamale. There is something for everyone to celebrate and learn about, but the excitement does not end there!
“The ERG will be kicking off the month with a tropical-themed happy hour with live music. We will also be holding virtual events such as a Zumba class and several internal communications sharing vacation spots, recipes, fun facts, motivational quotes, movie recommendations, and music playlists,” said Amalia Alvarez, Brand Protection Manager, and SOMOS Lead. “Wish has done a great job of fostering an even playing field for employees to participate during heritage months!”
SOMOS has also kicked off a Sleeves Up Campaign partnering with the Red Cross to encourage Wish employees to volunteer, donate blood, or donate funds to help Latin/Hispanic areas in need and appointed their new SOMOS Executive Sponsor, Wish’s own Chief Merchant Officer, Mauricio Monico!
“The Latino/a and Hispanic population is a large and growing group in the U.S. We represent 16% of the US population and 18% of the labor force. And yet, we are extremely underrepresented in many tech companies. Only about 8% of engineers are Hispanic or Latino, and only around 2% are Latina women. At Wish, we work on a global product that serves folks of every background. Having Latino and Hispanic representation is vital for understanding the needs of a large subset of the population we serve,” said Mauricio. “This understanding goes beyond language. It touches on the ways we interact with friends and family, the things we buy, the food we eat, the books we read, and so much more. Having a robust and tight-knit Latino and Hispanic population at Wish allows us to take that knowledge and apply it to our product and our company culture so people of all backgrounds can bring their authentic selves to work.”
He continued, “I grew up in Brazil and finished my undergraduate degree in Illinois with a generous scholarship from my college in Brazil (I was married and had a 4-year-old daughter at the time). Upon arrival, my family and I were received by the school’s LatinX Association. This was our first community and family away from home. They helped us adapt to the U.S. beyond what we could have hoped for. From helping us find housing to giving my daughter rides to school before we were set up with the school bus, they eased an extremely difficult transition for us. Today, I advise startups in Brazil that are focused on improving education and/or overall lifestyles.”
Wish is committed to representing the communities we serve including through diverse hiring at all levels. To find out more about a career at Wish, visit our Career Site. Follow our LinkedIn for more information.
About the author: Monica Kielawa is Wish’s Manager, Employer Brand & Talent Communications
