Since 1988 under President Ronald Reagan, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th to October 15th. During this month we honor the deep histories, cultures and contributions of all American citizens whose ancestors originate from Mexico, Spain, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. This important 30-day period also marks anniversaries of independence for many Latin American countries; including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Chile.
In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month (NHHM), OnCourse Learning is highlighting resources that financial institutions can leverage to bring recognition to this important month, raise awareness and act on their Diversity and Inclusion workplace initiatives.
Act on Your Website
- Create a dedicated ‘splash’ page that acknowledges the month’s observance and invites visitors into being part of the legacy. US Bank and PNC Bank, for example, demonstrate the splash page approach on their respective websites.
- Share links to insightful blogs, articles and acknowledgements to NHHM on your company’s social media pages. Spread the word what month it is!
- Consider creating a video starring your own employees highlighting how respecting differences can make all stronger. Check out Huntington National Bank on Facebook for a video they produced in 2020.
- Feature your talented bi-lingual Spanish speaking bankers and mortgage lenders in a blog post. Consider also posting the Spanish translation of the post like this article from Varo Bank.
- Honor Hispanic individuals and role models by featuring their bios and their accomplishments on your site. With a quick google, you can find lists of Hispanic individuals who have made an impact. We found this article by Biography to be helpful.
Build a Community of Equity and Inclusion
- Educate employees to foster an inclusion mentality. Supply, encourage and assign Diversity and Inclusion learning tracks for employees to complete as part of your organization’s overall annual training program.
- Encourage and consider matching employee donations for Hispanic focused causes and organizations.
- Hold a Hispanic Heritage Young Artist Contest for your customers. Decorate your lobby with the entries and use the winner’s artwork in advertisements and promotional materials. Here’s an example of how Union Bank featured the winner of a previous young artist contest in a video.
Look to Outside Resources to Better Educate Yourself and Your Team
You don’t have to have all the answers to honor National Hispanic Heritage Month. Sometimes it’s better to look to others for insight, education and accurate facts.
- Founded in 2006, McKinsey’s Hispanic Latino Network (HLN) further fosters the creation of connections and mentoring relationships for Hispanic and Latino consultants. HLN is a great example of a company creating “networks within networks” inside their organization.
- Another valuable resource, McKinsey & Company published an article about the success of their first Hispanic and Latino Economic Forum in Washington, DC – which was timed with NHHM in 2019. McKinsey & Company partnered with the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA) to host this event.
“What struck me was how the discussion flowed and how we quickly came to a set up of priorities to take forward as a community…It epitomized the inclusive environment we wanted to set up for the meeting.”
Lucy Pérez, McKinsey partner
The OnCourse Learning Way
As part of the Adtalem Global Education family, we often look to our diverse leadership on how to live out our diverse and inclusive culture. OnCourse Learning and Adtalem Global Education maintain an unwavering commitment to fostering a work environment of diversity and inclusion.
No matter how you plan to honor National Hispanic Heritage Month, the important part is to join the conversation. As an organization, OnCourse Learning hopes that this resource will help your institution engage in meaningful conversations not only during this month, but for the months to come.
Leave A Comment