Bringing Your Authentic Self to Work: Celebrating Hispanic Women
Written by Katie Johnson, WIN Staff
Yesterday was the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month. Beginning the 15th of every September and lasting until October 15th, this month recognizes and honors the achievements, culture, and contributions of Hispanic Americans. It begins in the middle of the month to coincide with the independence days of many Latin American countries.
Latinas play an important role in the United States and in the workplace. While the world calls out for greater inclusion and representation for minorities, many Latinas don’t exactly feel they can bring their authentic selves to the workplace.
From micro-aggressions to micro-assaults, to micro-insults that include the anglicizing of their names or stereotyping referencing such as asking how many children they must have. Conscious or not, the biases that Latinas face impacting their livelihoods. Earning only 55 cents to every dollar that a non-Hispanic white man makes, Latinas lose out on over $1.1 million on average over the course of their careers.
The perpetuating stereotype that Latina women are more domestic and thus less ambitious emanates a continuous belief from employers that Latinas do not want to or do not expect to be paid well. But this could not be any further from the truth. As Latinas continue to be underrepresented in positions of power, it’s essential to have a conversation about why they face these challenges and what we can do about it.
According to a 2016 study by the Center for Talent Innovation, 76% of Latinx professionals repress parts of their personality at work to adhere to the traditionally white, male standards in the workplace. Afraid to be their authentic selves, they will modify their appearance, body language, and communication style to present themselves in a way that adheres to executive presence standards at their workplace.
Being Your Authentic Self
What does it mean to be your most authentic self? The act of being authentic is having a keen awareness of who you are, what you stand for, and expressing yourself honestly with the world. It’s about being able to be accepted and appreciated without judgment and bias.
In a world where were are bombarded with information and media about how we are “supposed” to be, resounds across all media types, exposing your genuine self or vulnerabilities can feel jarring. But authenticity is an essential part of building meaningful relationships, even with your coworkers.
Forgoing your own identity and uniqueness has become increasingly outmoded. Antiquated ideologies of the traditional office space have slowed shifted over time. The unique expression of your race/ethnicity does not need to be a barrier to success.
Companies are becoming increasingly more accepting of differing cultures and expressions of identity. There is even a competitive advantage to having a more workplace diversity.
Being able to express your true self without fear of financial repercussion should be assessed by more than one angle. To gain perspective, we must remember that it is the systems we have in place that keep women from being successful. Dismantling our own biases must come first. We must become advocates for change and embrace inclusive practices.
What can we do to leverage support for Latina communities?
Regardless of how many solutions an individual tries to implement in their own lives, it will fall on the shoulders of the company to make true changes to their policies to challenge the way women are hired, evaluated, and promoted.
The number one barrier to success for Latinas is a lack of a mentor or sponsor. If you are Latina, is there someone else at your workplace (or outside) that you could help guide? If you are not Latina, is there a Hispanic woman that you could create a quality mentoring relationship?
Be aware of the words you use when speaking about Latinas’ gender or race in the workplace. What microaggressions have you unconsciously been using?
Promote more flexible work environments to support working Latina mothers. How can you improve or implement policies that help more parents through these challenging times?
If you are not Latina, learn how you can help foster a more inclusive work environment. Latinas face multiple structural barriers to succeed, how can you help someone feel more valued?
Hispanics are a complex group of people with different backgrounds and cultures. These differences should be not only recognized by celebrated not just once a year but all time. The complexities of their identities help create a better world. Creating workplaces where these differences can be recognized and understood helps build a system in which Latinas can not only feel secure in expressing their authentic selves but also thrive.
It takes courage to be real. But remember, at your core - you are what the world not only wants but needs. And that is worth celebrating.
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