Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th to October 15th and honors the incredible Hispanic Americans who have contributed to building the foundation of the U.S. It’s an important time to understand and appreciate the culture of our Hispanic friends, family, and colleagues who, as of 2021, make up the nation’s largest racial or ethnic minority at 62.6 million of the U.S. population.
In the construction industry alone, Latino Americans make up over a third of the workers and are projected to account for 78% of net new workers between 2020 and 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
We have many outstanding Hispanic Americans working for Clayco, including Carmen Hernandez, Clayco’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Fanny Martínez, Senior Project Engineer, Francisco Zepeda, Senior Project Engineer, Dirce Bowker, Construction Administrator, and Juan Bazán, Vice President, MEP Systems – just to name a few.
These individuals help us build beyond our walls and connect with diverse communities of all kinds. This month means something unique for each of them, and we at Clayco are sharing what they said makes this celebration so special.
Carmen does an outstanding job of guiding our team, not only in construction – but by helping us grow by providing perspective from her experiences as a Hispanic woman. Carmen enjoys celebrating her heritage and shared a reading list of novels by Latina authors so everyone can do the same year-round: http://ow.ly/auFi50KKuHw
For Fanny, the most important aspect of the month is to appreciate the sacrifices her parents made for her and her siblings. It serves as a yearly reminder to be thankful for the opportunities and el apoyo familiar (family support) she has had along the way – and to never forget where she came from.
Francisco uses this time to practice gratitude and reflect on his Latino culture and the family support that has helped him become who he is today. Try starting your day as he does – with a cafécito and listening to Esta Vida by Jorge Celedon!
To Dirce, Hispanic Heritage Month makes her even more proud to be Mexican and appreciate the doors that have opened for her in America. It brings her joy to remember her childhood anecdotes from Mexico, so she shares recipes and teaches friends and family Spanish words.
Juan honors those who have welcomed Latinos into America and the construction industry – especially with the current workforce shortage in our line of work. He advocates for and reassures Latinos coming into construction, especially first generations, that we would be unable to keep up with current and future demand without them. Juan attests that opportunities to succeed are here – if they are given them.
Driving Diversity Beyond
To create an inclusive society, it’s essential to take the time to understand the different perspectives of underrepresented groups. Hispanic history is American history, and we must respect all heritages – not only on days or months designated to do so – but every day. We at Clayco support the Hispanic community and their continued contributions to our workforce and world.
