As we wrap up the 2023 National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), we recognize the progress of, and the contributions made by, Hispanics throughout the United States. Much has been accomplished. Yet there is so much left to do.
The effectiveness of any leadership requires the ability to manage multiple priorities and conflicting agendas with agility, creativity and thoughtfulness. To that end, the vision statement from CHLI, the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, which calls for advancing the Hispanic community’s diversity of thought, can be instructive for any of us, even in a time of global uncertainty, and what can seem like insurmountable division.
Our leadership institute mission underlines the expectation and the aspiration that we all embrace different points of view, different lived experiences, different faiths, different languages and different socioeconomic backgrounds. No community is a monolith. Rather, a community draws its strength from its internal diversity and the myriad ways this diversity contributes to the reshaping and revitalization of the American experiment.
We must continue to welcome and engage the Hispanic community in every part of civil society. In the United States, Hispanics represent nearly 19% of the population. The number of Hispanic eligible voters from 2018 to 2022 increased by 62%. The pace of growth has, however, not been reflected in the pace of representation. In 2021, 7,000 elected officials were Hispanic, up 75% since 2001, yet only about 2% of the total number of elected officials. Relatedly, Hispanics still lack equitable representation in media, science, and in the C-suite.
Many behind those statistics represent Hispanic youth who need civic education opportunities, mentorship and exposure to leaders of all backgrounds who will support and encourage them. This is lived daily through the varied partnerships and sponsorships this community engages in to add value to the Hispanic students and young professionals of the future.
This, no surprise, is personal for me. I grew up in a farm worker camp in central California. After many years of school and hard work, I now serve as chief executive of the bicameral, bipartisan Hispanic-led leadership development organization providing internships in Washington, D.C., and mentoring opportunities to young Hispanic college students from across the U.S. Now, I lead the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute. I am sure this was beyond the expectations many had for me, but that kind of unapologetic ambition is what we must inspire in the leadership of tomorrow.
I am proud of the progress and contributions of Hispanics and our Hispanic communities. Together, we must make a long-term commitment to these communities and the issues both distinct to them and those that impact all of us. We must continue to innovate for the long run. We must continue to make this pathway more accessible both to Hispanics and any community who is seeking to make their positive mark.
In every way, contributions of a multifaceted, dynamic community are a source of strength for the U.S. Companies, brands, media organizations and elected officials who ignore this strength do so only to the detriment of their bottom line.
We must be diligent about creating opportunities that encompass all our neighbors and colleagues. Hispanic Heritage Month is not just an opportunity to virtue share; it is also an opportunity to assess what has worked, what can be enhanced and what lessons we must learn from that can be applied across all of civil society — in neighborhoods, universities, government and corporations.
The history of the Hispanic community is unique, certainly. And it is not without painful and unresolved chapters. It is one part of the larger American story. It is imperative that the collection of stories be written and told from all angles, with heroes who have made today’s America and provide the inspirations for tomorrow’s stories. And today we call for a closer look at the Hispanic facets of that history — and our shared future.
Mary Ann Gomez Orta is the president and CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute.