Protiviti Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!

Celebrating one another, our cultures and our unique backgrounds is something we continuously strive for through our value of inclusion. Each year, on September 15 – October 15 in the United States, we recognize the contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. In celebration, we’re thrilled to hear from Protiviti employees Miriam (Dallas), Kelly (New York City) and Miguel (Dallas).

Miriam, Risk & Compliance Manager (Dallas)

“I was born and raised in Mexico. At the age of 15, my parents brought me to Dallas, Texas. Although I have lived in the United States for over 20 years, I keep my Mexican traditions alive and the love for my birth country remains strong.

Hispanic Heritage Month is very special for me as it is the month when my birth country gained its independence and became the nation it is now. As a family we like to celebrate by cooking traditional Mexican food and dress in traditional Mexican outfits.

I feel so blessed to live in a nation that welcomes immigrants and provides opportunities to make a better life. As a family, we have embraced American traditions, but we give them a Mexican twist. For example, we celebrate Thanksgiving with tamales and enchiladas.

While Hispanic Heritage month is important, the most important thing for me is to keep the traditions alive and share them with family and friends. My hope is that my next generation will love them and respect them as much as I do.”

Kelly, Risk & Compliance Manager (New York City)

“The Colombian culture (ojo es ColOmbia y no Columbia), is similar to other Latin America countries but there are a few things that makes us unique. Our culture has had several influences ranging from indigenous to foreign. Our indigenous influences have contributed important cultural elements such as music, folklore, and language. In the same manner, our foreign influences, that can be trace back to the Spanish colonial era, have influenced religion, architecture and the country’s political structure. Colombian culture is a blend of its many and varied roots and there are many aspects to its customs and traditions that are unique to its shores.

Our coffee is one of the best and most recognized type of coffees around the world.
Our food varies and differs depending on the regional climate. Some popular meals are la bandeja paisa from Medellin, sancocho de gallina from Cali, el ajiaco from Bogota, el arroz de coco from the Caribbean coast, and many more dishes.
Our music is global, with eclectic genres like vallenato, cumbia, salsa. Artist like Shakira, J Balvin, and Carlos Vives have been able to reach out to the world while influencing other types of music such as la Bachata from Dominican Republic.
Our art and literature can be recognized across the world, from Fernando Botero with his sculptures and paintings to Gabriel Garcia Marquez with his novels.

Hispanic heritage month, to me, means representation, diversity, and inclusion. It means that my culture along many other Latin/Hispanics are noted for the important contributions made through the years. It’s also a way to celebrate and honor our culture and the histories behind them.”

Miguel, Technology Consulting Manager (Dallas)

“I didn’t grow up being a fluent Spanish speaker but I did grow up eating enchiladas, mole, menudo, beans, rice, homemade flour tortillas, and many of the other traditional Mexican dishes. To this day I reminisce about my childhood and still think of Ramon Ayala, Los Tigres Del Norte, Vicente Fernandez and the several other Mexican and Tejano musicians my dad played daily on 8-Track (yes even before cassette tapes.) I learned you can’t listen to music and not dance to it, so dancing is a HUGE part of our culture. I saw how hard my dad and others in my family worked and his great work ethic was instilled in me at a very young age. Lastly, I learned that “familia” is everything. My parents both come from big, traditional Mexican families (11 and 9 kids) so I grew up with 42 first cousins; many of those cousins are like brothers and sisters to me.

Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter were the holidays that we always celebrated together – not to mention the numerous birthdays, graduations, and weddings throughout the year. Of course, all we did at these parties were eat, laugh, listen to music, dance, laugh some more, and love being with each other. This is why I love Hispanic Heritage Month as I think about mi familia and how much fun we would have together and how much love we all have for one another. I love to share my culture with the rest of the world each and every September/October during Hispanic Heritage Month as this is one simple way I can break down barriers and educate others on my “Mexican-American” heritage.”

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