Bringing our Latin American legacy, power, and momentum to work
For every cultural heritage month at ChimeⓇ, the designated Chimer Resource Group (CRG)—or multiple, if there’s overlap—selects a theme to center the programming, education, celebration, and honoring of the month. For Latin American Heritage Month this year, Chimigos—our CRG for Latin American pride—focused on the theme of ‘Legacy, Power, and Momentum in the Community.’ This month's theme highlights the rich history, strength, and ongoing contributions of Latin American cultures that continue to shape and enrich our communities.
To better understand the theme and how it manifests for Chimers, we sat down with three Chimigos members to hear about how their Latin American heritage has molded them and how they bring their own cultural legacy, power, and momentum to work.
Our heritage lives within us, whether we’re first-generation or fifth-generation immigrants.
Allison, Zullay, and Yesenia's Latin American heritage is a huge part of who they are—no matter how long their families have lived in the U.S.
“I’m 100% Mexican, and my family has been in the U.S. for five generations,” explains Allison. Zullay, on the other hand, was born in the U.S. but spent every summer visiting Puebla, Mexico, where her parents are from. “Going back to Mexico every year keeps our family tight-knit and allowed me to spend quality time with my cousins and grandparents—and helped me stay fluent in Spanish,” she says.
For Yesenia, who was born in Mexico and immigrated to the U.S. before she was six, much of her identity is rooted in her Mexican family and culture. “It’s something I keep with me and is a big part of who I am,” she says. “I grew up in California, which gives me roots in the U.S. and in Mexico. I love that California is so uniquely Latin American.”
Our heritage has driven our careers and how we show up at work.
“My Latin American heritage has always been a part of who I am and how I hold myself, especially at work,” Yesenia says. Much of that comes from her parents and their approach to life: being kind and helping those around them. “My parents’ influence made me want to work for companies that help others, so I’ve focused on finding jobs that connect to my core beliefs and culture of generosity,” she says. “Because of the struggles my parents faced as immigrants moving to a new country, giving back was important to them—and now it is to me, too.”
Yesenia’s cultural values don’t just come across in the companies she’s worked at, though. She strives to work cross-functionally with her team and business partners to help everyone around her grow. “I try never to tell people what to do, instead working with them to find ways to improve through collaboration—I guess that’s the immigrant in me,” she adds.
For Zullay, whose parents always pushed her to go to college, her cultural heritage has greatly shaped her career. “I’m an only child, and we are the only members of my extended family in the U.S.,” she says. “The job landscape here is very different from Mexico, and I feel grateful that my parents have encouraged me to pursue my career here. My parents always set the precedent that you can achieve your goals if you have confidence. I saw my dad start his own business and work hard and knew I could find a great career myself.”
And for Allison, whose family has been in the U.S. for a long time, her cultural heritage has shaped her career by encouraging her to strive for more. “My grandparents worked on farms, and neither of my grandmothers knew how to drive,” she says. “Their experience shaped me and drives me to be the best person I can for them. In high school, I did every extracurricular activity possible; I worked outside of school, I danced, and in college, I joined a sorority. My grandpa always told me that idle hands aren’t something we have—we just keep going.”
As the first person in her family to graduate from college, Allison has kept going in big ways, always striving to be noticed and make her name known. “My grandparents and parents pushed me to have ambition and not hide in the shadows, so I work every day to be involved, get recognized, and be remembered, especially as a Latinx woman in my role—I’m setting the stage for others.”
We asked Yesenia, Zullay, and Allison which part of this month’s theme most resonates with them:
Yesenia: Legacy
“While I don’t have children, I still think it’s essential for me to continue to break through new challenges. I’m the first in my family to graduate from college and have a career. It’s important for people to continue doing that, not just to show their kids, but to be an example to the entire community. I hope I can encourage my young cousins and community members to achieve their goals by showing them they are capable of so much. While my family's legacy hasn’t been about our careers so far, I’m creating a new legacy as a Latin American woman in fintech—and that will go a long way.”
Zullay: Power
“I was in a learning and development course at Chime when I learned about the percentage of the tech community that is Latinx: 6% (source). That number stuck with me, I never knew it was so low. That statistic makes me feel more confident that I’ve found my way in the tech industry and excited to encourage more Latin American folks to pursue roles in tech—and that’s a powerful mission for me. I will continue to act as a resource for other Latinxers in tech and feel empowered in my role.”
Allison: Legacy
“Legacy is the strongest part for me because my family instilled in me such hard-working values. My grandpa stopped going to school in the sixth grade because he had to start working, but he never stopped learning—whether he was reading or disassembling things to better understand them. His values deeply shaped my family, teaching us to overdeliver, keep learning, and stay ambitious. My cultural legacy is the ambition that motivates me to be more and make my family proud.”
How we bring our heritage to work.
A big part of how many Chimers bring their cultural heritage to work is by participating in our CRGs. “CRGs are important for creating a connection with others,” says Yesenia. “It’s not just about finding other Latin American employees, but about discovering the diversity of experiences and backgrounds within our group and beyond. Sharing our cultures at work helps us find common ground and build understanding, which makes us better at working together.”
Zullay encourages anyone looking to bring their heritage to work to be proud, even if you’re the only person from that culture on your team. “It’s your unique personality, so express it!” she says. “There’s so much you can share with your coworkers and that you can learn from each other.”
For Allison, having pride in her cultural heritage also means acknowledging those around her. “I was taught to acknowledge every person who crosses my path,” she says. “As a Latina, it’s so important to acknowledge others and their cultures because the Latinx community is often not seen or heard. It’s powerful to notice others and creates a chain reaction whereby others feel empowered and seen. They become more likely to see others and celebrate them, which enriches our collective experience at work.”
We’re honored to celebrate Chimers like Allison, Yesenia, and Zullay, as well as the entire Chimigos community, this month. Chime in in the comments: How do you bring your cultural heritage to work?