Business Book Club: Latinas in HR
September 15th marked the beginning of National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month. 30 days of celebrating our culture and our people, recognizing the struggles of those that came before us, and the struggle of those out there right now working and fighting for a better life for their families.
My father's grandparents moved from Puerto Rico to New York. They shared a two-bedroom apartment with their 13 children. From those 13 children, 3 more generations have been born across the country- from New York to Florida, Texas, California, and Washington. The women in my family work, they work HARD- they are nurses and teachers, they are business owners and mothers, and they are HR! Off the top of my head - two of my aunts, and a second cousin are also in the Human Resources field. In my time as an HR professional, I have encountered several other badass Latinas in HR. Why are we drawn to this field?
A friend and mentor gifted me Latinas Rising Up in HR by Pricilla Guasso to help me answer this question. Latinas Rising is a collection of essays from 20 Latinas in HR across a multitude of industries, showcasing their journey and sharing their struggles to find their place in their organizations and the world. I have spent the last week combing through the pages, highlighting and placing tabs next to quotes I find meaningful, experiences that resonated with me and tools I can add to my toolkit to be a better HR professional.
From reading these stories, I am finding that I have a lot in common with these women - a passion for learning and development, an eagerness to make work a better place to be, and a devotion to providing excellent service while still making our voices heard. We envision a more diverse and equitable workplace and we can open the doors to make that happen.
Each of these women knew how important having a mentor would be to their careers and worked to make that connection. Someone to bounce ideas off of or give advice when you’re faced with two interesting opportunities. That was my biggest takeaway from Latinas Rising Up in HR, the profound importance of the mentor/mentee relationship. Having a career cheerleader and friend has had such a great impact on my life and I look forward to the day when I am able to pass what I have learned on to the next generation of HR professionals.
If you are interested in reading this book too, you can purchase a copy here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/latinas-rising-up-in-hr-priscilla-guasso/1137948588
A second edition will be available soon!
