Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month 2022 in your firm

Hispanic Heritage Month 2022 is now upon us, but did you know that each year is a different theme?

This year’s theme is “Esperanza,” which means HOPE. It’s perfect for what we need now, considering what we’ve endured over the past couple of years, and what is coming in the next year or so.

It allows not just the Latin American community, but everyone to come together and reflect on how the past several months have impacted the community and what they have done to overcome the adversity of what the entire country has gone through.

How can you celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in your firm? First, let’s dive into an understanding about it.

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Ever wonder why the month is split into two months? Historically, most of the countries in Latin America declared their independence from Spain in the same timeframe. A man named Jose Martinez Aguilar was pivotal in leading the change for six countries.

On Sept. 15, 1821, Costa Rice, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua claimed their independence, while Mexico claimed theirs on Sept. 16, 1810.

In the United States, there are 60 million Hispanics. From 2000 to 2018, the Hispanic population has increased 70% in the United States. Hispanic people come here for the same reason other nationalities come to the US—in search of the American Dream.

With this population quickly becoming a majority, it’s important for us to realize the need to offer Hispanics our services, which will, in turn, help our country maintain its status in the world and continue to fulfill that dream.

Most of Hispanics do not have legal status to work in the United States. Because we’re not certified to issue Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) as tax preparers of the Latin community, we should encourage companies to retrieve this status to help Latinos begin the process of recording the taxes and receiving refunds to assist them with obtaining legal status in America.

Hispanics are hardworking and loyal people who take pride in tradition, are rich in discipline, and have faith in God. The culture is colorful, with many traditions, as told through folklore stories and sayings.

Companies from San Antonio and across the country are celebrating by serving their employees pan dulce, a Mexican pastry made with proud hands and with love, served on a platter for all to eat. Another dish is menudo, a soup broth with hominy and pork meat, served in a huge bowl. Parties known as fiestas include performances by Mariachis and dancers from a Ballet Folklórico group that dances from different states in Mexico.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on Firm of the Future.