A Message from the Strategist
Why Understanding Intersectionality Is Critical
Please join the Hispanic and Latino community in observing National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15. This year’s theme is Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation. Our diversity is our strength, and our contributions to the culture, the economy, and the future of our nation cannot be denied. We are a varied community, from many different areas and climates. We speak different dialects and have different traditions.
We represent one of the fastest growing populations in America, with about 62 million of us living here. With roots in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, South America, Europe, and North America, we have a diversity that is so robust. Our diversity is one of our strengths.
I encourage you to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, throughout the year and beyond. “We call on citizens of this nation from all walks of life to look around and welcome new voices to the table. This will help us build stronger communities and in turn, a stronger nation” (Soarez, 2022).
Patricia Sauceda Kramer
Principal Strategist, Hispanic Portfolio
References:
Hispanics/Latinos - Research and data from the Pew Research Center
Announcements (nationalcouncilhepm.org)
Unidos- United
Messages from our Leadership
Colleagues,
NIH joins the Nation in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. In recognition of this year’s theme, Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation, NIH’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is highlighting a curated collection of resources, references, and first-person perspectives to help us celebrate the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.
Last year, the Administration affirmed its intention to integrate and prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in the workplace. NIH will be a model for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, where all employees are treated with dignity and respect. We are called upon to strengthen our efforts in recruitment, hiring, development, promotion, and retention of talent while removing barriers to equal opportunity. NIH is at the forefront in recognizing the many cultures and experiences represented in our workforce, including our Hispanic and Latino colleagues, and ensuring these expectations are met.
These steps have led to actionable solutions but have not addressed the lack of Hispanic and Latino community representation in leadership. We have begun this process by engaging with leaders, employee resource groups, and other parts of NIH. We recognize that there is much work to be done as a Nation and in our agency to overcome the disparities that exist for Hispanics and Latinos.
Together we can continue this process. As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, I encourage you to visit EDI’s website to learn more about the Hispanic and Latino communities and to participate in this month’s observance. We are committed to advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility for all people to sustain NIH as the premier biomedical research agency.
You can contact Patricia Sauceda Kramer for information on how to participate in these events or questions about the Hispanic portfolio.
Sincerely,
Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D.
Performing the Duties of the NIH Director
Greetings,
The Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) invites you to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, observed from September 15th to October 15th. The observance began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period. I encourage the National Institutes of Health (NIH) community to embody this year's theme, Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation, by practicing inclusivity for a stronger workforce. The theme is a reminder that diversity is our strength, signifies from where we have come, and informs what we must still do.
At NIH, fewer than 4% of individuals in the workforce identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino. Out of that community, only 3.5% occupy scientific positions. Although the NIH is known as a premier biomedical research institution, it lacks Hispanics and Latinos in the sciences and at the upper levels of management. EDI’s mission is to establish strategies to remove these barriers to equal opportunity. Our goal is to foster more equitable representation by strengthening the NIH’s efforts in targeted outreach and recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, and retention of talent in accordance with White House initiatives.
We can all do our part to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in our professional and personal lives. Throughout this month, you can expect an event hosted by our federal diversity colleagues and communications highlighting how the Hispanic community contributes to the vibrant culture of the United States.
Visit our website to find resources, information, and a video of first-person accounts of how stereotypes and biases about the Hispanic community have impacted the daily lives of our own NIH colleagues and friends. In addition, to get involved or increase your knowledge, you can click on the following link: https://www.edi.nih.gov.
To keep abreast of the exciting things that are happening in EDI, please follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram at @NIH_EDI.
Best regards,
Kevin D. Williams, Esquire
EDI Director
Events
Join Amigos de ACF to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Thursday, September 15, 2022 | 12PM EST
Amigos de ACF will host a webinar on Hispanic/Latino children, youth, and families. The National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families will present on the diversity of the Hispanic community across the country, strengths and assets of Hispanic children, youth, and families, and culturally responsive practices for serving the Hispanic/Latino population in social services.
Connect
Joy Postell, NIH’s Women’s Portfolio Strategist, sat down to have a conversation with Dr. Anna María Nápoles, Ph.D., M.P.H. In this exclusive first-look interview, Dr. Nápoles shares her unique perspective as a woman in science and the NIH’s first Latina Scientific Director.
Discussed in this interview:
- Motivating setbacks
- Debunking myths
- "Truths I know for sure"
- Mentorship and leadership
- Her research and why it is important
- Personal and professional vision for the future
Vision for the Research
Setback as a Career Scientist
Minority Community
Lack of Access in Minority Community
The National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers (NCHEPM) today announced the poster selection to accompany the 2022 Hispanic Heritage Month national theme: Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation. Both the theme and poster reinforce the need to ensure diverse voices and perspectives are welcomed in decision-making processes, thereby helping to build stronger communities and a stronger Nation. NCHEPM members, Federal agency partners, Employee Resource Groups and members of the general public selected the theme through a substantive voting process.
EDI’s Hero Image incorporates the winning poster, submitted by Ms. Irene Matos Chan, a senior Information Technology manager in the Square Tech Computer Repair & Training Center for the Castle Square Tenants Organization.
Hispanic/Latino/Latinx Americans heritage is rooted in 20 Latin American countries and territories: Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.
Visit the site for more information.
