Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Voices from UNIDOS

As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we take a moment to honor the contributions of our vibrant Hispanic-Latin* community at UKG. This year's theme, "Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together," resonates deeply with the spirit of innovation, resilience, and unity that define the Hispanic experience. In this feature, we spotlight three of our U Krewers — Chris, Verónica, and Yolanda — who share their personal stories, cultural insights, and the importance of representation and allyship in the workplace. All three are proud members of UNIDOS, an employee resource group (ERG) dedicated to Hispanic-Latin* U Krewers and their allies. 

Chris R., Product Support Representative II  

What are some traditions, celebrations, or rituals your family participates in?

My family has a fiesta almost twice a month every month. We don’t have traditions or rituals, but we love to eat, drink, have fun, and catch up with family. We are a tight-knit family.

Name one thing you appreciate most about UKG’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEI&B) initiatives.

One major thing I love about UKG’s DEI&B initiatives is that UKG wants U Krewers to be involved in ERGs and allows for their voices to be heard. Since joining UNIDOS, I have never felt more connected to my fellow U Krew, and I truly feel like the UNIDOS members are extended family.

What do you wish others knew about your culture?

For the Puerto Rican culture, I mainly wish people knew what it was and stopped lumping us in with the Mexican culture. I wish people knew the difference between each culture and how unique each one is, especially the food for each Latin culture.

Why is representation in the workplace and beyond so important? 

It’s important to me because I like to be able to share my culture with others and I love getting to know my co-worker’s cultures as well. Representation is so important to me because my entire life I have always seen Latinos looked at in negative connotations and I always thought to myself, if people just took time to get to know us and our culture, then we wouldn’t be treated the way we are. Having that representation and connection in the workplace makes me feel seen, heard, and valued. 

Why is it important to be an ally?

It’s important to be an ally because while you might not experience the same hardships the group you are an ally to experiences, you can stand up for the people of that group and show them that their voices are heard, they are seen, and they are loved.

How does this year's Hispanic Heritage Month theme resonate with your personal or professional experience?

It resonates with me because that is literally my goal in life—to shape a better and brighter future for all Latinos.

Verónica F., Presales Consultant

What are some traditions, celebrations, or rituals your family participates in?

In my family, we love to be together, sometimes as often as every week. We are what is called a “familia muegano,” which means we are always very close to one another. My favorite celebration in México is Dia de los Muertos. It’s a very special day, and I would love for the world to know more about this celebration.

Name one thing you appreciate most about UKG’s DEI&B initiatives.

It is amazing how we can learn from the different DEI&B events at UKG, and I really enjoy all of them. It makes me appreciate all the differences and similarities we have in LATAM.

What do you wish others knew about your culture?

I wish people knew more about Dia de los Muertos. It’s not sad, yet it's not a fiesta… we are happy they come back, visit, and eat the delicious food we leave for them, but it is a very respectful celebration.

Why is representation in the workplace and beyond so important? 

Understanding that we all have beautiful qualities no matter where we are from is important to make UKG as great as it is. Being seen is a huge part of building a great company and a better world.

Why is it important to be an ally?

Different ideas come from different backgrounds, and we can only do that by recognizing the strengths from all over the world.

Yolanda V., Strategic Business Process Consultant

What are some traditions, celebrations, or rituals your family participates in?

One of my favorite traditions during the holiday is making and eating tamales. The holidays aren’t the holidays without tamales.

Name one thing you appreciate most about UKG’s DEI&B initiatives.

It is a great way to connect with people from all parts of the organization. It lets me get a better understanding of the organization and keeps me from working in a silo.

What do you wish others knew about your culture?

That Vicks cures all. My husband did not understand at first, but he eventually got on board.

Why is representation in the workplace and beyond so important? 

I remember doing a show once and I sang and acted some scenes in Spanish. An audience member came up to me after the show and told me how excited her daughter was to hear Spanish on stage. In that moment she saw herself in my performance. Representation lets you believe that you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to. You see someone like you, and you ask yourself, "Why not me?"

Why is it important to be an ally?

Being an ally is so important because it means that you can offer a different perspective on behalf of those who are not in the room. You can be a voice, an advocate, if needed.

How does this year's Hispanic Heritage Month theme resonate with your personal or professional experience?

I think one of the things I love about being Latina is that I am resilient. When things get hard or I get thrown into the unknown, I keep going, and I think that is in part due to how I was raised. I saw my family face challenges and persevere. We relied on each other, and that gave me a roadmap for how to face challenges when they come my way.

*UKG's ERG UNIDOS uses an asterisk in the phrasing "Hispanic & Latin* Heritage Month" to indicate inclusivity and acknowledge the diversity within the Hispanic and Latin communities. The asterisk serves as a visual cue that the term "Latin" is being used in a broad, inclusive sense, encompassing various identities and experiences that might not be fully captured by traditional labels.

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