Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging: Hispanic Heritage Month
In this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from the Financial Gym, we continue our DEIB series. Our host, Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Gym, is joined by Juan, one of our Certified Financial Trainers, to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month can be a fantastic way to learn about and highlight Hispanic and Latino communities' diverse cultures, traditions, and contributions.
Juan, whose family is from Honduras, tells us about his life as a first-generation American. He reflects on the significance of Hispanic Heritage Month in his upbringing through college, its connection to personal finance, and how it led to him being a Financial Trainer today.
Podcast Notes
In the United States, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th to October 15th.
It's a time to recognize and honor the contributions, culture, and history of Hispanic and Latinx communities in addition to The Independence Day of Several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Chile.
There are lots of ways to celebrate! The key to celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month is approaching it with an open heart and a willingness to learn, appreciate, and respect the diverse cultures within the Hispanic and Latinx communities.
Growing up in a Hondouran Family
Juan is a first-generation American and comes from a big family. They would try to celebrate their heritage every day.
He first learned about Hispanic Heritage Month in middle school Spanish class. Depending on where you live and go to school, everyone celebrates differently.
One of the great things about living in a big city is being surrounded by the different people and cultures there.
Another thing that varies from person to person is how much of their native language they speak. Juan's mom spoke Spanish at home, and he was around kids who were fluent growing up. Growing up in Florida, Juan's primary language was English, but he knows some Spanish.
Juan’s Experience in College and Beyond
Juan went to university in Texas, at a predominately white school, but he found a community of other Latinx people on campus. Colleges are great at helping you meet new people, and there are many different clubs or communities to be part of.
Finances are among the most significant cultural differences for people pursuing higher education. Even though everyone is at the same school, their experience is vastly different.
Some folks may have their way paid for by family, others may have no support from their family, and lots of folks in between. Juan took out loans to pay for college and remembers the first student loan bill as a wake-up call.
Scholars are available to help you pay for school, specifically for Hispanic and Latinx students. Explore all the options available because every little bit helps when paying for school.
Financial literacy wasn't taught in his home because his parents didn't have all the information. This inspired Juan to learn so he could take care of himself and teach his family what he learned.
Juan now gets to share this knowledge with many others working as a Trainer at The Financial Gym.
If you want to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to help navigate your finances, schedule a free warm-up call today! If you have any ideas or questions for the show, send an email to trainerpodcast@fingyms.com.
Resources
Meet The Trainer
Meet Juan Valeriano, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer
Meet Rachel Adaline, HR Manager at The Financial Gym