Our differences at work (part IV)

By Roger Knight

Growing up, you acknowledged the great sacrifices your parents made as you tried to do your best in school. From early on, you learned to navigate between two languages, two cultures as either your parents, grandparents or other relatives spoke only Spanish at home. You managed to go to college and obtained your degree, and after starting your first professional position, you thought you had finally made it. You have been able to conquer, albeit sometimes more successfully than others, any obstacles in the path of your education, career, and indeed, life in general.

What role has your ethnic identity played in your professional progress?

More than half of all respondents to our recent NSHP online survey feel that being Hispanic/Latino at work is an advantage because of bilingualism/biculturalism.

Throughout this series, we have embarked in a journey to redress the myth surrounding the competence of an important, and, perhaps, overlooked group in the labor force: Hispanic professionals. In this way, using the results of our survey, it might be possible to delineate a typical profile for Hispanic professionals.

Researchers at the W.P. Casey School of Business at Arizona State University agree, Hispanic professionals are an important group to study, as it is this group that can help explain the underrepresentation of Hispanics in managerial and executive positions. In this fourth and last installment about the results of our “Hispanic values” survey, we will look at the perceived advantages and disadvantages of being Hispanic/Latino at work in terms of three main career outcomes: satisfaction, compensation, and promotion.

Advantages

“I am Joaquín
Lost in a world of confusion,
Caught up in a whirl of a
Gringo society.
Confused by the rules,
Scorned by attitudes…
In a country that has placed a
different weight of indignity upon
my age old burdened back.”

After reading Adolfo Gonzalez “I am Joaquin: En Epic Poem,” it is impossible to ignore the almost opposing nature of finding a niche in the economic class and remaining loyal to the Hispanic culture. Although the poem refers mainly to the Mexican experience, its theme of struggle, achievement, and resourcefulness resonates with many a Latino in the labor force as they cope with their own cultural survival.

In terms of advantages of being Latino, many may be quick to mention our dedication to family and spiritual well-being, diverse culture, loyalty and service to country, unparallel work ethic, and entrepreneurial character. Respondents to our own survey cited the advantageous differences of collaboration, self-management, and passion Hispanic professionals possess over their non-Latino co-workers. In addition, for the overwhelming majority of Latinos who are fluent in Spanish, researchers have found that bilinguals engage in comparative thinking and cognitive flexibility at a higher level than those who speak a single language.

Disadvantages

One out four respondents believes that being Hispanic/Latino at work is a disadvantage because of stereotypes. This perception seems to be unrelated to language skills, as recent reports state that first generation English-speaking Mexican-Americans are more likely to think they would lose their jobs in the next 12 months.

However, there seems to be gender differences according to our survey, as almost twice as many women than men feel that being Hispanic/Latino at work is a disadvantage. Accordingly, a Catalyst study found that the lack of mentoring relationships is the number one disadvantage for Latinas. In that same study, Latinas reported difficulty in the access to networks, which results in disadvantages in career outcomes.

Besides generational and gender differences, our survey produced mixed results by region. A higher percentage of respondents in the Midwest and West than in the Northeast and South felt that being Hispanic/Latino at work is a disadvantage because of stereotypes. These results appear to contradict our previous analysis of the perception of Latino stereotypes by region.

In particular, whereas respondents from the Midwest were least likely to express a strong negative presence of the Latino stereotype in the workplace, they also reported the highest percentage across all regions of being Hispanic/Latino at work as a disadvantage. In other words, even though the Latino/a stereotype is not as strongly felt in the Midwest, being Hispanic/Latino is still perceived as having a negative impact on career outcomes in that region.

Past research in human resource practices has found that strong identification with the majority culture enhances employees’ opportunities for advancement. This perception might prompt a Hispanic professional, who is not immediately identifiable as Hispanic/Latino, not to reveal his/her cultural background in a non-inclusive work environment. Such a situation hinders the future career outcomes of the entire Hispanic professional community.

Our Contribution to the Workplace

In this time of changing demographics, regardless of our individual levels of acculturation to the mainstream culture and despite our gender, regional, generational, or national origin differences, certain aspects of our Latino culture remains in us, and it definitely contributes to workplace diversity.

Consultants at the Academy of Management believe that effectively managed workplace diversity can create a competitive advantage in the areas of problem solving, decreased turnover for minorities, marketing, creativity, organizational flexibility, and ultimately profitability.

It is up to us to dispel the stereotype, understand that not everyone will be satisfied with the effectiveness of diversity policies, but at the same time those policies are part of the equation for a more equitable workplace. Moreover, as Hispanic professionals we should value our differences at work not only in terms of improving the bottom line but also as a factor in job and personal satisfaction. In the end, we should recognize that being Hispanic/Latino at work is an advantage as we are setting the path for a higher percentage of future generations of Hispanics to reach professional status and get ahead.

By Roger Knight for NSHP.org
Research Support Analyst
Institute for Latino Studies at University of Notre Dame
Based on NSHP Survey about Latino stereotypes