When I came to study in the U.S. six years ago from Lima, Peru, the first thing I noticed was that I was only seen as Hispanic or Latinx. All the nuanced parts of my identity—like my country or hometown—didn’t seem to matter. I was later able to adjust and overcome the feeling of a lost identity thanks to the amazing support of my newfound network of Latinx peers, who come from different parts of the U.S. and Latin America.
I’ve found the same type of support in the Amigos@Dataminr employee resource group (ERG). Our shared heritage is why we’ve come together, but we are so much more—which is why we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s a time for us to honor our vibrant, multifaceted, multiethnic community and reflect on our experiences and accomplishments.
If you’re not familiar with National Hispanic Heritage Month, here are a few facts to get you up to speed:
This year’s theme is Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope. It’s especially fitting as 2020, and now much of 2021, have been particularly difficult for our communities. As the global leader of Amigos@Dataminr, it’s important to me that our ERG offers not just a safe space for our Hispanic/Latinx colleagues, but one that fosters resiliency and hope.
We do so by creating opportunities for candid conversations on the topics and issues that matter most to our ERG members—and by conducting research to facilitate critical, evidence-based discussions about the intersectionality of gender, race and cultural identity. We also provide resources and support to organizational partners like Techqueria, a nonprofit that serves Latinx professionals in the tech industry.
Having the freedom to have such discussions and offer resources to key Latinx organizations are a few of the reasons I truly appreciate Dataminr. The company prioritizes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), which allows our Amigos ERG to not only support our Hispanic/Latinx colleagues and communities—but our entire Dataminr family.
This year, our aim is to bring our community and allies together by hosting the following activities and events:
I’m incredibly excited about the next few weeks and can’t wait to share what we love most about our heritage with all of Dataminr—as well as who we are and where we come from.
Interested in joining our team? Check out our open roles.
Pamela Loaiza is a Latin America Domain Expert at Dataminr and the Global Lead for the Amigos@Dataminr employee resource group. Pamela holds an MA in public policy and international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.
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