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September 15 to October 15 marks Hispanic Heritage Month. This month recognizes and celebrates the Latino/a/x culture and heritage, as well as the contributions U.S. Hispanics have made to the nation.
Latinx culture has enriched the United States in many ways, including but not limited to the Spanish language, food, music, art, and dance. In Latinx culture, dance is for social purposes that bring friends and family together in an emotional connection to the music and traditions of their ancestors. At Fohr, we put together a few initiatives to honor and celebrate this month:
We asked a few of our Hispanic & Latinx/o/a employees questions about their early influences and how they are able to incorporate their culture into the work that they do here at Fohr. Here's what they had to say:
Born in Queens, NY and raised in the Dominican Republic, Rocio brings close to fifteen years of Multicultural Media and Public Relations experience. Her focus has been beauty, consumer and lifestyle brands in both corporate and indie markets. While her career began on the agency side, most recently she has worked in-house with brands like Consumer Reports, Sol de Janeiro and Urban Skin Rx. Outside of work, Rocio loves to cook, travel and spend time with loved ones.
Who was the first Hispanic public figure that you remember being influenced by?
Definitely Selena Quntanilla, she was everything when I was growing up, and she still is <3. #bidibidibombom
How do you incorporate your culture into the work that you do here at Fohr?
I love advocating for LatinX partners and multicultural audiences to be top of mind within our campaigns as they make up the larger percentage of consumer spend. When I was on the PR agency side, bilingual and multicultural publications used to never be prioritized and I’m happy to be able to see a shift in this as the industry evolves.
Griselda (Griz) is Ecuadorian, born and raised in the Bronx. Griz brings 7 years of Finance experience to Fohr. She is a Community Activist and a Webby Winner, who created a 911 alternative app called Subdial.
Who was the first Hispanic public figure that you remember being influenced by?
Walter Mercado was magic. He was my first lesson in alchemy. Every day without fail, I watched my grandmother listening to her zodiac message. When I asked why she devotedly tuned in, she said, "anything can be magic for you. If you chose to believe that a rock was magical, I promise that rock will do wonders."
How do you incorporate your culture into your work here at Fohr?
Every day I show up and execute, I incorporate my culture. I believe I am one of the many Latinx embodiments of our "si se puede" attitude. With my "maker mentality" and deep care for myself and the company I work for I bring everything my wonderful culture has taught me to our processes, solution, and development.
"Every day I show up and execute, I incorporate my culture. I believe I am one of the many Latinx embodiments of our 'si se puede' attitude." - Griselda Viteri
Agustín is a Cuban-American creative born and raised in Miami, with an extensive background in influencer creative and strategy, content production, social media management, and event production.
Who was the first Hispanic public figure that you remember being influenced by?
Some of the earliest Latinx public figures I remember being influenced by are Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Shakira, Daddy Yankee, Ivy Queen, and Selma Hayek. I grew up with their films and music in my house, infusing my daily life with salsa, mambo, reggaeton, and a Latinx presence in some of my favorite movies.
How do you incorporate your culture into your work here at Fohr?
I think my Latinidad comes through at work in subtle ways. Whether that's nuanced inflections in my Miami-tinged accent, or random reggaeton references...i.e. "yo soy la que manda!"
Agatha was born in Louisiana and raised in NJ, as a Afro-Latina Panamanian. She comes to Fohr with 12 years of experience in Human Resources.
Who was the first Hispanic public figure that you remember being influenced by?
I remember growing up listening to Celia Cruz, my mom blasting her music on the stereo and her shouting out "Azucarrrr!" I loved watching Celina speaking and talking about how she had to break barriers to get to where she was. I also grew up listening to Selena Quintanilla, till this day I love to hear her story and wonder how much further she would have gone. My mom would send us to Panama during the summer break from school, so I was lucky to grow up seeing two different worlds. Reggae is a huge part of Panama, I grew up listening to Nando Boom and El Roockie.
How do you incorporate your culture into your work here at Fohr?
Minorities are often underrepresented and have to push harder to move themselves along in their careers and in other areas in their life. Being Fohr's first HR Lead and also being Afro-Latina is huge to me. It shows that our world is changing and allowing us to have more opportunities. Being able to represent my community in a Lead Position and contribute to being a voice allows me to incorporate my culture into Fohr.
"Minorities are often underrepresented and have to push harder to move themselves along in their careers and in other areas in their life. Being Fohr's first HR Lead and also being Afro-Latina is huge to me." - Agatha Prestan
Ellie (she/her) was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, and grew up in a Nicaraguan family. She discovered her passion for digital marketing through her various internships with PR agencies where she developed her skills in a range of areas including media relations, research, and media monitoring. In her free time, you can find her roller skating, at a museum, or roaming the snack aisle at Trader Joe’s.
Who was the first Hispanic public figure that you remember being influenced by?
The first Hispanic public figure I was influenced by was Selena Quintanilla. Although I was born after her death, I still grew up enjoying her music. Selena was a great role model and inspired me to embrace my roots and culture.
How do you incorporate your culture into the work that you do here at Fohr?
In the Latinx community, storytelling is a strong tradition. In my work here at Fohr, I love recommending Latinx and BIPOC partners that are great visual storytellers for our clients to consider in their campaigns. It is great to see that more Latinx influencers are being included in impactful campaigns that respect individuality and celebrate diversity.
"In the Latinx community, storytelling is a strong tradition. In my work here at Fohr, I love recommending Latinx and BIPOC partners that are great visual storytellers for our clients to consider in their campaigns." - Ellie Saballos
Fohr also pulled together 4 considerations for brands when working with Latinx/o/a and Hispanic creators. Check out the mini-guide here.
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