Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month - 2024
September 16, 2024
Gabriela Zelaya is the Director of Community Engagement for the Global Diversity Export Initiative
This Sunday marked the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to come together to celebrate and reflect on the incredible contributions of the Hispanic American community!
To me, this month signifies the tremendous promise and opportunity of America for the Hispanic American business owner, entrepreneur, and worker to make an impact on the U.S. economy. Growing up, I personally struggled with cultural stereotypes brought on by being a Hispanic woman from a blue-collar immigrant family in Southern California. But my family and teachers instilled in me the power of education to overcome biases and compassion to create a more inclusive world. This sense of resiliencia led me to be the first in my family to attend college at the University of California, Riverside and later receive a master’s degree from the University of Miami in Florida – both Hispanic-Serving Institutions (or HSI). These HSIs provided me the necessary auxiliary services to prepare for the rigors of a higher education as well as work-study and scholarship opportunities to afford college expenses which ultimately were essential to my academic and professional success.
My academic experience opened new doors and led me on the path to an internship with the U.S. Commercial Service at the U.S. embassy in Madrid, Spain, where I applied my Spanish-speaking skills to help U.S. companies discuss partnership agreements with distributors. My passion for education and inclusion only grew, and I went on to become the Global Education Team Lead and now the Director of Community Engagement as part of the Global Diversity Export Initiative (GDEI).
During my career at ITA, I am most proud of programs that have helped promote more inclusive economic growth opportunities for businesses of all types and sizes, including the March 2024 GDEI Trade Mission to Panama, Costa Rica, and Colombia in conjunction with Opportunities for Women-Led Businesses in the Americas Conference, which brought more than 130 participants to these markets and the Building Bridges to Global Markets Program at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C. just to name a few.
There is so much to appreciate about the vibrant and diverse Hispanic American community and invaluable contributions to our culture, economy, and society. You can learn more through the Molina Family Latino Gallery in the Museum of American History in D.C. or explore virtual resources. If you happen to be in San Jose, where I am based, explore the city’s Hispanic and Latino identity and history through various Hispanic Heritage Month activities.