To me, it was easy to see that the organization was
failing to realize they were assuming that all
Latinos were the same and thus that all Latinos
would want to participate. This unfortunately is a
common mistake in corporate America.
What corporations need to understand is that Latinos
will respond differently to Latino initiatives based
on their sense of Latino identity. A Latinos’
identity refers to how a Latino or Latina views
their own ethnicity and culture. One’s sense of
Latino identity is influenced by their race,
national origin, language use, socioeconomic class,
immigration status and a number of other elements.
To better comprehend the issue of Latino identity,
chief diversity officers should become familiar with
the Latino Identity Development Model developed by
Ferdman and Gallegos. The model describes 6
different Latino orientations or “lenses” through
which Latinos and Latinas view their identity (see
Table 1 for a condensed version of the model).
Table 1
Latino Identity Development Model
|
Orientation |
Identity Lens |
|
Undifferentiated/Denial |
These Latinos tend to deny their cultural
and ethnic differences. They tend to see no
need to connect with other Latinos and do
not generally participate in Latino
activities or programs. Believe that
“people are people” and that when Latinos
don’t perform it is a result of their own
lack of achievement. |
|
White-Identified |
These Latinos see themselves as Anglo and
are thus different from and superior to
people of color. These Latinos are
completely assimilated into white culture
and are disconnected from other Latinos.
|
|
Latino as Other |
Views oneself as primarily “non-white.” Does
not feel Latino, but also doesn’t identify
with Anglo values. Considers themselves as
simply a minority and is aware that
minorities have been discriminated against.
|
|
Sub-Group Identified |
Think of themselves in their own distinct
ethnic or national-origin subgroup (i.e.
Puerto Rican, Cuban, Mexican, etc). Views
their own subgroup in a more positive
light. Does participate in Latino programs.
|
|
Latino-Identified |
View Latinos as a whole constituting a
distinct category across all sub-groups.
Tend to be advocates for all issues Latino.
See whites as either an ally or a barrier,
depending on their behavior.
|
|
Latino-Integrated |
See their Latino identity as wholly
integrated with their other social
identities such as gender, class, religion,
profession, etc. Latino identity is one of
many lenses through which they view the
world. |
|
Modified from: Ferdman, B.M. & Gallegos, P.I.
(2007). Identity orientations of Latinos in
the United
States: Implications for Leaders and
Organizations. The Business Journal of
Hispanic Research, 1 (1), 26-41.
|
Sharing the model with the chief diversity officer
helped me clarify three important concepts. First,
Latino identity differences provide at least a
partial explanation as to why not all Latinos would
feel compelled to participate in the Latino employee
network or any other Latino related initiatives.
Second, the model describes why a singular approach
to Latino diversity results in some Latinos feeling
wrongly labeled, ignored or unappreciated. Third, it
makes it easier to understand how a failure to
comprehend Latino identity diversity is also a
reason why some non-Latinos experience difficulty
partnering with their Latino co-workers.
It’s important to remember that no one orientation
is necessarily better than another. Each has
resulted based on an individual Latinos’ experiences
and perceptions as to what is necessary to adapt and
succeed in a specific external environment. We must
keep in mind that the model serves the purpose of
advancing our appreciation of Latino diversity.
This appreciation of Latino identity diversity not
only benefits corporations, it benefits Latinos as
well. Those of us who are Latino professionals have
to remind ourselves not to assume that other Latinos
see the world as we do. This may be easy to forget
for Latinos who may have only partial contact with
other Latinos with different backgrounds. Just as
with any other diversity initiative, Latinos also
need to respect individual differences, even within
the Latino community. Each Latino, regardless of
their sense of identity, has valuable contributions
that they can offer.
My conversation with the chief diversity officer
reminded me of my own sense of identity. Over the
years, my Latino identity lens has changed. It
changed when I left my predominantly Mexican barrio
and went to college where I met many Latinos of
different nationalities. When my first corporate
employer had almost no Latino diversity, my identity
was again a key issue I had to deal with. Now,
working at an academic institution with a truly
diverse workforce, I possess a more textured
understanding of the complexity of what it means to
be Latino.
My hope is that this article will persuade you to
resist overly simple identity models about any
particular group or sub-group in the workplace. For
example, as this article has shown, the diversity
that exists within the Latino community will persist
to thwart efforts to categorize us as a homogeneous
group.
Dr. Robert Rodriguez is the author of Latino Talent
- Effective Strategies to Recruit, Retain and
Develop Hispanic Professionals. He is the Chairman
of the Board for the Hispanic Alliance for Career
Enhancement (HACE) and is an Assistant Dean at
Kaplan University. Comments and questions can be
sent to his email address –
Rrodriguez2@kaplan.edu
View all of Robert's Blog
Dr.
Robert Rodriguez's Bio
is the Assistant Dean of the
Graduate School of Management at Kaplan University.
His responsibilities curriculum design, course
development, and course delivery for Kaplan’s
Newsweek MBA programs. Prior to Kaplan, Robert
taught at the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business
at DePaul University and also was a faculty chair at
Capella University.
Prior to academia, Robert held human resource
leadership roles at several Fortune 500 firms
including Target Corporation, 3M Company, BP Amoco
and RR Donnelley & Sons. Along with teaching at
Kaplan, Dr. Rodriguez is the Managing Partner at
Astira Group, a human capital services firm based in
Chicago. Robert leads the firm’s Talent Management
Practice and some of his clients include Wachovia,
SuperValu, Allianz Life, Darden Restaurants, 3M
Company, Thompson NETg and DaimlerChrysler. He helps
firms develop proactive strategies in the area of
succession planning, leadership development,
employee engagement and diversity initiatives.
Robert’s experience and education serve him well in
his role as a frequent contributor for HR Magazine
where he writes articles that focus on talent
management issues. He has also published numerous
articles on human resource topics in such
publications as The Chicago Tribune, Chief Learning
Officer Magazine, The OD Practitioner Journal,
Workforce Performance Solutions, and I-Street
Magazine.
Robert has also been featured in such publications
as Workforce Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The
Washington Post, FastCompany Magazine and Crains
Chicago Business. Dr. Rodriguez is an Advisory
Council member for The Conference Board and he is
frequently called upon to speak by associations such
as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
and the Chief Learning Officer Symposium.
Dr. Rodriguez currently serves as Chairman of the
Board of Directors for The Hispanic Alliance for
Career Enhancement (www.hace-usa.org), a national
non-profit organization dedicated to incubating and
nurturing Latinos throughout their career continuum
and working to develop increasing numbers of
successful Latino professionals and leaders. Robert
just finished a book that will be published by Wiley
& Sons Publications in Sept. '07 titled, Latino
Talent: Effective Strategies to Recruit, Retain and
Develop Hispanic Professionals.
Dr. Rodriguez received his doctorate in Organization
Development at Benedictine University in Chicago.
His research interests include career branding,
talent management, succession planning, leadership
development and diversity. Dr. Robert Rodriguez can
be reached at Kaplan University at
RRodriguez2@kaplan.edu
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