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Every August, when
we reveal the LATINA Style 50—our list of the
best companies for Latinas to work for in the United
States—I am reminded of the first time we produced
this list, in 1998. It was so difficult to get
companies to respond that if it hadn't been for the
assistance of various groups—the Women's Bureau of
the Department of Labor, the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, the Hispanic Association on
Corporate Responsibility, Catalyst, and the Office
of Second Lady Tipper Gore—I'm not sure we would
have received enough responses to compile a
meaningful list. |
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SBA
Administrator Hector Barreto (right)
presents LATINA Style with a
Special Award in Recognition of
Outstanding Support of Women
Entrepreneurs |
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Things have changed. This year, we received the
largest number of submissions yet. We are honored
that so many of the leading corporations in America
have chosen to participate in our survey. Their
participation signifies that they are realizing what
an incredible asset Latina women are in the
workplace. This year, the list changed significantly
as many newcomers joined the ranks and perennial
members were pushed out. Even some companies that
had improved since last year were displaced by
newcomers. The top 50 companies will be honored at
the LATINA Style 50 Awards and Best Practices in
Diversity Conference on Feb. 3, 2006; if you want to
learn what makes the LATINA Style 50 so special and
why Latinas use the list as a primary source of
employment information, make sure you come.
As we prepare for Hispanic Heritage Month, we have
much to celebrate: Latinas continue to ascend to the
top of the corporate ladder, and Latina leaders have
taken the reins of some of our most influential
organizations. Our seven Latina Congresswoman
continue to serve their country, and we now have two
new Latino U.S. Senators, a Latino mayor in Los
Angeles, and another Latino confirmed as U.S.
Attorney General. The list goes on! I remember the
’80s, when we were all on the bandwagon of the
Decade of the Hispanics. Twenty-odd years later, it
seems to me that this decade is truly the Decade of
the Hispanics. We are facing what former Department
of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry
Cisneros called the Hispanization of America.
The Latino contribution to the war on terror
continues, and many of our Latino soldiers are
currently serving in the military. On Sept. 8 and 9,
here in Washington, D.C., we will be producing our
second National LATINA Symposium. During the event,
we will have an opportunity to recognize and honor
Latinas that have distinguished themselves in
military service. I hope that many of you can join
us in this recognition.
On a lighter note, we will soon introduce a column
in the magazine called "Can You Believe It?" for
which we welcome submissions from our readers. Send
us 100 words about something funny or unusual that
happened to you recently. Bonus points if it has a
Latin flavor!
Robert E. Bard |
