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Don Burrows's children share their father's Scottish-Irish facial features and coloring. At his daughter's workplace, someone made a disparaging remark about Hispanics/Latinos. She said nothing, but the next morning she brought in a photo of her family, including her Mexican-born mother and her maternal grandfather, who clearly were not Scottish-Irish.
This story doesn't surprise Burrows, principal of Cary, North Carolina-based Acorn Consulting. One division of his firm is devoted to Hispanic/Latino employees. Hispanics/Latinos boast diverse geographic and cultural backgrounds. They may have arrived in the US yesterday, or their ancestors may have immigrated centuries ago. They may be bilingual, speak only Spanish or know not a word.
As a result, defining who is Hispanic/Latino in the workplace poses difficulties for federal agencies, employers and job seekers. But because minority hiring and antidiscrimination policies often include "Hispanic" as a classification, job seekers and employers need to be sensitive to the subtle distinctions and issues associated with this ethnic identity.
The federal government defines a Hispanic or Latino as "a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race." According to the 2000 census, Hispanics/Latinos represent 12.5 percent of the US population -- about 35 million people.
Questions About English Proficiency
Some employers rely on stereotypes to determine not only a candidate's Hispanic/Latino ethnicity but also his language skills.
"I can show you John Martin and Juan Martinez, and maybe Juan has more skills and is a better person," Burrows says. "Yet people still say, 'This is America. I want someone who can speak English.' They may not even realize that Juan Martinez was born here and speaks perfect English."
But, "plenty of companies are attuned to the way the world is heading," Burrows says. "They might prefer to hire someone with a Hispanic surname if they're doing international business or for a division with lots of Hispanic workers."
Spanish Language Skills Are a Double-Edged Sword
Spanish fluency cuts both ways. Through anecdotes from friends in fields like finance and law and his own work as president of Silicon Valley-based semiconductor firm Siloet, Jose Estabil finds that employers often expect Hispanic/Latino hires to fit into one of three groups. "Companies that do business with Spanish-speaking countries expect us to speak perfect Spanish," he says. "Those that hire us to work with Hispanic clients domestically feel there will be a good fit and skill set. And then there are people who worry we won't cut the mustard. They assume we have a disability, because we speak Spanish at home."
The fear that Hispanics/Latinos can't read and write English does exist in the workplace, Estabil says, even at upper levels. "I don't see people challenging that presumption," he adds. "And I don't see policies in corporate America addressing it."
Part of the presumption stems from the hiring process, he says. Interviewers are hesitant to delve into areas like "cultural proficiency," fearing legal repercussions from rejected applicants.
For some Hispanic/Latino job seekers, accents can be a detriment, Estabil says, particularly in areas where articulateness is viewed as a measure of intelligence. "I know people who consider Spanish skills a liability, like stammering," he says.
Beyond Hispanic/Latino Names
Spanish surnames can lead to mistaken assumptions, too. "They're not a good identifier, because they don't give any indication of someone's background or how much they identify with Hispanic or American culture," Estabil says.
Estabil cites acquaintances with Hispanic/Latino names whose families have been in the United States far longer than most Anglos, so they don't want to be considered a minority. Still, there is no avoiding the Hispanic/Latino identity issue. "HR sees it as part of affirmative action," he says. "Companies see it as a way of promoting diversity. Some people see it as a way of differentiating themselves."
The emphasis on Hispanic/Latino names and language skills is both good and bad, Estabil says. "Looking backward, it's fine," he says. "But looking ahead, it's not good. As we become the largest minority in the United States and continue to gain economic and political power, we can't be considered just 'Hispanics.' We have to get to the point where we're Americans or at least Spanish-Americans."