Hispanic Heritage Month 2023 Week 2: Jobs and the Economy
NETWORK Communications Team
Sept 22, 2023
Hispanic Heritage Month 2023 is September 15 through October 15. National organizers choose a theme each year for the celebration. For 2023 it is “Latinos: Driving Prosperity, Power, and Progress in America.” Please join NETWORK as we reflect on, celebrate, and acknowledge the significant strides of Hispanics in the economic, political, and social growth of the U.S. We will spotlight Latina and Latino justice-seekers in our faith-filled community to recognize the positive impact they’ve had on our work and our country!
Hispanic Heritage Month 2023: October 5 is Latina Equal Pay Day
While NETWORK celebrates the gains made by Hispanic workers in the U.S., we must address that one group, Latinas–a fast growing, powerful force in all spaces in our economy, are the lowest paid workers in the U.S. They make $.52 for ever $1.00 that a white man makes. We lament that Latinas need to work until they are 90 years old to earn the same amount of money that white men make by 60 years of age!
Latina Equal Pay Day was moved from December (when the data shows how long into the year Latinas must work to equal a white man’s pay) to October 5. Monica Ramirez, CEO of Justice for Migrant Women and a Latina Equal Pay Day organizer explains why.
“We are intentionally lifting up equal pay for Latinas as a part of Hispanic Heritage Month. Traditionally, the Latina pay gap is observed on the day that aligns with the data, symbolizing the day that Latinas would ‘catch up’ to what white men made the year before. However, the reality is that Latinas are not catching up.”
Week 3: Climate, spotlight on Christian Soenen
Week 4: Education, spotlight on Laura Muñoz Lopez
Hispanic Heritage Month 2023 Justice-Seeker Profile: Ness Perry
This week, with the Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight on jobs and the economy, we proudly feature Ness Perry, Advocacy Specialist at the Latino Economic Development Center in Washington D.C., and a former NETWORK Communications Associate.
If we can spotlight you, someone you know or love, or social justice work being carried out in your Hispanic church or community during Hispanic Heritage Month 2023, please let us know at [email protected].
Network Communications: Briefly introduce yourself and your connection to NETWORK
Ness Perry: My name is Ness Perry, I am 26 years old, and I have resided in Washington, D.C. for six years. From 2019 through 2020, I worked as a NETWORK Communications Associate.
What issues do you work on, and why are they important for the Latina and Latino community?
For the last year, I have worked for the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC), in D.C. I work on issues related to affordable housing preservation, closing gaps in homeownership, small business advocacy, and transit-oriented development to prevent displacement. LEDC’s mission is to serve as a catalyst that drives the economic and social advancement of low-to-moderate-income Latinos and other underserved communities by equipping them with the skills and tools to achieve financial independence, acquire personal and business assets, create generational wealth, and become leaders in their communities.
While LEDC was initially designed to serve the Latino community, LEDC has expanded to attend to the needs of all underserved communities equitably. We firmly believe in treating every individual who walks through our doors with fairness, respect, and dignity, without any form of discrimination.
How do your faith or your personal values influence your work?
While I do not identify with any faith, I have found that finding common ground within the structure of a moral framework can be an incredibly useful tool in advocacy. While working for NETWORK, I found that elected officials were often more open to connecting with us because they had a values-based approach to leadership that acknowledged Catholic Social Teaching.
Similarly, my personal values are inextricable from the work I do. I attempted to work for a for-profit organization, and I felt lost because I knew that my moral compass did not align with the goals of the company. I learned quickly that the work I do must be community oriented because of my lack of motivation to work for the sake of a paycheck and not in service of others.
What are you most mindful about during this Hispanic Heritage Month?
Belonging is the topic I am most mindful about this Hispanic Heritage Month. As an Afro-Chicana, I think I always have a difficult time orienting myself in my community, often feeling invalidated or culturally never enough for either group. In making sure my Black community knows that I am not just Black or just Chicana, I uplift other Latinx subgroups within the African diaspora across the Americas and beyond. If someone is struggling with this, I believe a great place to start could be researching their ancestry can help many Latinx people. This first step could help them find their sense of belonging and build a stronger identity.
I have also found that seeking communal spaces for the Latinx community is vital. The ability to celebrate our culture amid gentrification in and around our neighborhoods and communities, is something that should never be undervalued. Our community has unfortunately been in survival mode for generations due to systemic issues that have barred us from living life beyond our trauma. The work that I do envisions a future where Latinx people and other underserved communities are thriving, not just surviving.
Thank you, Ness!
Read more about the Latina Equal Pay Day at the National Women’s Law Center.
Watch Monica Ramirez, CEO of Justice for Migrant Women and a Latina Equal Pay Day organizer discusses the movement working to close the pay gap for Latin women on YouTube.
If we can spotlight you, someone you know or love, or social justice work being carried out in your Hispanic church or community during Hispanic Heritage Month 2023, please let us know at [email protected].
