The Powerful Role of Mentors for Latino Economic Mobility
You’re not too early (or late) to be the mentor you wish you had, and this should be the month you get started if you haven’t already.
National Hispanic Heritage Month is a period from September 15 to October 15 in the United States for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. And, while there is so much to celebrate, the inevitable reality remains that, across many domains of economic mobility, Latinos lag in economic mobility. The Hispanic-White wage gap has remained wide and held steady for decades, and Latina women experience the most severe wage gap.
The recent executive order on White House initiative on advancing educational equity, excellence and economic opportunity for Hispanics is encouraging, a call to action across government agencies to be intentional in their role for advancing economic success for Hispanics. There are however, immediate and profoundly impactful actions that individuals, community-based organizations and nonprofits do every day and should expand on, such as mentoring and sponsorship.
At its most basic, a mentor is a trusted counselor or guide. Through our lives’ achievements and failures, these mentors can expand our perspectives, help us see ourselves in ways we don’t yet do, and fill in the gaps of our network in ways that are truly transformational. There at least two ways in which mentors have an impact: shaping (and reshaping) mentees’ beliefs of what’s possible, and through their roles as sponsors.
You might think you’re too early (or late), but to the folks your time and energy will impact, you’ll be just in time.
Shaping beliefs
For many of us, first-gen Americans, first-gen college grads, and many other ‘firsts’. We’re not only navigating uncharted territory academically and professionally but doing so with less resources, weaker or non-existent networks and fewer people that “look like us” in positions of power. In addition, the backdrop statistics can be downright discouraging. For example:
- Latinos make less than 2% of all elected local and federal officials
- There are 16 Latino CEOs in Fortune 500 companies, and most of them are men
- Latina women still make 55 cents on the dollar, compared to white men.
- The gap widens for Latinas with higher education.
But these statistics should not be static, we can change them. Navigating uncharted territory is easier with a map, and even better with a guide. Mentors can reshape the beliefs of what is possible, expand the perspective on available choices.
To understand this, we can draw from the permanent income hypothesis. Briefly, it posits that consumption (and investment) patterns are formed from expectations of future income. At its most basic, an example is that if your expectations are that you’ll have a low income trajectory, you’ll make your decisions accordingly. Low income and vulnerable youth are at risk from believing their trajectories are set at an early age and consume (and invest) accordingly by: investing less on their education, by spending money in ways that are not conducive to wealth creation, of believing that wealth creation is not an option for them. Beliefs are deeply influential and profoundly impactful for economic mobility. We don’t talk enough about it.
In practical terms, there at least two simple things mentors can do to help shape:
1- By sharing how their own beliefs were changed as they embarked on their journeys.
2- By painting a holistic picture of how their Hispanic heritage, personal life, family and hobbies fit into their professional and economic trajectory.
Genuine commitment to Latino success and economic mobility requires access to the opportunities that will allow them to leapfrog slow, sticky career journeys.
Sponsorship
A second role, and sometimes not performed by the same mentor, is sponsorship. You’ve probably heard about it before, but why is it crucially important to Latinos?
There’s a specific emotional toll of inhabiting environments where we are not welcomed. We shouldn’t ignore that the backdrop statistics mentioned above might have an impact on our sense of being welcomed into the spaces we inhabit at work, and life. Indeed, in a nationally representative sample, one third of Latinos reported experiencing discrimination when seeking jobs or housing.
For Latinos, even if we’re at the metaphorical table, navigating personal life and corporate environments has an additional layer of complexity. As a sponsor, you can fundamentally impact economic mobility and well-being of Latinos. I encourage you to learn about best practices and rely on your organization’s resources. I’ve heard it a few times, Latinos, and especially women, tend to be over-mentored and under-sponsored.
If you are in a position to be a sponsor, there are simple tactical ways to make a difference, for example:
1- Foster opportunities for them to shine. Create high-stakes, safe environments for them to shine. An executive presentation, a role in an internal leadership committee. Genuine commitment to Latino success and mobility requires access to opportunities for them to leapfrog slow, sticky journeys.
2- Open your network to them. Spend some time making warm hand-offs to folks in your network, work with your mentees to foster and grow their networks. This will help them beyond ‘connections’ with access to examples of other career journeys, expand the realm of the possible.
3- Invest time in them — As a mentor/sponsor, developing the relationship and trust that is needed for genuine sponsorship will require time. Mentoring relationships are built on trust. Get to know your mentees, keep those connections over time. Your sponsorship will be needed in different ways over their journeys, and you will make a more profound impact if you ensure to maintain these relationships over time.
When we celebrate Hispanic Heritage month next year in 2022, my hope is that we see those statistics change. I firmly believe we will, and invite you to contribute with your time and support to the Latino community.
