Celebrating Cinco de Mayo: A Perspective from Silicon Valley

MAY 5, 2024 UPDATE

Resurfacing this article from last year.

As I noted below, change can be difficult to calibrate. Looking over the differences over this past year is difficult to spot signs of progress amidst prevailing political and economic headwinds. The financial burdens for those in school have never been more difficult, and the job market for recent grads is exceptionally challenging. But I remain optimistic.

Turning to the specific day of Cinco de Mayo, yes, I have seen the continued beer updates to the wiki page and more discussion of what the day does not represent on social media. But I've also seen something that gives me hope - a flurry of posts from first-generation Latino college graduates, celebrating their accomplishments by recognizing the sacrifices of their parents to make this opportunity accessible. Parents that may not know what FAFSA is, or have the first hand knowledge to help a first time college studen navigate through the unknown challenges and obstacles of earning a degree. Their stories are entirely about the resilience I wrote about last year. These recent graduates may not realize now how much the process of overcoming these difficulties will benefit them over the course of their careers. And, they may not fully realize the power of their parent's sacrifice will be until they have children. These stories are truly inspirational.

My sincerest congratulations to the graduating class of 2024, in particular to the first-time Latino grads who will be powerful forces that will shape our future.

Over a career in high technology in Silicon Valley, I have marked Cinco de Mayo every year with a note to internal colleagues about the significance of this day. It typically begins by clarifying its historical origin, which lead to the differences in the ways that it is commemorated much more loudly and passionately in the Southwest US in comparison to Mexico or elsewhere. In previous years, I've referenced the Cinco de Mayo wiki page, to which I had been repeatedly updated to highlight it's cultural significance, only to continually be over-riden by those that feel its importance to the beer industry is more relevant.

Which is causing me this year to explore it from a different angle: what has this day meant to me over the course of a career in Silicon Valley? What lessons can I share with those just beginning their careers?

So, what does this day signify to me as a Latino, first-generation college graduate who wound up in high technology after growing up in the Central Valley? Symbollically, I see this day as a cultural mashup, with it Mexican roots and bi-cultural realities, against a back-drop of an unrelenting pace of change in technology. Each moves with its own cadence, as illustrated by the facts that:

• According to the US Census bureau, Latinos comprise 23.4% of the Bay Area population as of 2020 (with those of Mexican descent representing 9.8% of that number);
• However, according to a 2019 report by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, Latino workers make up roughly 15% of the high-tech workforce in the Bay Area (no reporting of the portion representing Mexican descent)
• Amongst large tech employers, Google's 2022 Diversity report. Latinos represented 6.9% of the company's US workforce, up from 3% in 2012
• Apple reports that is Latinx/Hispanic US employee population grew from 11% in 2014 to 14% in 2021, including a 90% increase in the number of Latinos in leadership positions
• As of early 2021, only 16 of the S&P 500’s CEOs were of Hispanic descent, per the Latino Corporate Directors Association, while 65% of the F1000 lack a single Latino on their boards.??

So, change follows different trajectories. I've seen and experienced progress in this industry, but it doesn't move at the same pace of change in the markets we target or the customers we service. As someone who has been the most senior level person of Mexican descent in several companies, the competing pressures of assimulation versus accentuating the things that make us unique is complex as ever, in particular in light of today's polarized social and political environment.

For me personally, I've used this day and these statistical realities to recognize and appreciate the uniqueness and value of being bi-cultural: walking a different path than most, life experiences that allow me to look at issues through a unique lens, and being able to draw from a rich and proud cultural heritage in interacting with others.

Most importantly, I think of this day in terms of the value of resilience. Coping with the volatility of the technology industry, looking for answers to questions you've not encountered before, and placing a premium on the importance of seeking out, leaning on, valuing, and maintaining relationships with mentors that remain in seriously short supply.

I am living a different experience as an American of Mexican descent than previous generations, but Cinco de Mayo is a reminder that I share the love for our heritage, and celebrate our collective ability to overcome obstacles that will hopefully continue to expand our representation and influence in this industry in this area, and beyond.