Better Together: Culture and Commonality

I’m from Buenos Aires, Argentina; born into a family of Italian and Spaniard immigrants. Argentinians are commonly the grandchildren of immigrants. My grandparents’ stories about Italy and Spain woke up my curiosity to explore other places. Once I began my career, I said yes to every opportunity to connect with other cultures. Those opportunities opened doors to experiences, and I worked in several different countries. I was also part of teams located across Latin America.

I spent about 10 years traveling to most of the countries in Latin America. I enjoyed discovering the nuances of each country and their culture — from the food, customs, beliefs and rituals to their ways of seeing the greater world. At the same time, I realized, little by little, our commonalities were so much stronger than our differences.

At the heart of what makes us seemingly different is the way in which we express those commonalities. In scratching the surface of our own unique expressions, I’ve found that our values, aspirations, fears and what we love are all basically the same things.

When I moved to the United States something about my identity changed. My Argentinean heritage is strong in me and something I’m very proud of; however, little by little, I developed my identity as a Latinx.

All the commonalities I explored among the different countries in Latin America came together to provide a clear vision of what it means to be Latinx: our longing for a better life; our love for family and friends; our rituals around food as a way to connect with others; our hard-working nature; our resourcefulness; our hospitality; our generosity; our compassion and our humility. All of these things shape our lives, our expressions and our identities.

I want to pause this Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate all our wonderful commonalities and all the uniquely different ways we express them. I invite each of you to go even further and to celebrate the commonalities we have as humans — and the wonderful ways we share them with the world.

For me, Hispanic Heritage Month is a moment to reflect about how all the things we bring to the table — from every single cultural background — compose our rich, colorful and vibrant world. Every little expression of who we are has an impact on the experiences we have as humans. Thank you for being who you are — and for generously sharing with others your unique way of seeing and experiencing our world.

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!

Laura Lucia

Laura Lucia is Senior Director of People Operations and HR Transformation at Genesys. She leads global programs designed to improve our employee experience and to promote a culture of diversity,...