Representation matters. It's a well-known fact in society and it's something we all look for in our daily lives. Whether watching movies as a child, playing sports as a teenager, exploring career paths as a college student, or building your professional network as an adult it is human nature to look for people who have similar experiences, backgrounds, and accomplishments to you. Look no further than the incredible response to movies like Encanto or women's tennis prodigy Coco Gauff watching Serena Williams in 2015 at the US Open, then winning it herself in 2023. Everyone needs a hero they can relate to – a proof point that someone "like me" can achieve my dream and be the person I want to be. The same is true for your professional network – people want to connect with people who are similar to them. However, LinkedIn recently found that Latino members receive 7.5% fewer invitations and have LinkedIn networks that are 20.2% smaller than White members. That's why during Hispanic Heritage Month I want to talk about my experience as a first-generation Latino living in the Boston area.

I moved to the United States from Venezuela knowing very basic English. As a young individual I quickly became fluent thanks to the amazing support system I had, both family and teachers. That said, because I didn't "look" Latino and I didn't really speak English, I didn't fit into any one particular group of people. It took a while to find who I fit in with, and it wasn't people who looked like me or had similar backgrounds. I assimilated to the culture around me and made the conscious decision to not stand out as different.

Now that I've been in the professional workforce for close to two decades, I can reflect on my experiences and draw out some learnings: