Each year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Hispanic Heritage Month pays tribute to Hispanic and Latinx culture, community, and contributions today and throughout history.
This observance began in 1968 under Lyndon B. Johnson as Hispanic Heritage Week, before being signed into law by Ronald Reagan as a month-long commemoration beginning on September 15 to honor the independence anniversaries of El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras.
This year, we are especially excited to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with the reintroduction of the AFGE Hispanic Coalition. AFGE HISCO’s mission is to celebrate Hispanic and Latinx history and culture, organize for a stronger voice for Hispanic and Latinx members within our union, improve working conditions for Hispanic and Latinx federal and D.C. government workers, and address issues that impact Hispanic and Latinx members, their families, and communities more broadly.
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, AFGE’s Women and Fair Practices Departments and AFGE HISCO are holding exciting events, including a Meet and Greet with the AFGE HISCO Executive Board which took place Sept. 21 where folks heard about the great work that HISCO has been doing and is planning to do.
Please join us and learn more about Hispanic and Latinx culture, better understand the experiences of our Hispanic and Latinx union siblings and hear more about AFGE HISCO.
Upcoming events
Event: AFGE Hispanic Heritage Month Leadership Panel Discussion
We invite you to join us to learn more about Hispanic and Latinx culture, better understand the experiences of our Hispanic and Latinx union siblings and hear more about AFGE HISCO panelists by highlighting experiences of AFGE Leaders as unionist, Federal and D.C. government workers. The panelist will be speaking on why Hispanic Heritage Month is important, identify fun facts about each leaders’ culture and traditions, and why the labor movement is an important part of Hispanic Heritage and History.
Date: Sept. 26, 2023
Time: 7:00 pm - 9: 00 pm (EST)
Zoom Webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gN7l5BU3RLmdk0W1ar_UHQ
Event: AFGE HISCO Lunch and Learn: Doctors Council 22 with Sara Santiago, Executive Director
Doctors Council is a union of doctors, for doctors, run by doctors. They are the country’s oldest and largest union of attending physicians. Sara Santiago, Executive Director will be speaking on how her organization works to ensure equal and timely access to patient care services in the Latino communities, and work to remove barriers to or disparities in health care, especially in low-income, medically underserved, immigrant, and communities of color. Sara Santiago will focus on how Unionist can recognize and celebrate the many contributions, diverse cultures, and extensive history of the American Latino communities during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Date: Sept. 28, 2023
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm (EST)
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81177583297?pwd=OHBJdzJGaGVYbE5xL1ZWYUkybXNTQT09
Event: AFGE HISCO Lunch and Learn: Lunch with Retired College Professor Tom Garcia at DeVry University.
Join us as Mr. Tom Garcia tells his personal story of overcoming societal and economic barriers to become educated, successful, and give back to the Hispanic/Latinx community through teaching.
Date: Oct. 3, 2023
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm (EST)
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84986972932?pwd=ZFZRNFBEVEM2QzBZVTFzYytFc0RFdz09
Event: AFGE HISCO Lunch and Learn: Estuardo Rodriguez, Principal and Co-Founder at The Raben Group
Estuardo Rodriguez will be speaking of his 19-year career, overcoming societal barriers to become successful, and the legislative efforts The Raben Group is involved in.
Date: Oct. 5, 2023
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm (EST)
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81740459357?pwd=Ujd6ZUloQzB0bTNiOWlDaVk2bUZOdz09
Event: AFGE HISCO Lunch and Learn: Latina Mental Health Professional Panel
An influential panel of Latinas totaling well over 40 years of medical experience will be speaking on their individual experiences in overcoming societal barriers to becoming educated medical professionals. Additionally, they will touch on the stigmas that exist around mental health in the Hispanic and Latinx community.
Date: Oct. 10, 2023
Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm (EST)
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81998604132?pwd=OEIyL2VXeWNZTFhWTHVCdHZyNzJCdz09
Event: AFGE HISCO Lunch and Learn: AFGE HISCO and PRIDE Panel
AFGE leaders will share their individual experiences regarding the intersectionality of identifying as Hispanic/Latinx and LGBTQIA+. The panel will also discuss how these combined identities impact their lives inside and outside of AFGE and the workplace.
Date: Oct. 12, 2023
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm (EST)
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84237407833?pwd=RUE5VXRCUnRWOHNCYkF0Ky9LbElJdz09
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