Hispanic Heritage Month Employee Spotlight: Diana Alarcon
According to Hispanic Heritage Month’s website, “each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.” To honor this incredible month, Investis Digital would like to highlight some of our employees who are of Hispanic and Latino descent.
In today’s post we’re spotlighting some insights from Diana Alarcon, a Project Manager at Investis Digital. Diana shares, “I have been at Investis Digital 1 year as of very recently. I am a Project Manager in the Phoenix Office. I help plan and oversee projects to ensure work is completed in a timely manner and within scope. I also help support performance marketing work for the NY and UK offices from the pre-estimates process till the completion of the project. I have been honored to have the chance of bridging a gap between our NY, UK, and PHX offices. When I took on performance marketing cross sells, I don’t think anyone really understood what it would entail. I have been allowed to create an initial process for managing these types of projects from presales to the very end of delivery. I hope to continue my work on this as I am a firm believer in continuous improvement.”
Diana graciously answered six questions about her career, life, and heritage for us—here’s a little bit more about her in her own words:
What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
Growing up, I was not proud of my heritage and would try to hide the fact that I was 100% Mexican and was born in Mexico City. As I grew up, and found myself, I began to really connect with my roots. Mexican Independence Day is on September 16th during Hispanic heritage month; during this time, I am reminded and reflect on my rich culture and the battles we continue to fight on a day-to-day basis as minorities in the United States.
Who would you say was your greatest influence for your career?
My mother has been the biggest influence for my career. My mom grew up living in a cardboard box in the streets of Mexico City, caring for her siblings growing up. She never had the opportunity to pursue a higher education, let alone her dreams. Growing up, she worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week to give me the life she never had. I owe everything to her. Everything I do, I do it for her in order to give her the best life I can. If I was ever heading down the wrong path, she made sure to steer me in the right direction. She believed and believes in me. She would always tell me “Ponte las pilas mami” (do your best) or “Ponte trucha” (be aware/alert), which is something I constantly tell myself at work.
In your opinion, what challenges remain for Hispanic Americans today and how can understanding history help us to overcome them?
The biggest challenge facing Hispanic Americans can be summarized in one word: Racism. From a structural racism standpoint, we live in a broken system. If lf we examine our challenges through the lens of institutional racism, we do not have the same resources as our counterparts. One can argue that we are viewed as less because of the color of our skin. Certain policies, procedures, and practices put in place have at times prevented us from succeeding. Andon an Individual racism standpoint, we have been misjudged based on stereotypes, biases, or generalizations about our race. We are living in a time where history is repeating itself. How can history help us if we have found ourselves in the same situations? , As we honor our ancestors and fellow brothers and sisters, we are reminded that they didn’t give up. Likewise, we will continue seeking change to right the course of mistakes past.
What is a family tradition you wish to pass down, that your parents have passed down to you?
There are two things I would love to pass down: family gatherings and Mexican gastronomy. I know everyone thinks their mom is the best cook, but they do not know my mother. That woman throws down in the kitchen! The only problem is Latinos/Hispanics do not measure anything. It’s all in the flavoring of the cook. Mexican food is so intricate; it has vast ingredients, traditional cookware, takes hours to cook, and is all about the love. All our family gatherings are centered around food. If anyone has anything to celebrate, we make a proper feast, together. The aroma of pozole, Tamales, Ponche, birria, Salsa, caldo can be found floating through the kitchen in the summer and you can’t forget the delicious servings of tacos, Enchiladas, Sopes and Guaraches that is often found at the dinner table. You name it, we make it better! I find myself thinking of all my childhood memories when eating certain Mexican dishes; it’s the best feeling in the world. I hope the same is instilled in future generations to come.
More delectable images can be found at the end of the article!
If you could pick a personal motto, what would it be?
”Yo solía pensar que era la persona más extraña en el mundo, pero luego pensé, hay mucha gente así en el mundo, tiene que haber alguien como yo, que se sienta bizarra y dañada de la misma forma en que yo me siento. Me la imagino, e imagino que ella también debe estar por ahí pensando en mí. Bueno, yo espero que si tú estás por ahí y lees esto sepas que, sí, es verdad, yo estoy aquí, soy tan extraña como tú.”- Frida Kahlo.
I am my authentic self; I will not change for anyone and I will always be me. Unapologetically. I am not ashamed of where I come from, what I’ve overcome, or any part of me. I do not judge other nor do I have time for other’s judgement of me. I know there are others like me.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
I am a huge nerd. I absolutely love science and math but chemistry is my favorite. I even have a neuron tattoo and the molecular structure of Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Thymine. They are the most basic molecules of life; their sequence in our DNA makes us unique, but in the end, we are all made up of the same building blocks. I also love fandoms/video games/anime. I love Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter (I am always sorted into Slytherin), World of War Craft, Resident Evil, Call of Duty…. the list can go on forever.
Join Our Team
At Investis Digital, we are always looking to hire a diversity of viewpoints and backgrounds. If you’re interested in exploring a career with us, learn more here. And make sure to read the rest of our Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlights!
