Empowerment Series: Founder & CEO of We Are All Human & Hispanic Star, Diplomat, Activist, Media Contributor, Public Speaker & Special Adviser to United Nations, Claudia Romo Edelman Shares Invaluable Insight

Each year from September 15 to October 15, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. I take time to reflect on what it means to be Latina.  Many of our parents came to this country with expectations to do well. Part of their journey required assimilation into American society, to increase their chances of being accepted. We have heard the stories of actors like Raquel Welch, and Anthony Quinn, who Americanized their names to fit in. They hid their Latinidad in exchange for a false sense of belonging. Today, we are trending toward owning more of our Latinidad. There is more unity and pride than ever before, which is great for our community!

The Hispanic Sentiment Study of 2023 is a research project by the We Are All Human Foundation and Nielsen, powered by Toluna in partnership with Televisa Univision. One of the findings in the analysis showed that Latino pride is up from 61% to 64%. The study reflects a positive sign that we are moving in the right direction. Unfortunately, all the news is not good. Latinos are also feeling more undervalued in society and less represented.

Claudia Romo Edelman is the Founder and CEO of We Are All Human Foundation and Hispanic Star. She is a visionary leader who has 25 years of experience contributing to the global human efforts movement. The Mexican-Swiss Diplomat and Activist for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, has collaborated with organizations like UNICEF, and the World Economic Forum, serving as a Special Advisor to the United Nations.

AW had the honor of interviewing this champion of our community ahead of the Hispanic Leadership Summit and the star-studded, We Are All Human Gala in New York City on December 6-7, 2023. We had an inspiring discussion about the study’s findings, her podcast, and how we can contribute to the conversation.

This study offers valuable insight and an eye-opening view into how many Latinos are feeling. As a member of the Latino community, what was the most surprising finding for you? The Hispanic Sentiment Study 2023 is a comparative analysis of the study done in 2018. When I moved to the States, it was the first time I heard about the word “Hispanic.” I lived my entire life as a happy Mexican, now I was being referred to as Latina, unheard of.  As a newcomer working in a global environment, this was an unfamiliar word to me. I started getting curious about this new reality, particularly when I got married to an American. My life as a Diplomat was done, no more around-the-world travel. I decided to stay here and give my attention to this group I belonged to.

Once, I started looking at the data, I found that we are powerful on paper but see ourselves as weak. The first study helped us understand what was happening. The reality of the numbers seemed so different than the perception and reality on the streets of the country. This was where I found the three main things that have guided the work of the foundation for the past 5-6 years.

• 77% of Latinos don’t know of their contributions to the country. We cannot feel proud, if we don’t know how much we contribute, how many we are, how young we are, how much GDP we generate, or how many employers we have.
• 90% of us identify as Latinos but we do not act as a Latino community. So, we are unaware of our contributions and all the perception of who we are comes from what the media tells us.
• 76% of Latinos cannot be themselves at the workplace (not referenced from Hispanic Sentiment Study). You have to pretend you are one person at home and another at work.

However, there is an acceptance of Latinidad, and we are more united and proud to be Latinos as a community. While we’re coming together, the one big surprise was the disconnect from the American narrative. We do not feel we are benefiting from DE&I, furthermore, we feel invisible. The massive drop from 68% to 48% means that 1 out of every 2 Latinos is feeling this way. Latinos are more proud but feel more excluded and not represented by big brands, and media.

Latinos contribute over $2 trillion to the US GDP. We own businesses that contribute $800 billion per year to our economy. Over 70% of Latinos have a diploma and at least 20% have a college-level education. Approximately, 81% of Latinos living in the US are citizens. We are making significant contributions to society, yet the general sentiment is that we are undervalued. Seems that despite great strides, optimism is decreasing.  As someone who has their finger on the pulse, what is your perspective on the disconnect? How is it, that we are more pessimistic in the face of the achievements we have made over the past 5 years? There is an enigma, our reality is powerful but perception is weak. Our product is amazing but we are not being seen. The future of this country is Latino. Hispanics are the drivers of America’s prosperity, power, and progress. We generate 14% of the GDP of this country and should be seen as positive contributors. Latinos need to act as a whole and continue to move from a scarcity to an abundance mentality. There needs to be a change in our perception that starts with educating ourselves with our power. If we can unify forces to flip the script from stereotypes to values, biases to reality, weak to powerful, which is what we are, then we can change the way we show up.

My parents came to this country from the Dominican Republic looking for a better living. I get to create my life and sit here with you because they followed their dreams. As we start our own families and raise children of the future. How do we empower and encourage them to pursue their dreams? We owe everything to our parents. We are the generation benefiting from our ancestor’s sacrifices. We have to be the transition generation that finishes the job. It means embracing our calling and doing the job we are called to do. Start to instill the “no limit vision” in your children. Tell them to dream big because the world is theirs! When we can transmit the possibility of the future, attract allies, mentors, and sponsors, and create playbooks like my podcast A La Latina that help empower Latinas to make it to the next level, that is the moment that generates change.

You are such a big advocate for our community, empowering Latinos through your work with We Are All Human and Hispanic Star. Thank you for your commitment to us.

I read that you have been going to Davos for 26 years, about 4 years ago, We Are All Humans launched the Hispanic Promise. Can you share a bit about the Hispanic Promise? Also, have the cuts or backlash to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) impacted or hindered your efforts in any way? This is our time. Every one of us has an opportunity to contribute. Don’t shy away from having conversations about our contributions. Ambitious goals cannot be done alone and will not be pain-free. We have to keep pushing forward. Hold hands with each other and let’s go!

I launched the Hispanic Promise with Cid Wilson from (HACR), Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility about 4 years ago. We created this instrument along with 29 Hispanic organizations. The instrument is a corporate pledge, national, the first of its kind. It is used to prepare, hire, promote, retain, celebrate, and buy from Latinos. Everything that was needed to create a corporate strategy for Latinos. This was very important because only 10% of Fortune 500 companies have a Latino strategy. If you don’t have this strategy you don’t invest or create programs. We have incredible donations from the University of Chicago and IBM. Now, the consulting firm Bain is making a multimillion-dollar donation to ensure it is as polished and well rounded, as possible. Companies will sign the pledge and learn how to activate it and make it a reality.

We like to end interviews with a quote, mantra, or advice to help listeners. We have discussed some of the work being done to bring our Latinos forward. Can you share your final thoughts on how we can embrace more of our Latinidad? I believe we all come with these words engrained “We can do hard things!” Know that we are resilient, resourceful, and a hard-working community. My mantra is “Take someone with you.” Understand that all the conditions are there to win this battle. It is for every Latino to be seen, heard, and valued if we support each other. Don’t give up because the hope is there.

There are many resources like the AW platform, A La Latina Podcast, the Hispanic Leadership Summit at the United Nations and the We Are All Human Gala that are examples of different ways to get involved. Support and engage with the community, and show up to be part of the change. Be part of the conversation and take someone with you, so we can all succeed! Hispanic progress is American progress. America is made up of stars and we are one of them!

AW is incredibly grateful to Claudia for sharing her knowledge and motivating us to power up. I hope you are inspired to find new ways to contribute to the change and take someone with you to help them rise!

To learn more about Claudia and her work, visit Hispanicstar.org or any of her Instagram or LinkedIn platforms.

Listen to this episode of the AW Confidential Podcast on all streaming services and watch it on our YouTube channel to enjoy all the side chats during the interview.