National Hispanic/Latin Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15, is dedicated to highlighting the brilliant Hispanic/Latin culture and a time of reflection. These grand celebrations may include art exhibitions, music performances, parades, street fairs and more!
Why September 15? This date is the anniversary of the independence days shared by Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, also falling close to Mexico, Chile and Belize’s independence days on September 16, 18 and 21, respectively.
To honor this momentous month, we are spotlighting members of the Hispanic/Latin community and their inspiring career and life journeys.
Area Coach Anthony H. is a second-generation Hispanic born and raised in El Paso, Texas. Growing up, he felt different...
“I remember going to college in central Texas where I was one out of a handful of students who were Hispanic. I was not accustomed to being from an underrepresented community in classrooms, so it was a challenge because I felt I had to learn who I was and how to present myself as someone from an underrepresented community. It caused some lack of confidence since I was ‘different’.”
Then, everything changed when Anthony joined Taco Bell as a Team Member about 14 years ago.
“Taco Bell was my first real job while I played baseball at a community college. Working in-restaurant quickly helped my heritage-related confidence because I was in a place where diversity was prominent and a critical part of restaurant culture and success. Me being ‘different’ didn’t matter.”
Anthony moved up to Assistant General Manager before relocating to Dallas for a promotion to Restaurant General Manager. In Dallas, Anthony was surrounded by teams that spoke Spanish. Although he embraced his heritage with open arms, he did not know the language which correlated to his culture. This proved to be a challenge.
“As a Mexican American, everyone assumed I knew how to speak Spanish. However, my siblings and I were not exposed to it while growing up. So, this was a shock for people from the community to see a brown eyed, brown skinned, Mexican American that did not speak Spanish. So, I started to learn the language! Even though it was a learning curve for me, it was very fun as it helped me build stronger relationships with my peers.”
Since then, Anthony has grown his role to Area Coach, obtained an MBA and even purchased his first home. For him, Taco Bell has allowed him to pursue his passion in leading others and pave a career path that keeps him motivated to achieve more. It’s even helped him understand his second-generation Hispanic heritage which has enabled him to recognize and appreciate the differences in those around him. Now, this is an important part of what he wants his legacy to be.
“My passion is being a servant leader that people can count on. I want to continue growing with the brand and show others with similar backgrounds that if I can do it, so can they. Hispanic culture is very big on family, and as a leader, I embrace who I am and create an environment where we treat others with empathy.”
If you want to learn more about Taco Bell’s opportunities, head to jobs.tacobell.com.