ACERCA DEL MES DE LA HERENCIA HISPANA
ABOUT HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTHInitially a weeklong celebration in 1968, Congress expanded Hispanic Heritage Month in 1989. Why does it kick off mid-month? Simple—because September 15 marks the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua), and September 16 and 18 for two more (Mexico and Chile, respectively). With more than 55 million Americans claiming heritage from these nations and the Hispanic world beyond, there’s a lot of celebrating to do. Let’s get started!
NUESTROS
COLEGAS
OUR COLLEAGUES
Stories help us understand each other. They entertain, enlighten and help make sense of the world around us. They highlight the common bonds Americans share when it comes to how we all value family, culture and community. We asked some of the Macy’s family to share personal memories and stories that illustrate how their Latin roots have shaped who they are today.
Odilia C.
Social Compliance
Senior Manager
Santiago F.
Senior Employment Counsel,
Law Department
Odette G.
Assistant Buyer,
Kids' Active
Lina J.
Associate Merchandise
Planner in Style Setter
Natalia S.
Designer
Odilia C.
Social Compliance
Senior Manager
The big night was always Christmas Eve & I have the fondest memories of the midnight hug.
The big night was always Christmas Eve & I have the fondest memories of the midnight hug.
Christmas holidays were the best. My grandparents had seven kids and over 20 grandchildren, hence it was chaotic, fun and full of love. The food was always a highlight. My grandmother always started making her delicious Guatemalan tamales at 4AM and we all helped to wrap them in banana leaves. My aunt always made a staple dessert drink called ponche and had me help with chopping the fruit.
The big night was always Christmas Eve and I have the fondest memories of the midnight hug. Can you imagine hugging over 20 people at midnight? We also had fireworks and stayed up until we couldn’t stay awake anymore—both adults and children. Fun, happy music in the background was a must. It’s no wonder why we all know how to dance without having taken a single lesson in the past. Rhythm is in our blood.
Santiago F.
Senior Employment Counsel,
Law Department
My brother and I loved listening to the stories my dad would tell us from his childhood in the Dominican Republic.
My favorite story involves working with my younger brother every summer on my father’s truck. He was a candy salesman in New York but now he’s retired.
He loved to have his sons working with him because of the cheap labor and long hours. My brother and I loved listening to the stories my dad would tell us from his childhood in the Dominican Republic.
He told us how he used to sell chickens on his head when he was 8. Or recall the time he shined shoes when he was 10. And then, at 11, he’d explain how he bought his own bicycle and charged per ride. We listened to the same stories over and over again as if for the first time.
Odette G.
Assistant Buyer,
Kids' Active
I loved to dress up in costume and go to the parade with my family…
I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and I loved celebrating Carnaval from Jan 26th (the birthday of Juan Pablo Duarte, one of our founding fathers) through February 27th (Dominican Independence Day). I loved to dress up in costume and go to the parade with my family—it’s a huge celebration and everything is colorful.
This is the closest we have to what Halloween is in the States. I just have fond memories of going to El Malecón of Santo Domingo (the capital city’s coastal boulevard and pier) with my dad running around in a costume, flying kites.
Lina J.
Associate Merchandise
Planner in Style Setter
[The] country gathered to celebrate the resources the land had granted them…
I lived in Medellin, Colombia, until the age of six. I vividly recall attending the yearly Feria de Las Flores (The Festival of Flowers) that takes place throughout the month of August and celebrates Medellin as the “city of eternal spring” and its production of exotic flowers. I remember attending these events with my family.
It was a time during which a country gathered to celebrate the resources the land had granted them and this taught me more about my culture than any book or lesson ever could.
Natalia S.
Designer
The songs carry beautiful stories and lyrics of our ancestry and culture…
Music and storytelling have surrounded me my whole life. Every family dinner ends with everyone singing along to old traditional songs, with or without live instruments, but the singing is always there. The songs carry beautiful stories and lyrics of our ancestry and culture [and] help to paint the backdrop to the stories my grandmother used to tell us.
She was an excellent storyteller who would sit for hours telling us folktales or making some home remedy or another. My family still continues to share her stories, sing songs and I can cure just about anything with things found in my fridge or garden.
CÓMO CELEBRAMOS EN 2017
HOW WE CELEBRATED IN 2017
DIVERSIDAD CADA DÍA
Diversity Every Day
Our commitment to diversity is an integral part of our strategy. Macy’s believes that different perspectives help drive creativity and innovation.
