Imagine a Latina executive standing in a corporate office building, dressed in a blue shirt and khaki pants. “Excuse me, are you with the cleaning crew?” a coworker asks. “No, I’m not,” she says to the researcher narrating this incident. As it happens, I work as a director. Even though it’s just one conversation, it encompasses a wide range of presumptions about who should be in particular areas, what authority looks like, and who should be given the benefit of the doubt in a professional setting. Variations of that moment recur throughout a career for a large number of Hispanic and Latino employees in corporate America. The form is altered. The underlying message doesn’t.
A 2024 Coqual study that polled almost 2,400 professionals nationwide provided quantitative data on a topic that many Hispanic workers had been quietly navigating for years. According to 40% of Hispanic and Latino professionals working in corporate environments, they believe that in order to succeed, they must change certain aspects of themselves. Approximately 70% of people who have a workplace sponsor—someone whose job it is to support their career—have been urged to fit in with office norms by that sponsor. These results are not outliers. They are describing what it’s like for employees who show up every day, contribute, and are told—either overtly or covertly—that the version of themselves they brought to work is a bit too much.
Hispanic & Latino Professionals in Corporate America — Key Facts & Research
| Source Study | “More than a Monolith: The Advancement of Hispanic and Latino/a Talent” — Coqual (nonprofit think tank), 2024 |
| Research Base | Survey of 2,385 full-time US-based employees; virtual focus groups and interviews with 100 Hispanic and Latino/a professionals and experts |
| Population vs. Workforce Gap | Hispanic/Latino people: 19% of US population; only ~8% of professional labor force; 10% of managers; 5% of executives |
| Masking Rate | 40% of Hispanic/Latino professionals say they feel it is necessary to change aspects of themselves to succeed at work |
| Sponsor Pressure | 68% of Hispanic professionals with a workplace sponsor have been encouraged by that sponsor to assimilate to office norms |
| Translator Trap | Many bilingual professionals are informally expected to translate documents and act as cultural liaisons — often late-night, last-minute, and outside their job scope — without compensation or credit |
| Micromanagement Gap | 42% of Hispanic/Latino professionals report being micromanaged vs. 25% of White, non-Hispanic colleagues |
| Stereotyping Incidents | 23% hear colleagues express stereotypes about Hispanic/Latino people at least monthly; 21% receive negative comments about immigration regularly |
| Pay Inequity | 45% of Latinas say their company doesn’t pay them appropriately; 25% of Latino men say the same |
| Retention Risk | Hispanic/Latino professionals are 41% more likely than White professionals to plan to leave their company within a year; 35% actively job searching |
| Entry-Level Dissatisfaction | 57% of entry-level Hispanic/Latino hires report dissatisfaction with promotion rates |
| Heritage Speaker Dilemma | Many US-born Hispanic professionals understand Spanish but lack professional vocabulary, creating language-based self-doubt |
| Intra-Community Pressure | Pew Research: ~half of US Latinos who don’t speak Spanish have been negatively judged or shamed by other Latinos for it |
| Workforce Projection | Within the next decade, nearly 8 out of 10 new US workers will be Hispanic or Latino |
| Coqual CEO Quote | Lanaya Irvin: “Our findings illuminate hurdles Hispanic and Latino professionals face, including the undue pressure to mask their authentic selves and heritage in pursuit of success” |
In a particular and awkward way, language is at the core of this. Spanish-speaking Hispanic professionals face a unique dilemma. Speaking Spanish informally can be interpreted as unprofessional or at the very least noticeable in certain contexts, which serves as a reminder of the differences in environments that value uniformity. However, in the same setting, those same Spanish-speaking professionals are regularly asked to handle Spanish-speaking clients, translate documents, and act as unofficial cultural liaisons—often late at night, on short notice, and completely outside the purview of their actual job descriptions. This is made clear in the Coqual report: the skill is taken advantage of when it is beneficial and disregarded when it comes to pay or promotions. That arrangement has a name, and “appreciation” isn’t it.
Then there is the issue of heritage speakers, which is not given nearly enough consideration when it comes to workplace inclusion. Many Hispanic professionals who were born in the United States never acquired the professional vocabulary needed in corporate settings, despite having grown up speaking Spanish at home in a warm, personal, family register. When asked to translate a legal brief or present findings to a client who speaks Spanish, they freeze, but they can carry on a conversation with a grandmother. There is a real difference between home and professional Spanish, and this difference often leads to a particular type of self-doubt: one that is neither willing to acknowledge the uncertainty nor confident enough to claim the skill. As a result, anxiety permeates a skill that ought to be valued.
It’s difficult to ignore how much pressure from the Hispanic community itself exacerbates this dynamic. According to data from Pew Research, about half of Latinos in the US who don’t speak Spanish well have experienced criticism or shame from other Latinos. The heritage speaker is therefore both too Hispanic for the workplace and insufficiently Hispanic for the community. The identity dissonance caused by this double rejection, from both sides, persists after the workday is over.
According to a Latino CEO and corporate board member cited in the Coqual study, “Some of us saw the option to be invisible as a smart strategy,” which is an unsettlingly clear description of his own approach. We were concealing our Latinidad and playing the system. He ascended the ladder. Then he began to wonder if it was safe to come out of hiding. It’s not an inclusive and diverse story. That’s a tale about the price of success in particular settings and who, at the end of the day, is able to return home unscathed.
Here, the stakes go far beyond personal experience. Compared to their white counterparts, Hispanic and Latino professionals are 41% more likely to intend to quit their jobs within a year. Almost eight out of ten new US workers will be Hispanic or Latino within the next ten years. Businesses that persistently request that this group conceal their identities in order to gain a seat at the table are building on a foundation that is already beginning to show signs of weakness, and they are doing so at a time when they can least afford the attrition.
London Bilingualism's content on health, medicine, and weight loss is solely meant for general educational and informational purposes. This website does not offer any diagnosis, treatment recommendations, or medical advice.
We consistently compile and disseminate the most recent information, findings, and advancements from the medical, health, and weight loss sectors. When content contains opinions, commentary, or viewpoints from professionals, industry leaders, or other people, it is published exactly as it is and reflects those people's opinions rather than London Bilingualism's editorial stance.
We strongly advise all readers to consult a qualified medical professional before acting on any medical, health, dietary, or pharmaceutical information found on this website. Since every person's health situation is different, only a qualified healthcare provider who is familiar with your medical history can offer you advice that is suitable for you.
In a similar vein, any legal, regulatory, or compliance-related information found on this platform is provided solely for informational purposes and should not be used without first obtaining independent legal counsel from a licensed attorney.
You understand and agree that London Bilingualism, its editors, contributors, and affiliated parties are not responsible for any decisions made using the information on this website.
