We talked with a few members of GE’s Hispanic and Latin community about the importance of celebrating culture, GE’s Hispanic Forum, and the value of strong allies.
Hispanic & Latin Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15) honors and celebrates the cultures and contributions of Hispanic & Latinx Americans. GE’s vibrant workforce has helped shape GE Research into the world-class research center it is today. Here’s what some of our employees had to say about Hispanic & Latin Heritage Month and the power of allyship, community, and celebration.
Marlene Nenni
NPI Engineering Program Manager – Onshore Wind
GE Renewable Energy, part of GE Vernova
Years with GE: 4.5
Marlene joined the GE Hispanic Forum (HF) shortly after coming onboard with GE in 2018. She quickly became the chapter leader for the HF New York Capital Region. The HF provided Marlene with an opportunity to make a positive impact at work and in her community. Here’s what Marlene has to say about the importance of celebrating Hispanic & Latin Heritage Month.
Celebrating diverse voices shouldn’t be limited to one month. How can your peers & senior leaders be strong allies throughout the entire year?
To me, allyship is a long-term commitment to hiring diverse talent and seeking out and engaging diverse opinions within our teams. I think there are some good opportunities to expand GE’s employee resource groups (ERGs) to improve retention and develop diverse talent; this work can’t be done without the support of our peers and senior leaders.
How do resources such as the Hispanic Forum strengthen our first value of putting people first?
Being part of the HF has given me the opportunity to make a positive impact at work and in the community. It has allowed me to connect with people across the businesses that I wouldn’t otherwise have met in my day-to-day job. Through my involvement in the HF, I have witnessed other HF members grow personally and professionally, build confidence through various networking and leadership opportunities, build meaningful relationships with people outside their network, and so much more. ERGs, such as the Hispanic Forum, offer an informal environment where people can feel comfortable being their genuine selves and as a result can become more resilient, adaptable, and perform better at work.
Marcos Perez
Edison Engineer
GE Research
Marcos is an Edison Engineer at GE Research, currently on rotation with the Thermosciences Thermal Management & Systems Group.
September/October is, of course, Hispanic & Latin Heritage Month. Can you tell us what it means to you, and how your own heritage is reflected in celebrating Hispanic & Latin Heritage Month?
I love that our heritage is acknowledged and celebrated during this month. Where I live and work, it is not so common to run into people who share my heritage, so it is often difficult to feel connected to my culture. I think Hispanic & Latin Heritage Month helps me re-center and remember my people in a way that I feel closer to my identity. For example, I may video call my family for a little longer than normal, cook a meal from home, or listen to some familiar music.
In your opinion, what challenges remain for Hispanic Americans today and how can understanding history help us overcome them?
I think one of the biggest challenges that Hispanic Americans face today, especially earlier generations, is learning to navigate a country and a system that is new to many of us and our families. Some of us are the first in our families to go to college in the United States and to be comfortable with the English language.
Victor Perez
Senior Engineer - Probabilistic Design
GE Research
Victor Perez is a senior engineer in the Probabilistics and Materials Informatics Lab and has been with GE since 2004. Vitor grew up in Mexico and remembers celebrating Independence Day (September 16) with family and friends enjoying music and food.
Can you tell us what Hispanic & Latin Heritage Month means to you, and how your own heritage is reflected in celebrating?
Food and music are experiences that we enjoy through our senses. They make us relive our best memories. For me, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month is a way of remembering where I come from, how my family shaped me to be who I am, and how the differences of our backgrounds enrichen our daily lives and interactions with our colleagues.
In your opinion, what challenges remain for Hispanic Americans today and how can understanding history help us overcome them?
Many Hispanic Americans do not have access to the education opportunities that I had. Many due to socioeconomic conditions, others for lack of information or inspiration. Understanding our history will help us highlight role models that may inspire kids to dream and work towards those dreams.
Celebrating diverse voices shouldn’t be limited to one month. How can your peers & senior leaders be strong allies throughout the entire year?
Continue to use social media to highlight the contributions of our members to GE success and to the community in general.
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