By Victoria Acuña
The Alliance of Latinx Leadership and Policy (ALLP) and Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU) held a roundtable discussion Monday morning about the state of Latinx representation in the federal workforce. The alliance, which is “dedicated to increasing the participation and impact of Latinos in leadership and policy positions in the public service sector, including government and non-profits”, recently released a report on this issue: “Despite being the largest racial and ethnic minority group in the nation, comprising 20% of the U.S. population, Latinos are the only racial demographic that has not reached proportional federal workforce representation,” they said in their press release.
“Is this telling our community that we are not wanted in these positions, that we are seen only as entry-level types of workers?”
Gabe Trujillo
“Let me begin by saying, we are in a crisis moment,” remarked ALLP treasurer Jeffrey Vargas at the beginning of the discussion. Underrepresentation has negative impacts on all fronts, including on the economy and Latinx community engagement. This is an issue that has been even recognized by the White House, through Executive Order 13171. According to the report, the Latinx contribution to the economy in 2020 was $2.8 trillion. Without enough representation in policy-making and senior executive positions, this economic contribution only benefits those in positions of power, and not so much the diverse Latinx communities across the U.S.
Vargas and other members of the panel, which included an MSU student, presented the report’s findings before taking questions.
“There has been a net-zero increase in Latinx representation in the federal workforce over the last 50 years–that tells us the issue is real,” said Vargas, “If we have dedicated programs and activities, and we have oversight of those programs and activities, and if those programs and activities are funded, then we will have Latinos in the federal government.”
MSU Deputy Provost Dr. Marie Mora talked about the economics and impact of the data in the ALLP report, and the population growth of Hispanic/Latinx youth.
“If we have role models in the public sector, this can inspire more youth to go into public service, thus leading to a government and public policy discussion and formulation that is more inclusive and reflective of the nation overall.”
Dr. Mora then went on to introduce Gabe Trujillo, a student representative on the Board of Trustees.
“Is this telling our community that we are not capable of holding these jobs? Is this telling our community that we are not wanted in these positions, that we are seen only as entry-level types of workers?” said Trujillo, a junior, about the report’s findings. “Who better to make these policies and changes than those who have lived experience, than those who come from our community and know the needs and wants firsthand because they have faced the barriers themselves?
“We, as a Latino community, really look for those we can trust. Having someone who shares our identity gives us that pathway to express our needs and wants in a way that we might have not been able to before. It’s time to change this narrative that we are not worthy of these jobs.”
James Mejía, MSU’s Chief Strategy Officer, then took over to oversee the Q&A portion, pointing out that Denver City Councilwomen Jamie Torres and Amanda Sandoval were present at the event. Councilwoman Torres asked the first question about the reputation of working government jobs and the representation of multi-racial Latinos.
Dr. Mora acknowledged the need to desegregate data about the race and ethnicity of Latinx communities, as well as immigration data. Dr. Janet López, an ALLP Board member, added that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management released a DEI report last week that includes biracial data.
A recent MSU Latina graduate in attendance asked about how to find and apply for federal government jobs. “I’ll give you the quick answer and then we can talk after [the event] about the long one,” said Vargas as the room chuckled. “Federal jobs are available through USA jobs, you have the opportunity to complete your resume and profile. You can also look for jobs based on an occupational series. I tell students to apply for more than one job, the federal government is so big, and keep track.”
The Alliance of Latinx Leadership and Policy will continue to work with MSU on sharing the report’s findings with the community. You can read their report here.
Victoria Acuña is an Independent Reporter for The Weekly Issue/El Semanario.
