Celebrating Hispanic Heritage in Our Industry
October 15th marked the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, our nation’s annual observance intended to celebrate Hispanic American communities and their contributions to U.S. culture and history. The irony of this timing is hard to ignore given the current state of affairs with respect to the Hispanic segment of our industry. Many of our customers in the Chicago region have witnessed Hispanic employees being removed from jobsites, landscaping trucks, and nurseries, with others reporting that large numbers of employees are afraid to come to work.
According to the most recent demographic study of the landscaping industry conducted by the National Association of Landscape Professionals Foundation, in 2021, more than 60% of workers were of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin, despite making up only 20% of the population. Simply put, Hispanic men and women are the backbone of our industry - a multibillion-dollar industry that is only expected to continue growing from here on out, and one that’s been fueled, to a great extent, by a workforce that arrived here largely through immigration.
Finding success in our industry isn’t easy; we have to be resilient, adaptable, and strong. The thread uniting all these qualities is that they are uniquely human. Automation will continue to help us become more efficient, and we’ll find ways to implement AI in the coming years as the technology advances, but it’s the people that truly continue to drive our industry forward. We’re reminded of this at every trade show and customer meeting, as we rediscover that what unifies us is still stronger than what divides us. All of us, no matter our background or where we were born, share a common and fierce dedication to what we do and the lifestyle that our work requires - we wouldn’t be here if that was not the case. The events of recent weeks have served as a compelling reminder of the contributions that our Hispanic colleagues have made to our industry throughout history, and as a lesson that dignity and respect should transcend political and geographical boundaries.
