Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

The month from September 15 through October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month — a time to honor the cultures, experiences, and contributions that Hispanic Americans have in our society. Everyday life in the United States is enriched in innumerable ways by the diversity of our people, and these 31 days are dedicated to celebrating heritages rooted in all Hispanic and Latin American countries.

From holidays like the Día de los Reyes, to coming-of-age milestones like Quinceañeras, to a beautiful language spoken at home by nearly 13 percent of the U.S. population, Hispanic cultures are integral to who we are as a country. This is a time to celebrate that impact — and a time to reflect on the ways those contributions enrich our everyday lives.

Here at OPM, I am incredibly proud of our teammates in Retirement Services who work hard to ensure people for whom Spanish is a primary language receive top-notch concierge service when they call our retirement contact center in East Butler, PA. These dedicated public servants work directly with annuitants and survivors worldwide to ensure they have access to their hard-earned benefits.

Please take a moment to meet the team and hear directly from them about what their work means to them.

Amy Furey — Program Manager RIO5

Brenda Glasgow — CSS Bilingual Spanish

Erick Francisco Melchor — CSS Bilingual Spanish

Ivette Lopez Cordero — CSS Bilingual Spanish

Johanna Brown — CSS Bilingual Spanish

Theodore Marron — CSS Bilingual Spanish

Yanira Mercader — CSS Bilingual Spanish

I often say that the federal government is at its best when it draws from the incredible diversity of backgrounds, viewpoints, and lived experiences that the American people have to offer. That’s why I’m so proud that OPM is taking a leading role in implementing President Biden’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Executive Order. Each new perspective brings a wealth of knowledge to the workplace and a unique voice to the decision-making process. That’s vital for the federal government, because we’re in the business of achieving the unachievable — from curing disease, to fighting climate change, to landing rovers on the surface of Mars. Nothing could be more important to our mission than having a wide array of expertise on our team, and thankfully, Hispanic Americans are woven into every aspect of the Federal footprint.

So please join me in honoring the incredible impact that Hispanic cultures and experiences have in the United States. Our diversity is our greatest strength as a nation, and our greatest asset in the civil service. Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to show appreciation to an indispensable part of that diversity, and give thanks for helping to make America the rich and vibrant society that it is today.

-Kiran Ahuja, Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management