Today, Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar and Congressman Tony Cardenas reintroduced their Hispanics in STEM House Resolution calling for an increased presence of Latinos in STEM fields and increased support at the federal level for initiatives aimed at accomplishing this goal. 

Among its provisions, the resolution states that the House— 

(1) supports the goal of increasing Latino individuals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as a way to promote economic empowerment and sustainability, not only in their community, but in the overall U.S. economy; 

(2) acknowledges that, while Latino individuals have been a foundation for the United States economy, they are underrepresented in STEM fields to the detriment of these industries and the broader U.S. economy; and 

(3) encourages increased Federal support for initiatives aimed at boosting the number of Latino students who pursue STEM education and career paths, particularly engineering. 

“The re-introduction of the Hispanics in STEM House Resolution is a renewed commitment that underscores the vital role of the Hispanic community in shaping and cultivating a strong and skilled domestic workforce. As the fastest growing demographic in the nation, Hispanics are crucial to driving innovation and meeting the demands of key industries in the economy. SHPE is grateful for Representatives Cardenas and Salazar for taking steps to get Congress on board with our agenda” said Miguel Alemañy, SHPE CEO. 

“Investing in education and workforce development is critical and having more Latinos pursuing STEM degrees will help grow our economy when it is desperately needed,” said Congresswoman Salazar. “Latinos, who are currently underrepresented in STEM fields, can and should help fill our country’s need for more highly skilled and technical workers. I am proud to co-lead this bipartisan resolution recognizing the importance of Latinos in STEM.” 

“STEM education changed my life,” said Congressman Cárdenas. “I had teachers tell me that I wouldn’t be able to cut it at University of California Santa Barbara and that I should train to be a mechanic rather than aiming for a degree in engineering. I overcame that negativity and ignorance, and I am proud to have seen other San Fernando Valley trailblazers like Senator Alex Padilla and Assemblywoman Luz Rivas use their STEM educations and knowledge to lead. This is why Congresswoman Salazar and I are fighting to empower more Latinos to pursue STEM careers. Enhancing opportunities for Latinos in STEM roles will strengthen our country and build the next generation of astronauts, inventors, leaders, and more.”

The Resolution builds upon the unanimous passage of a similar Hispanics in STEM House Resolution by the U.S. Senate in May 2022 that was introduced by Senators John Cornyn and Alex Padilla. 

It also notes that the Hispanic population reached 62.5 million, constituting 19% of the total U.S. population and that projections suggest this number will reach 111.2 million, representing 28% of the U.S, by 2060.  While the overall number of STEM graduates has increased in recent years, Latino workers remain underrepresented in the STEM workforce, making up 18% of total employees across all occupations, but only 8% of all STEM workers. 

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The U.S. Department of Education gathered community leaders on Wednesday, July 26^th in Washington, D.C. to discuss the new landscape of student success following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Affirmative Action. The discussions centered around crucial topics, including navigating college affordability, advancing equal opportunity, and enhancing college readiness through community outreach. The biggest takeaway from the summit was that education non-profit organizations and higher education institutions have an urgent task at hand: redesign access approaches and establish intentional tools that ensure colleges and universities remain as engines of economic mobility, especially for students from often marginalized communities. 

Notably, SHPE, one of the education non-profit organizations, spoke to successful experiences of partnering with academic and industry sectors to deliver intentional programming for the Hispanic community from K-12 all the way through their college experience. 

Keynote speaker, U.S. Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona gave powerful welcoming remarks where he emphasized the importance of building diversity on college campuses, advancing college affordability, and reimagining recruitment and retention policies among higher education institutions. Secretary Cardona envisions robust collaborations between community leaders in the K-12 and higher education sectors to find effective pathways for recognizing excellence in students most impacted by the inequities exacerbated by the Supreme Court’s ruling. Drawing from his experience as a former public-school educator, Secretary Cardona acknowledged the challenges that lie ahead but expressed unwavering confidence in the ability of community leaders to rise to the occasion. 

The summit fostered crucial conversations among community leaders, focusing on scalable practices that can promote and instill a profound sense of “Belonging” for students considering higher education. Among the key approaches discussed were simplifying the college application process, incentivizing dual credit opportunities, and strengthening partnerships between non-profits and schools to creatively expand college readiness, affordability, and recruitment. Particular attention was paid to supporting at-risk students with historically disadvantaged backgrounds.  

In addition, leaders from the Civil Rights Office at both Department of Justice and Department of Education provided an essential overview of the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Kristen Clarke, and Catherine Lhamon, Assistant Secretary for the Civil Rights Office at the Department of Education, underscored the need for increased community outreach and awareness mobilization of legitimate resources and implementation practices, particularly concerning Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, to prevent misinformation and ensure equitable admissions processes. 

Overall, the National Summit on Equal Opportunity in Higher Education served as a pivotal platform to galvanize collaborative efforts towards making higher education accessible, inclusive, and transformative for all students, regardless of their background. The collective dedication demonstrated by the attendees promises lasting positive change and equal opportunities in the higher education landscape. SHPE will remain vigilant and responsive to the evolving changes stemming from the Court’s ruling. Particularly, as the leading voice for the Hispanic community in STEM, we are focused to continue making a significant impact in advancing diversity and inclusivity in higher education.  

City of Industry, CA – SHPE firmly disagrees with the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action and its impact on our vision of inclusivity and opportunity. As the largest organization in the U.S. of Hispanic students and professionals in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), SHPE strongly believes that diversity and inclusion in our domestic STEM workforce can only make our country stronger. We are deeply disappointed by this ruling, which poses a burden on building an equitable society and promoting educational and economic mobility for underrepresented generations.

When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action admission policies of Harvard and University of North Carolina and deemed them as unconstitutional, decades of progress in diversifying higher education institutions by removing race, as one of many determinant factors, in the college admissions process was undone. This decision undermines college admission policies that aimed to level the playing field for qualified students of color, including Hispanics, when seeking a formal education.

Affirmative action has been instrumental in breaking down persistent barriers and providing equal opportunities for often overlooked communities pursuing higher education. It has embraced the essence of fairness and inclusivity for over four decades. At its core, affirmative action harnessed belonging for students on college campuses.

SHPE remains committed to our mission of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion for all our members. We will continue to advocate for policies that ensure fairness and create pathways for Hispanic students and others who are underrepresented to thrive in all STEM fields nationwide. While this decision sends a disheartening message to students dreaming of a brighter future with equal opportunities, SHPE stands resolute in expanding our reach and making a lasting impact.

ABOUT SHPE

SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) is a nonprofit organization serving and advancing Hispanics in STEM. With more than 13,000 student and professional members, SHPE’s mission is to change lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support, and development. To accomplish this, SHPE provides a variety of programming, services, resources, and events, including hosting the largest Hispanic STEM convention in the nation.  For more information, visit http://shpe.org.

Bringing You Up to Speed

In July of last year, the government relations department was established to fulfill the third pillar of SHPE’s strategic plan. In less than a year, our dedicated team has successfully cultivated new relationships with multiple agency STEM offices, influential members of the Biden-Harris Administration, and Congressional Members representing Hispanic heritage or significant Hispanic constituencies. Expanding our outreach efforts, we actively engaged with relevant Committee members and leadership in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to gain a comprehensive understanding of the decision-makers shaping STEM education and workforce development opportunities for the Hispanic community.   

Our efforts have contributed significant and valuable insights to advancing and prioritizing K-12 STEM education access, college readiness, private and public partnerships, and fostering a sense of belonging within the industry. Grounded in local, evidence-based research, our initiatives have provided relevant and indispensable data in shaping strategic decision-making for the Hispanic community. 

Events

• White House Initiative Latino Economic Summit
• “You Belong in STEM” National Coordinating Conference by the Department of Education
• “Mujeres Advancing Pay and Gender Equity” by the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics
• “Equitable Implementation” for CHIPS and Science Act with CHIPS Office at the Department of Commerce
• Hispanic Members of 118^th Congress Swearing-in Ceremony
• Fireside Chat: Honoring International Day of Women & Girls in STEM hosted by SHPE
• White House Briefing in collaboration with OPE regarding “Building the Next Generation of Hispanic Leaders in STEM”
• Hispanic/Latino Community Partners Roundtable with Federal Bureau of Investigation & Department of Justice
• “Equity & Excellence in Tech” by the STEMM Opportunity Alliance

Accomplishments

• Ongoing advocacy for early STEM education exposure, pay and gender equity, college readiness, workforce improvement, and professional development at all levels. 
• House floor speech honoring Rod Garcia’s life by Congressman Tony Cardenas
• Creation of a Government Relations page on SHPE’s website with news, updates, toolkits, and additional resources.
• Successful coordination of the initial round of “Advocate con SHPE” virtual meetings with Congressional offices and SHPE members, addressing local and national STEM workforce priorities.
• Ongoing advocacy for early STEM education exposure, pay and gender equity, college readiness, workforce improvement, and professional development at all levels. 

What’s Next for SHPE?

While we have made significant strides by earning recognition from key decision makers and opening new avenues, there is still much work ahead of us. It is important that we maintain a consistent focus on highlighting the effectiveness of our programs, the exceptional talent within our membership, and the rich legacy we have built over nearly five decades. By increasing our presence in influential spaces, we can ensure that those with the power to drive legislative changes have our support throughout the process. 

Be assured that our commitment to collaborating with members of the legislative and executive branches remains a top priority, as we’ve shown for the past year with our proactive outreach efforts and successful projects.

Stay Tuned!

In the near future, there will be ample opportunities to actively “Advocate con SHPE” either through virtual meetings or by participating in in-person events with Members of Congress during the August recess. As you host local events to which you’d like to engage with congressional representatives or join virtual advocacy meetings, we encourage you to reach out as soon as possible to Senior Associate of Government Relations, Mariana Acuña Delgado at [email protected]. 

Don’t miss out on the chance to make your voice heard and contribute to our advocacy efforts! 

The Office of Public Engagement Welcomed SHPE Members and Staff for an Exclusive Event at the White House on April 18

On April 18, 2023, fifty SHPE members joined a handful of SHPE staff at a briefing on “Building the Next Generation of Hispanic Leaders in STEM” held by the Office of Public Engagement at the White House in Washington, DC and organized by SHPE’s Government Relations department.

The purpose of the briefing was to bring together Administration officials and SHPE representatives for a meaningful discussion of how academia, the private sector, and government can meet labor needs, reduce barriers, and increase representation, while constructing a sustainable education and domestic workforce pipeline of Hispanic students and professionals in STEM.

During the opening remarks, Dr. Amy Loyd, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) at the Department of Education, spoke to the group about current and new higher education opportunities at OCTAE and how she believes that celebrating multilingualism and promoting holistic approaches should be at the forefront of raising the bar on STEM education.Asma Mirza, SAP and Deputy for Infrastructure Implementation Management at the White House, shared that her focus is on implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which made historic investments to improve affordable high-speed internet, clean water infrastructure, updating power grids, tackling pollution, public safety, climate resilient public transit. Not only does this law improve the daily lives of many families and individuals, but also creates STEM jobs everywhere in the country.

After thanking the Office of Public Engagement, President Biden, and the SHPE members who made the trip to DC, SHPE CEO Miguel Alemañy said, “There’s no better time than now to put a spotlight on our members. They are part of the 8% that makes up for all Hispanics in the STEM workforce nationwide. A recent report estimated that by 2031, the STEM employment projection will outpace non-STEM sectors by nearly 11%. SHPE is eager to meet that projection by preparing, coaching, and empowering our members through our proven and renowned programs.  We are committed to opening more doors and holding them open so that many more generations of Hispanics in STEM can break as many glass ceilings as possible.”

Following the opening remarks, the group split into three sessions covering early STEM education, Latinas in STEM, and workforce development –

In the first session about early STEM education, the group agreed that early exposure to STEM allows future generations to see themselves doing it, and waiting until high school to engage students is too late. It’s critical to engage students at an early age with interactive experiences, as well as equipping parents and caregivers to effectively support their pre-college children. Another important component is to be sure young people are exposed to successful leaders in STEM who look like them; that they have role models to emulate. Kevin Lima, Special Assistant for the Office of Communications and Outreach at the Department of Education said, “The Department of Education is committed to the help implement and scale equitable, high quality STEM education for all students from PreK to higher education to ensure their 21st century career readiness and global competitiveness. Early exposure to STEM careers is vital in inspiring young Latinos and Latinas to join the STEM field.”

In the second session about Latinas in STEM, the group agreed that visibility and representation are critical. The impact of having at least one Latina in every level of the workforce, we can create bonds, networks, and coaching environments that pave the way for more Latinas to enter STEM fields. But changing the ecosystem women are in means educating others about being allies – recognizing the talent Latinas have, acknowledging their worth, coaching them, and empowering them to advocate for themselves. For example, Latinas currently earn 54 cents per dollar. To be able to advocate for themselves effectively, there needs to be wage transparency at all levels, so Latinas know their worth and can push to have their wages reflect that value to the organization. Additionally, re-entry programs are critical, especially after having a child or caring for an elderly parent. The government, industry and academia must have systems in place to support these Latinas reentering the workplace.

In the third session about workforce development, the group discussed how better access to information is critical to how colleges and universities promote STEM resource opportunities that the government has dedicated to increase equity for young and seasoned Hispanic professionals. Additionally, NASA, OSTP, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) need continued conversations with organizations like SHPE to identify barriers and find equitable solutions impacting the Hispanic community, while promoting Hispanic role models in STEM. Dr. Michela Muñoz Fernández, Mars Sample Return Program Executive at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said, “NASA supports Hispanic employees in terms of education and training opportunities to help them in their careers by leveraging Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to socialize and provide access to information on opportunities. We are determined to continue bridging the gap between access and information and specifically meet the employees’ needs to ensure they benefit from an enriching experience at NASA.” Finally, active collaboration with academia and the private sectors will be catalysts for creative solutions to close the gap between talent and non-traditional pathways in education and the workforce.  Dr. Nafeesa Owens, Assistant Director for STEM Education and Workforce, Senior Policy Advisor at White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) concurred, “Progress happens when we’re all collaborating. OSTP is ready to act, engage, listen, and identify agreeable goals.”

In conclusion, Sol Ortega, Senior Advisor for the Office of Public Engagement at the White House, spoke about the importance of close partnerships with SHPE to increase access, awareness, and workforce development opportunities for Hispanics in STEM, particularly for younger generations that benefit from feeling represented and empowered to be successful in the industry. She and the Administration encourage SHPE members to bring their STEM expertise and unique voice to Washington, DC by pursuing internships and roles at the White House.