Hispanic and Latinx cultures have helped define American society for centuries. Yet today there’s an immense demographic gap in the Latinx community in STEM-related fields. With the impact that this proud, diverse culture has had on the United States, why don’t we see more members of the Latinx community in STEM? While there’s a variety of factors that contribute to this gap, the solutions are fairly straightforward.

Context to Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM), formerly known as Hispanic Heritage Week, was first observed in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan expanded the week to a full month, from September 15 to October 15. Today however, the community is more commonly known as the Latinx community, even though the month is still called “Hispanic Heritage Month.”

The reason why HHM is celebrated in the middle of the month is because several Central and South American countries declared their independence around this time. Independence Day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala falls on September 15. Additionally, Mexico and Chile celebrate their Independence Days on September 16 and 18, respectively. Finally, Día de la Raza—or Columbus Day—is celebrated globally on October 12. While the day has been used to recognize Columbus’s voyage to the Americas, the Latinx community has begun to reclaim the holiday to honor the lives lost during colonization as well as celebrate indigenous cultures.

解决方案to the Latinx gap in STEM

我们与四个Latinx Intel员工（Maria，Cynthia，Ana和Mark）进行了对话，在STEM中的拉丁裔差距以及如何处理。

According to datafrom the National Science Foundation, the representation gap of Latinx in STEM is among one of the largest: only 6 percent of STEM-based careers are occupied by the Latinx community. There are a lot of reasons for this gap’s existence, but it mainly comes down to kids’ lack of exposure to STEM in school. However, there are solutions to help close this gap, like representation in STEM, access to technology, and increased mentorship—particularly from teachers.

表示和茎的暴露

帮助缩小拉丁文茎差距的方法之一是让孩子们看到像他们这样的人在STEM中占据位置。辛西娅说，孩子们倾向于选择他们所知道的感兴趣领域。她说：“如果您不接触它，您将不会选择STEM。”“如果您没有可以向您展示或教您的家人，或者在该茎上看到像您这样的人，那么您不太可能走这条路。”

It can be hard to envision a future when it seems like the option isn’t even on the table. However, simply seeing a BIPOC in a STEM position—any STEM position—can make all the difference for an impressionable child. “When you don’t see a lot of people who look like you, advocate for you, there won’t be any representation. And when there’s no representation, there’s no one there for that advocacy,” says Mark. Representation is paramount, but kids don’t have to strive to be the world’s most renowned NASA scientist in order to “qualify” for representation. The world needs astronauts, and it also needs lab technicians, data analysts, and health and safety engineers.

Cynthia says that the lack of STEM exposure is also rooted in children’s toys. “I was participating in a toy drive, and I was going to pick up some toys for 12-year-old girls,” she says, “but I couldn’t find anything STEM related. They were all cooking and fashion related. The boys’ toys were around building things—things that weren’t pink too. It’s so easy to find the twist on it though. Instead of putting on makeup, why not create it? Instead of putting on the dress, why not design it?”

Access to technology

Another vital way to approach the Latinx STEM gap is to provide access to technology in education. While this is really up to policy makers, administrators, and governments, STEM companies should also feel a level of responsibility in providing kids with the skills they will need in the future. This includes donating devices or providing internet connections to families whose kids are involved in remote learning. “Something that doesn’t cost anything is mentorship,” says Mark. Multimillion- or billion-dollar companies that give up just a fraction of their resources can make a significant difference for underserved kids in the Latinx community.

玛丽亚has a unique perspective on this topic: Not only should technology be accessible, but it should also be approachable. She thinks that kids, especially girls, need to unlearn the stigma that “math is hard.” She says that “it’s not hard to get the perception out that girls are not good at math/science. It’s all about how educators teach it and expose kids to it.” It’s also noteworthy to encourage kids from a young age that math subjects aren’t “nerdy” because this stigma can harm students’ perception of what STEM is. STEM isn’t—nor should it be—a bad or difficult thing to learn.

Emphasis on mentorship and higher education

需要强调拉丁裔社区中儿童的导师和教育者。188bet网址怎么打不开这与直接扮演STEM角色的成年人不同，而是有更多的成年人可以鼓励孩子追求梦想。安娜says that every kid is encouraged to “dream big” when they’re young, but for some kids in the Latinx community, “It can only go so far when you don’t have the same opportunities or face different socioeconomic challenges, or when your parents don’t speak the same language, or you have additional responsibilities outside of school. Then your ‘big dream box’ is not very big at all. It takes those mentors and teachers to really help you believe in yourself before you do.”

除了指导之外，还应强调高等教育。对于马克来说，虽然他花了五年的时间才能完成两年学位课程，但他每天都在推动。他说：“当我上大学时，没有人告诉我什么时候回家或做什么，所以我参加了很多比赛。后来，由于我的成绩，我被邀请到院长办公室，他说我正在接受学术缓刑……我在院长的办公室哭了，因为这让我很高兴我基本上被踢出去了。在那五年中，我变得无家可归，母亲只是想让我回家。但是我没有放弃。我宁愿坚持下去，完成大学，完成我来那里做的事情，然后我终于完成了。”

对于许多学生来说，大学似乎很恐怖地进入了成年，从财务，地理上和学术上讲。但是，如果这些学生在很小的时候就有指导和指导，那么大学可能不会那么令人生畏。

Approaching the Latinx gap in STEM

At Intel, we recognize the diverse culture in the Latinx community, and we are grateful to have people like Maria, Cynthia, Ana, and Mark on our team, helping contribute to closing the Latinx STEM gap. Here’s how:

玛丽亚, a cochair of the Intel Latino Network (ILN), has participated in volunteering activities such as the Intel 40 for 40 Grants, celebrating 40 years of Intel’s presence in Arizona, where Intel distributed USD 100K to 44 teachers, which was especially helpful for teachers who needed equipment for STEM-centered projects and activities.

Cynthialeads the Intel® Learn Easy Steps (ILES) and is also a cochair of the ILN Community Outreach and Education program. This initiative helps parents understand technology so they can facilitate learning for their children at home. Members in her pillar, like Ana Manriquez, help gather volunteers and teach students technical skills such as how to code and how to create a circuit.

安娜also volunteers for the ILN as cochair. She creates opportunities to close the gap by providing technological resources and mentorship for students in rural border towns in Arizona. She partners with local schools and brings in coding workshops, which have lately been done virtually.

标记为在亚利桑那州服务不足的社区中为孩子提供指导。He’s worked with CompuPower—a mentorship and representation program offered at Arizona State University and other local high schools—as well as Education Empowers Inc., which partners with local Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where he was among 100+ volunteers bringing robotics programs to local underserved kids’ clubs. Finally, Mark participates in Intel’s Make-a-Thon, where students arrive at Intel’s campus and see what STEM projects Intel is working on, and the students engineer their own creations to take home at the end of the day.

由于代表和包容已嵌入我们的框架中，因此我们不仅努力为自己的员工创造STEM机会，还为定义我们未来的孩子创造机会。尽管这些解决拉丁文茎差距的解决方案在实践中并不总是很简单，但我们和其他STEM公司当然有能力进行更改以帮助对拉丁裔社区产生影响，因此，孩子们可以看到工程师，数学家和看起来像是的科学家188bet网址怎么打不开他们;因此，孩子们可以感觉到STEM的工作是他们的选择。因此，孩子们可以接受他们在STEM中接受教育所需的指导。

归根结底，为各个年龄段的孩子提供成功的工具和资源是我们丰富地球上每个人生活的目标的一部分。