It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, and we are bracing ourselves for the inevitable presumptions and pandering — all performed with good intentions, of course — from politicians at campaign events this time of year.
As Hispanic women, we can expect to be stereotyped by political talking points. We’ll hear too much about immigration and social programs and not enough about the economic issues that matter most to us. It is possible, perhaps even likely, that candidates will know, and mention, that Latinas start our own businesses at a higher rate than any other demographic group. But this fact should be the foundation of their appeal, not a throwaway applause line.
Our simplest advice to politicians: Speak to Latinas as entrepreneurs. That’s what we are. We care about trade. We care about taxes. We care about the overall economic and business environment. We care about our nation’s crumbling infrastructure because it affects the ability to start and grow businesses. These are the things that create or destroy opportunity for us and for our families.
More advice: If you simply must dip into a more emotional, inflammatory issue, try healthcare. You won’t find a more informed audience when it comes to the cost and mechanics of health insurance than self-employed Latinas. We spend a tremendous amount of time, every year, evaluating health insurance costs and options. We make it a priority to give our employees and our families the best coverage at the best cost. It’s the right thing to do, it’s the smart business thing to do, and it’s the hardest thing we do as employers. Healthcare policy has been working against independent businesses and the self employed for decades; a politician who understands this and has new ideas about how to create more, affordable choices for us will have our rapt attention and our enthusiastic input. A one-size-fits all prescription will not impress us; we want something better, and we understand what we are talking about.
We also have a warning for the candidates. If you show that you understand the unique challenges of entrepreneurs, you are going to hear a lot of stories and advice from us. We won’t be able to help ourselves. When we realize that someone appreciates our perspective, we want to engage and persuade and make a difference. It’s part of the DNA of a business owner — to get things done. We see that politicians struggle with this, and we are here to help.
We balance our budgets and pay our taxes and can converse knowledgeably about the difference between the taxation applied to a corporation versus a sole proprietor or LLC (Spoiler alert: Our business income is taxed at individual rates, and it is painful not only to pay in the highest brackets but to see how misunderstood our tax burden is). On this topic, we are both smart and frustrated. Many of us grew up with nothing and now face the insult of a tax code that often discourages the accumulation of generational wealth. We think of the ability to pass real wealth to our children and grandchildren is the reason our own parents or grandparents came to this country in the first place.
If candidates want to give us something special for Hispanic Heritage Month this year, please leave the hyperbole and social issues behind. Engage with us on economic issues. Show us your strength by speaking directly, and with understanding, about the issues that can create or erode the social and economic power of our community. Latinas mean business.
CiCi Rojas is the president of Tico Productions/Sports LLC; Jeanette Hernandez-Prenger is the president of Ecco Select; and Irma Aguirre is the former owner of El Sombrero Restaurant. The three women serve on the national executive board The Latino Coalition.
