HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF LOUISIANA
RESILIENCE & RECOVERY A Community in Action
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ust like every year, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana (HCCL) began 2020 with a unified vision and mission: to build a thriving community of Hispanic businesses and professionals, in which everyone has the tools necessary to achieve maximum success. Now, in the wake of a global pandemic that has dramatically altered the business climate and has left no industry untouched, the Chamber’s mission hasn’t changed. In fact, it has only become stronger. The HCCL has emerged as one of the strongest and most reliable beacons of information, providing crucial resources and updates to ensure that every individual — and every business — is positioned for recovery and sustainability. Virtual learning seminars like the annual Healthcare, Technology & Innovation Summit have provided valuable education on field advancements that will continue to affect how we live, work and receive care. Job fairs and digital literacy programs put career opportunities in front of those who need them most, while simultaneously training participants to succeed in a modern workforce. The common thread between these and countless other HCCL programs and initiatives is a steadfast focus on uplifting vulnerable and underserved communities. Those within such demographics have always been aware of the wide margin of disadvantage separating minority-owned and operated businesses from the full breadth of opportunities, careers and legislative roles available in our nation. But the Hispanic community is the fastest-growing minority population in the country, and the contributions of our skilled workers, thinkers and leaders are helping to usher in a new era of prosperity. With the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana helping to unite communities through industry, commerce and trade, disparities can be overcome, divides can be bridged, and a brighter future can become a reality for all.
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Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana 2020
ABOVE: Dr. Margarita Tillman of Access Health, Dr. Gabriel Vargas-Bodas of JenCare, Brenda Murphy of Jambalaya News and Mayra Pineda, HCCL President/CEO, at the 2020 Healthcare, Technology & Innovation Summit.
Workforce Heroes Program When COVID-19 displaced thousands of workers statewide, it disrupted an historic wave of prosperity for the Latino workforce. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in early 2020 that rates of unemployment among Latino workers aged 16 years and over were around 4%, an impressive rate that began in late 2018 and remained steady through February 2020. It was, at the time, the lowest unemployment rate the community had ever achieved. By March, still in the pandemic’s early days, that number had increased to 6%. By April, it had reached 18%, the highest unemployment rate among any ethnic group in the nation, compared to 16.7% unemployment among African Americans at the same date. This is largely due to the widespread crippling of industries that serve as the primary employers of Hispanic and other minority workers: restaurants, bars, hotels and, most significantly,
building services, which NPR reports is constituted of more than 40% Hispanic workers. It was clear that immediate and deliberate action to restore the livelihoods of the Hispanic workforce and their families was of the utmost importance. Luckily, being there when it matters most is what makes the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana such an invaluable resource. To help offset the effects of unemployment, HCCL announced its Workforce Heroes Program, which placed impacted individuals into jobs for six to eight weeks in order to stimulate the economy and provide necessary relief to workers. “We are grateful to be able to make a small difference for local families impacted by this crisis,” says Mayra Pineda, President of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana. “HCCL recognizes the importance of uplifting our hardworking community and providing opportunities to advance
