Published 2/4/2025
About a year ago the HLPA (Hispanic/Latino Professionals Association) produced an article about Diversity Trends in the United States. We recently updated it but the basic trend remains the same a year later. You can access a link to the article below.
Now, in 2025, we find Diversity & DEI under assault, with a current movement to disparage and dismantle diversity in America by blaming whole groups of already marginalized people for everything and anything that goes wrong. Frankly, it's rather offensive to hear accusations that all problems are caused or assumed to be caused by people of color, people with disabilities, women, and the LGBTQ community.
Whether you agree or disagree with DEI, one cannot rationally blame DEI for everything. Companies and government agencies have always had problems and things go wrong even before they started prioritizing hiring a more diverse and wholly qualified workforce. In fact, as we found while compiling the stats for our "Diversity Trends" article, DEI has improved the bottom lines and efficiencies of almost every major organization that embraced it.
The current anti-DEI mantra is that by giving opportunities to and hiring people of color, people with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ people, somehow lowers standards within an organization. By this assumption, any woman, person of color, LGBTQ person, or person with a disability, that is in a position of authority, or any position for that matter, is automatically seen as undeserving of the role. Besides being deeply offensive, it is also a racist, sexist and ableist claim.
So, let's unpack what the anti-DEI movement really means and is all about. It is about rolling back the gains of ALL the civil rights movements that have been brought about by people of color, women, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ communities. It's about putting groups of people back in their place and marginalizing them based on gender hierarchy, race, and cultural identity.
That leads us to acknowledge that there are now organizations who are abandoning DEI. As for those abandoning DEI, both history and your organization's future growth will be the judge. For those who stay the course with their Diversity plans, we admire your resolve for doing the right thing even though it may be hard in today's climate.
Organizations like the HLPA now need your support more than ever so that we can continue be a valuable resource both now and in the future for the Hispanic / Latino Community and those who wish to reach our diverse audience. We also ask that you support as many Certified Minority owned and operated Associations for other marginalized communities as well.
Final thought, if America truly wants to be a great country, we can't leave people behind who could contribute to society in meaningful ways.
To learn more about us and our program, and/or to view the current and growing list of organizations who support our efforts go to:
https://hlpa.com
You can view the original "Diversity Trends in the United States" article on our website here:
https://hlpa.com/diversitytrends.html
Thanks for taking the time to read our message.
Rick Holguin
Director of Membership Development
HLPA - Hispanic / Latino Professionals Association
With over 4 Million registered users, the HLPA is a Certified Minority owned and operated Association and has been America's Best and Largest resource for reaching the Hispanic / Latino Community for the past 28 years.
