Communicating with the Hispanic Community Beyond Hispanic Heritage Month
Posted by admincarolyn on Oct. 28, 2026 / Blog, Thought Leadership / Subscribe 0
By Ericka Aviles, Founder & CEO, Ericka Aviles Consulting
Long before I knew what public relations was, I was learning how to communicate.
Growing up Latina, there were certain rules and expectations that didn't always need to be explained. You knew to greet everyone when you walked into a room, listen to your elders and never show up to someone's home empty-handed. And of course, everyone knew everyone's business!
While we can laugh about some of these traditions, there's something I've come to appreciate throughout my career: communication has always been deeply rooted in our culture. It's how we build relationships, share experiences and stay connected to one another.
And at the heart of it all is a simple lesson: effective communication starts with connection.
That lesson is especially important when we talk about reaching Hispanic communities.
Too often, organizations develop a campaign for a general audience and then ask, "Can we translate this into Spanish?" The message gets translated, the box gets checked and the work is considered complete.
It's an approach I continue to see, especially during Hispanic Heritage Month, when organizations make an effort to reach Hispanic audiences but don't always carry that same commitment throughout the rest of the year.
The reality is that meaningful engagement cannot be built through a month-long campaign. It takes time, consistency and a genuine commitment to understanding the communities we want to reach.
Translation is important, but language alone doesn't make communication culturally relevant.
The Hispanic community is incredibly diverse. We come from different countries, generations and backgrounds. Some of us primarily speak Spanish, others speak English and many move naturally between the two. Even the way we connect with our culture can look different from one household to the next.
What resonates with someone from Mexico may not necessarily resonate with someone from El Salvador. And that's exactly the point. We cannot expect one translated message to connect with an entire community.
As communicators, we have to look beyond language and demographics to understand the cultural nuances, experiences and relationships that influence how people receive information.
At Ericka Aviles Consulting, we often talk about transcreation rather than simply translation. Instead of asking, "How do we say this in Spanish?" we ask, "How do we make this meaningful to the community we're trying to reach?"
Sometimes that means changing the language. Other times, it means rethinking the messenger, the platform or even the message itself.
But just as important, it means showing up.
Some of the most valuable community insights will never come from a report or a spreadsheet. They come from attending local events, having conversations, listening to community members and building relationships with the organizations and people who are already doing the work.
And perhaps that's another lesson many of us learned growing up: you don't build relationships only when you need something.
The same should be true for organizations looking to connect with Hispanic communities. If the only time you're showing up is during Hispanic Heritage Month, you're missing the opportunity to build the trust and relationships that make communication effective in the first place.
As communications professionals, we have more tools, data and technology available to us than ever before. But none of those resources can replace the value of understanding people.
When I think about the communications principles that guide my work today, many of them didn't start in a classroom or a boardroom. They started at home.
Listen. Build relationships. Know your audience. Show up.
These are lessons passed down through generations, and they remain just as relevant in our profession today.
Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate our cultures, traditions and contributions. But for those of us in communications, it's also an opportunity to reflect on how we engage with the communities we serve beyond these celebrations.
I encourage my fellow communicators to think beyond the month-long campaign. Ask who's at the table when communications strategies are being developed. Consider whether your outreach truly reflects the people you're trying to reach. And most importantly, invest in relationships throughout the year, not just when there's a message to deliver.
Before translating your next campaign, ask yourself a more important question:
Will this truly connect with the people we're trying to reach?
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