Events

Recognition Matters: The City of Sunnyvale Proclaims Hispanic Heritage Month

Sunnyvale proclaimed Hispanic Heritage Month and invited SVL CEO Alex Ontiveros to speak. His message: recognition matters, and so do our stories.

When the City of Sunnyvale opened Hispanic Heritage Month with an official proclamation, it invited SVL founder and CEO Alex Ontiveros to the lectern. He kept it short. He made it count.

On September 15, the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, the City of Sunnyvale's Mayor Larry Klein opened its meeting by honoring the culture, heritage, and contributions of the Latino community. Mayor Klein and the City Council invited Alex Ontiveros, founder and CEO of Silicon Valley Latino and The SVL Agency, to join Councilmember Alysa Cisneros at the lectern.

The proclamation traced the history of the observance. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson established Hispanic Heritage Week to honor Hispanic Americans and the independence anniversaries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Mexico. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan expanded it to the 30 days we celebrate today, September 15 through October 15.

This year’s theme, as read in the proclamation: Unidos Somos Más. Together We Are More. It celebrates family, resilience, creativity, faith, and service.

Recognition Matters

Alex had prepared remarks. He set most of them aside.

“Recognition matters, right? Recognition of contributions matters. Recognition of impact matters. And stories matter. The right stories matter, stories that inspire.”

For a community whose contributions are too often overlooked, a city proclamation is more than a formality. It is a public record that says: we see you, and what you build here counts.

The Story Behind the Work

Alex then shared a moment from May 2017, from one of SVL’s Latino Leaders Fireside Chats, part of our #CreoEnTi programs.

After the keynote, the speaker stayed to meet everyone in the room. The last participants in line were a high school teenager and his older brother. The brother had brought him because he was going through a hard time. The teen told Alex and the speaker that he had been contemplating suicide earlier that week, and that hearing this speaker’s story had inspired him enough to change what he was thinking.

“A lot of times we don’t know what our work really does and the impact that it can have on individuals,” Alex told the council. “But that was one of the times where I felt that the work that we do also matters in that regard.”

That is why we tell these stories. It is why we host Fireside Chats, College Declaration Day, and the Inspire Higher tour. A young person sees someone who looks like them, who came from where they came from, and sees a future worth reaching for.

A Personal Note

When the City of Sunnyvale’s invitation landed in my inbox, I forwarded it to Alex right away, knowing full well he would say yes. In that same moment, it set off a flood of memories.

Sunnyvale is my hometown. I grew up here and went to Fremont High School, and during those years my best friend and I served as Sunnyvale Public Safety Explorers. I watched this city grow from orchards into the tech city the world knows today.

So seeing my hometown’s city council recognize our Latino community, and thank the SVL team for the work we do, meant more to me than I can put into words. Gracias, Mayor Klein and the city council of Sunnyvale. You helped shape who I am.

Sergio Domeyko, COO & Publisher, Silicon Valley Latino

Unidos Somos Más, 365 Days a Year

The City of Sunnyvale proclaimed September 15 through October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month. The month ends on Thursday. Our work does not.

At SVL, we highlight, promote, and celebrate Latino excellence 365 days a year, because our contributions do not stop on October 15 and neither do our stories.

Gracias to Mayor Larry Klein, Councilmember Alysa Cisneros, and the Sunnyvale City Council for this recognition, and for thanking Alex and the entire SVL team for our work in the community.

Watch Alex’s remarks, share them, and tell us about the person whose story changed yours.

If you or someone you love is struggling, you are not alone. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. Para español, presione 2.

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