{"id":2327,"date":"2023-09-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"\/people\/hispanic-heritage-month-advantages-jesse-melendez-on-the-importance-of-diversity-and-inclusion\/"},"modified":"2023-09-27T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T00:00:00","slug":"hispanic-heritage-month-advantages-jesse-melendez-on-the-importance-of-diversity-and-inclusion","status":"publish","type":"mrktblog-posts","link":"https:\/\/youradv.com\/mrktblog\/hispanic-heritage-month-advantages-jesse-melendez-on-the-importance-of-diversity-and-inclusion\/","title":{"rendered":"Hispanic Heritage Month: Advantage’s Jesse Melendez on the Importance of Diversity and Inclusion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jesse Melendez has been with Advantage Solutions for 10 years. His current role is national operations manager for the Hispanic Syndicated Team, which he helped to create. A proud second-generation American, his parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico.<\/em>
\nAs Advantage and its HOLA employee resource group celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and the theme of \u201cPoder together\u201d \u2014 empowerment through unity \u2014 we are shining the spotlight on team members of Hispanic and Latine backgrounds and sharing some of their stories. Here,<\/span><\/span> Melendez details the strong values he learned from his family, how he\u2019s passing them on and why it\u2019s important for companies like Advantage to promote diversity and inclusion \u2014 internally and externally.<\/em><\/p>\n

A Heritage of Values and Vision<\/h2>\n

Tell us about your family and where you\u2019re from.<\/b>
\nMy parents are from Mexico. They were born in a region called Zamora, Michoac\u00e1n. I was born in Gary, Indiana, and moved to Southern California in the early 1980s.<\/p>\n

What are you especially proud of from your Mexican heritage?<\/b>
\nOur values. My dad and mom showed us that coming to the States was about making a better life for the family. Plus, they worked hard to give our family name and our culture a better name than many people typically associate with stereotypes of Hispanic or Latine people.<\/p>\n

What would you say to people who buy in to negative stereotypes?<\/b>
\nI want people to know that we\u2019re not bad people. I\u2019m an American. We\u2019ve owned our home for 22 years. We pay our taxes. We try to integrate within the community. We shop locally whether it\u2019s in a Hispanic store or non-Hispanic store. I want people to know that we\u2019re just like everyone else.<\/p>\n

What family traditions do you enjoy?<\/b>
\nDuring the pandemic, I invested in a flattop grill, and I started looking for different things to cook on it. I got really good at making tacos, something I never really did before. I bought all the utensils, and I got my wife into it, too. She\u2019s in charge of the salsa, and I\u2019m in charge of the meat. I have to make sure it\u2019s perfect! We developed what I call \u201cMelendez Tacos\u201d and we often make them on the weekends. Those are the kind of traditions that I hope to pass on to my family.<\/p>\n

Representation, Growth, and In-Store Impact<\/h3>\n

How important is it for a company like Advantage Solutions to support diverse employees?<\/b>
\nIt\u2019s huge. Ten years ago, my supervisor and I started the Hispanic Syndicated Team. We recognized the need for this in market, started the team here in Southern California with four reps, and we have expanded the team to Texas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Miami and Chicago. All the team members are Latine or Spanish-speaking and help us help our brands cater to multiple cultures. We teach management at the store level to aid what brands do in retail, and we communicate with predominately Spanish-speaking retailers to ensure that they sell our brands as well as help them with merchandising and display efforts.
\nFor example, a few years ago, we represented a nutrition company that makes electrolyte products for infants and children. A lot of the Hispanic community didn\u2019t know, including store managers, that this was a protein source for children and would refuse to carry the SKU. We helped to educate them. But if we hadn\u2019t communicated that message in Spanish, they wouldn\u2019t have ordered those items for the stores. We\u2019ve been pushing the needle for the past 10 years within the industry, the community and within the brands that we represent.<\/p>\n

Anything else you\u2019d like to leave us with as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?<\/b>
\nI\u2019d love for people not to assume, and to know that we\u2019re here to contribute. The fact that Advantage \u2014 a company that I love working for \u2014 acknowledges and celebrates this month, that\u2019s key for me. Plus, the Hispanic Syndicated team that we\u2019ve been building and will continue to build is a great acknowledgment. I\u2019m very proud of that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jesse Melendez has been with Advantage Solutions for 10 years. His current role is national operations manager for the Hispanic Syndicated Team, which he helped to create. A proud second-generation American, his parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico. 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