The Latino Student Organization (LASO) proudly promotes and supports Harvard Business School’s Latino students and works alongside the Latino Alumni Association (HBSLAA). Representing a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, interests, and Latino heritage, LASO members spearhead initiatives related to MBA Admissions, alumni engagement, career development, and more to advocate for and empower the Latino community on campus and beyond.
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked LASO members to share what being Latino at HBS means to them.
As the grandson of Cuban refugees, my heritage goes beyond the food I eat, the music I listen to, or the coffee I drink. The Hispanic heritage of my family is one rife with change, upheaval, and loss. My grandparents were patriots living in a county that rejected them. Struggling against an oppressive regime, they gave up their homes, said goodbye to their parents, and fought on the bay. When all was lost, they had to start over again in a new country and build a life from scratch.
When my grandfather, Jose “Pepito” Regalado, came to America, he knew that the only thing they could not take away from him was his mind. And so, he studied for his MBA while working full-time to support his first child, my tía Maritza. After graduating, he became a global banking executive, traveling the world with his wife and four children, before settling down in Miami, Florida (also known as North Cuba).
I miss Pepito. The resilience, grit, and determination he exemplified is what I aspire to. I have inherited the torch he laid down, and I am using it to blaze a trail for my family and others. My heritage is my strength, and I am up for the challenges that lie ahead. Today, I intend to excel at Harvard Business School. Through my culture, I have an obligation to make my family proud.
My heritage is the rising tide that lifts all boats. Our work fuels the roaring engine of global economic progress and innovation. My heritage led me here just like it led Pepito. The pursuit for the new, ambiguous, and unconquered excites us. It ignites the fiery passion of Cubanos as we put forth good work through confidence and character.