Celebrating the Beauty and Brilliance of Hispanic Heritage and Culture

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

U.S. Bank makes long-term investment into the National Museum of Mexican Art during Hispanic Heritage Month

The Pilsen neighborhood is a hub of Mexican culture in Chicago and, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage month, both culture and business converged at a recent U.S. Bank event at the neighborhood’s National Museum of Mexican Art. Colorful banners, authentic Mexican food and treats, and – of course – Mexican art from one of the country’s largest collections were the backdrop for an important conversation about Hispanic culture, heritage and how the narrative of Latinos in the U.S. is changing.

More than 125 U.S. Bank employees attended in person and hundreds more joined from across the country via livestream. The event – the bank’s signature employee celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month – brought together Lyanne Alfaro, founder of Moneda Moves, top U.S. Bank leaders and others to talk about the beauty and brilliance of Hispanic heritage, culture and success.

U.S. Bank is a longstanding supporter of the museum, home to one of the largest Mexican art collections in the United States.

“Visiting this special museum is a wonderful way to experience some Mexican art and culture,” said Greg Cunningham, chief diversity officer for U.S. Bank, who also helped moderate the event.

“Every historical era and facet of Mexican culture is represented within the four walls of this impressive museum,” he said. “At U.S. Bank, we are proud to sponsor this museum and the many other community organizations focused on enriching the Hispanic and Latino communities across our footprint. As we reflect during this Hispanic Heritage Month, we are focused on continuing to better serve our Hispanic and Latino customers.”

Cunningham and Dominic Venturo, chief digital officer for U.S. Bank, hosted the event alongside the U.S. Bank Nosotros Latinos Business Resource Group.

The National Museum of Mexican Art, established in 1987, works to stimulate knowledge and appreciation of art and culture from both sides of the border through a permanent collection of Mexican art, rich visual and performing arts programs, high quality arts education programs and resources and professional development of Mexican artists.

The U.S. Bank Foundation has invested in the museum since 2018, donating nearly $200,000 in general operating support. That investment has helped acquire and preserve works of art for the 20,000-piece permanent collection that reflects the diversity and quality of Mexican art and support more than 52,000 K-12 students with a broad range of cultural education programming annually.

The 48,000-square-foot museum is home to more than 20,000 seminal pieces from ancient Mexico to the present and is the first Latino Museum accredited by American Alliance of Museums.

“We recognize our unique responsibility to present exhibitions of artistic and cultural value and to deliver high-quality education that demonstrates the breadth and depth of Mexican art, culture and history,” said Jose Ochoa, president and chief executive officer of the National Museum of Mexican Art.

The National Museum of Mexican Art is one of several cultural institutions U.S. Bank supports around the country that celebrate Latino art. The bank is a $1 million, multi-year sponsor of the National Museum of the American Latino in Washington D.C. and has made a $150,000, multi-year investment in the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum in Riverside, California – just to highlight a couple of significant sponsorships.

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, U.S. Bank invited Lyanne Alfaro, founder of Moneda Moves, a media platform and consultancy agency and Marketing Manager at Google based in Chicago, to speak at the museum about changing the Latino narrative.

Alfaro built her career as a reporter and producer at CNBC, Business Insider and NBC Latino and via Moneda Moves, tells stories about money and culture through a newsletter and podcast. Alfaro also led a discussion that included Oscar Martinez, owner of Azteca Mufflers; Jose Ochoa, president and CEO of the museum; and Cynthia Anthony, a U.S. Bank retail branch hub manager in Chicago.

“Growing up in a working-class Latino neighborhood, I saw first builders everywhere,” Alfaro said. “There are three pieces to Latino generational wealth – culture, community and hustle. My parents knew hustle and encouraged me to find it as well through my passion for journalism. For years, Latinos have been absent from U.S. national headlines, and I set out to change that.”

Here’s one example of hustle: Alfaro said new businesses by Latinos made up 36% of launches in 2023. Another example is Martinez, who has grown his Azteca Mufflers to 10 locations in Chicago.

“Our triple threat (culture, community and hustle) has helped us make leaps and bounds in progress,” Alfaro said. “The future still rests on our shoulders, and we have to decide to own it. We need to step into our power, step into community when we ask for help and offer our services. Then we can truly accept the power of we.”

Bilingual mortgage help

Through U.S. Bank Access Commitment®, U.S. Bank’s long-term approach to close the wealth gap for underserved communities, including communities of color, the bank has expanded its work to the Hispanic segment starting in 2023. As part of this effort, the company recently hired a new bilingual mortgage loan officer cohort that is focused on better serving Hispanic homeowners.

Additionally, U.S. Bank has added new bilingual Business Access Advisors in California, Milwaukee and Colorado to better serve Hispanic business owners. The company will continue to expand products, services and experiences to be translated in Spanish, including Asitente Inteligente, the first Spanish voice assistant.