The Foundation of Hispanic Excellence in Construction
Last week was both rewarding and incredibly busy for NHCA. We hit some important milestones, hosted successful events in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and continued the hard work of creating and strengthening alliances that align with our mission and vision. The path forward hasn’t always been clear—or easy. It’s been quite a journey for the entire NHCA team, filled with challenges, opportunities, successes, and yes, even failures.
So, what keeps us moving forward? What motivates us to pursue the next opportunity, the next partner, the next sponsor?
I believe it’s something deeply rooted in the construction industry—and in the DNA of the workers who make it thrive: GRIT.
It’s a word I’ve been hearing more often lately. I heard it on a podcast last week and even in a recent beverage commercial. To me, it’s more than just a buzzword—it’s powerful. It’s an equalizer. It has a punch to it, a personality. And depending on where you look, you’ll find a couple of different definitions.
One definition is literal: “small, loose particles of stone or sand.”
The other is symbolic: “courage and resolve; strength of character.”
Oddly enough, both resonate deeply when I think about Hispanics in the construction industry.
That first definition—those grains of sand and rock—are the very materials essential to concrete, the foundation of construction. It binds everything together. Isn’t that what Hispanics in the industry do every day? We show up. We hold projects together. We fill the gaps others can’t—or won’t. We build value with the sweat on our brows and the dirt on our boots. We are the foundation.
The second definition—perseverance, strength, resilience—is just as fitting. Many Hispanics in construction start with nothing more than those traits. Grit is not something you simply read about in a dictionary. You have to live it to understand it fully. You have to exist in a world where the impossible must always be possible—and where the possible is simply the starting point.
A close friend once told me about his father, who came to the U.S. from Guatemala over 50 years ago. He started the journey with just a nickel and a banana in his pocket. When he arrived, he took any job he could get—dishwasher, janitor, even a little construction. He passed away a few years ago after battling cancer and COVID. But he didn’t leave with nothing. He left behind the wealth he had built with his hands, his work ethic, and his grit. But most of all, he left behind the possible.
What gives any man or woman the courage to leave their family behind, cross borders, and believe—not hope—but believe they’ll bring them to a better life?
Grit.
Of course, not all Hispanics in the construction industry are first-generation immigrants, but for the vast majority, someone in their family took that very journey—making the impossible possible, and the possible just the starting point. And what will it take for Hispanics in construction to become CEOs, presidents, owners, and industry leaders?
I think we already know the answer……