In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we sought out some of our wonderful Hispanic sisters to give us a little insight to their life as a Hispanic Woman in Roofing. Today we have answers from Xochitl Cervantes representing Mexico!

NWIR Feature: Hispanic Heritage Month
In the spirit of Hispanic Heritage month, we want the NWIR
community to know your unique insight on being a woman of
Hispanic descent!
1. Name and Title
Xochitl Cervantes
Austin Area Operations Director
2. Business Name, City and State
Restoration Builders, Inc.
Austin, TX
3. What do you embrace and love most about your culture?
The capability to adapt. If you think about it, most of our
ancestors migrated to this country at some point, and learned
the language and culture. We have evolved and adapted into
this culture, and even made it our own. We have tamales on
Thanksgiving Dinner, we celebrate the 4th of July by breaking
pinatas, we speak spanglish, and we proudly call ourselves
Hispanic American.
4. What is something you want others to know about your
heritage?
I’d like them to know we are very family oriented, and
sometimes multigenerational households. We work hard to
provide for our children and sometimes even our parents. We
are loyal to the core, and passionate individuals. We abide by
the Mi Casa, es Tu Casa slogan, we will always have an extra
room in our house and an extra seat on our table to share our
meal, and if we don’t have room, well, we will make room. We
are welcoming and warm. We may come across as loud and
obnoxious, but really, we are just that happy to see you!
5. Have you faced any challenges in your life because of your
ethnicity?
I’ve faced challenges due to both my ethnicity and gender.
One of them would be the criticism and lack of support from
my immediate family when I decided to join the roofing
industry. Hispanic families are very traditional and we are not
used to seeing us involved in these types of jobs or careers. As
hispanic females, we have come a long way, however, there is
still room for improvement. I’d like our daughters to have the
same opportunities as anyone else in this country. I’d like to see
them in any role they set their heart to, whether it’s a laborer or
an executive.
6. Who has been an inspiring figure of Hispanic descent
throughout your life? How or why has this person made an
impact?
An inspiring figure in my life would definitely be my mother. She
overcame language barriers and was determined to be
successful within her industry. She taught me the importance of
hard work and determination.
7. What is your favorite way to celebrate your heritage?
Breaking Pinatas!! It may sound silly, but we love having pinatas
during our family gatherings. We fill them up with candy and
party favors, and we can see the kids face lit up with happiness
when the pinata breaks and a storm of snacks and surprises hit
the ground. At the breaking point, age no longer matters!
Everyone becomes a child once again, and you see tias,
grandmas, and uncles run to grab the candy.