Alfonso Rios-Gonzalez is an Assistant Mechanical Engineer at Hetch Hetchy Water and Power. This year for Hispanic Heritage Month, he’s sharing his culture with his colleagues through sweet treats and stories from his recent trip to Mexico.
Alfonso appreciates that the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) celebrates heritage months because he says it’s important to understand the different cultural backgrounds of coworkers. Through spotlights and celebrations, colleagues get to learn about other cultures, appreciating and respecting each other’s differences. He is grateful to teach others about his Mexican heritage while learning about theirs.
Alfonso celebrates his Hispanic roots not only during Hispanic Heritage Month, but year around, spending nearly all his time with family. He remarks, “Often on weekends, I am not at home. I leave to visit far-away relatives, attend parties with cousins, and hang out with family.”
And when he's not with his family, he's with his colleagues who he says are more like a community to him. He explains how he's been able to share his love for his family and his culture with them. “There was one time, I brought my mother's homemade tamales to work. I was surprised by just how quickly they scarfed them up," he said with a smile.
Alfonso reflects that it was heartwarming to see his colleagues enjoy his cultural food so much. He also adds that he enjoys connecting with fellow Hispanic colleagues. “It’s awesome to be able to connect with people on a different level because you both speak Spanish, and you can go out and eat the same foods and enjoy the same music," he says.
Alfonso explains that the SFPUC allows him to represent himself freely and in turn has become a second home to him - one that he describes as down-to-earth and open-minded. “It’s a very friendly community. The SFPUC has been like a second home. Everyone is very nice and just trying to help each other out. Hispanic culture is very family oriented and so coming out here, it felt so easy to work and be a part of the team.”
Having just returned from Mexico, Alfonso is very excited to share an assortment of candy and coffee that he brought back for his colleagues. He shares photos from his trip, offering colleagues a glimpse into his cultural homeland. Ultimately, he hopes that everyone will take this time to learn about and cherish Hispanic culture, just as he has seen them do throughout his time at the SFPUC.