National Hispanic Heritage Month - meet Melanie, Christian, Anthony, and Felipe

Cliché as it may sound, Square Enix is what it is because of the people.

You are only able to enjoy our portfolio of amazing games thanks to the hard work of a large and diverse team of passionate professionals, who come from all walks of life.

It’s currently Hispanic Heritage Month, which is a fantastic opportunity to recognize and celebrate the contribution that Hispanic people make to us, and the games industry as a whole. To that end, four members of the Square Enix team have kindly shared their thoughts and experiences of working in gaming, the importance of their heritage and much more.

Melanie Gordon - Regional Marketing Manager

What inspired you to pursue a career in the games industry?

I was an extremely introverted child. I feared being rejected before I even gave anyone a chance to do so. The real world became overwhelming, but I found a lifeline in MMORPGs and PS2 RPGs.

Games became my escape, and through them I found friends who helped me grow my confidence in myself and learn to put myself out there. When I became a young adult, I fell in love with marketing and wanted to use my skill set to give back to the gaming community that helped me grow.

My mission was clear: to support game developers in reaching audiences who needed an escape from reality and sought out connection to others and themselves. Seeing the results of my marketing efforts, when I see fans happy that they found a game they love and the impact it had on their life, fills my heart.

What aspects of your Hispanic heritage and culture do you celebrate and incorporate into daily life?

Family and connection hold a special place in my heart, a value deeply rooted in my Hispanic heritage and culture.

Growing up in America, we did not have a close-knit family unit, and truthfully, I thought that was something you only see in movies. But after a visit to El Salvador to stay with my extended family for a month after my college graduation, my world changed. I learned what a family unit could be and discovered that “family” is a cornerstone of our existence - not just the biological ties but the bonds we cultivate with loved ones to create a network of support and love.

I make the effort in my everyday life to strengthen the bonds I have with friends and family, to create the support we need to take on every day. I implement this value both at home and with my teams. Whether or not we work on the same titles, it is important to have those moments to come together - learn from each other, laugh together, overcome struggles together as a team.

Are there any Hispanic people who inspire you?

One of my role models is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), as she is such a fresh and powerful icon in today’s landscape.

She is unafraid to challenge established norms, speak out against injustice and disrespectful treatment, and confront powerful figures when necessary. Her courage encourages me both personally and professionally to stand up for my ideas, set boundaries and ensure respect is being given when working with others.

How can the games industry support diversity and inclusion, not just during Hispanic Heritage Month, but throughout the year?

The video game industry has made significant progress in recent years towards promoting diversity and inclusion, and several ways they can continue this effort is by raising the voices of the developer community in the South American regions.

There is a wealth of untapped talent in Hispanic developers who are eager to share their stories and build a community but impacted by a lack of visibility and financial backing from publishers.

Another effort that developers can support is to have prominent protagonists and NPC characters of Hispanic descent within their games and ensure they avoid stereotypes. These efforts will aid in the visibility of many cultures!

Christian Colon - Associate Marketing Manager, Publishing Strategy

What inspired you to pursue a career in the games industry?

Video games have been a part of my life from as far back as I can remember since my Dad brough home a NES when I was just a child. When I saw the credits roll the first time I beat a game, I was amazed when I saw how many people contributed to it and from that point on, I was determined to one day be a part of that.

What aspects of your Hispanic heritage and culture do you celebrate and incorporate into daily life?

A family first mentality, being open-minded, and generally having respect for everyone, including yourself.

That kind of love, openness and respect is a part of me every day, in everything I do. And, of course, it shapes how I treat my family, friends, and colleagues. It contributes to my personality - my co-workers know me for a being a cheerful, optimistic, and kind person to work with.

Self-respect is something my father always instilled in me as a youth and is big part of Puerto Rican culture. To me, it’s about not only having confidence in yourself, but also taking pride in your work, appearance, and honestly everything that you do.

Looking back, it is those values that have gotten me this far in my life, given me family of my own and a job that I love.

Are there any Hispanic people who inspire you?

Growing up, I typically didn’t see many Hispanics in leading roles but someone who inspired me, and my small circle of friends, was John Leguizamo. Seeing him playing a lead role as Luigi in the Super Mario Bros movie was inspiring to me. To see someone on screen that looked like me meant the world to me.

I continued to follow his career in movies and in stand-up and what struck out to me the most, is how confident he was and how he was always himself. That’s influenced me to do the same and to never shy away from who I am or where I come from.

How can the games industry support diversity and inclusion, not just during Hispanic Heritage Month, but throughout the year?

Besides continuing to hire more people of color, I think we need to be more involved in communities and educate teens and young adults on how they can make their dreams of working in video games a reality.

Having a familiar face speak to you about these kinds of jobs in the industry is important, as it can help them see themselves in those roles when they grow-up.

Anthony Zamora - Co-ordinator, Mobile Marketing

What inspired you to pursue a career in the games industry?

“If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” - Marc Anthony.

Gaming has been baked into my DNA. I’m pretty sure I learned how to hold a controller before I learned my first word! The earliest memory of my childhood I have is blowing the dust out of my copy of 1993 X-Men for the Sega Genesis, selecting Gambit, and sitting for hours trying to beat the game.

Growing up, I didn’t have all the latest games or consoles on release, so to tide me over I read gaming magazines like Tips & Tricks, and Game Informer to keep me up to speed on all the news. Naturally, this fostered an interest in a career in gaming!

Ultimately, my inspiration to pursue this career was to share this passion with others. There’s nothing like it when people get together and talk about their love for their favorite franchise. I got to experience that recently at PAX West 2023 when we showcased our demo of FINAL FANTASY VII EVER CRISIS. We saw many Clouds, Sephiroths, Tifas, Aeriths, and many more people seeing their favorite characters again.

That feeling is electric and proves to me I made the right career path.

What aspects of your Hispanic heritage and culture do you celebrate and incorporate into daily life?

It’s no surprise family is a huge portion of our culture. To me, that camaraderie is what makes it so special.

Here at Square Enix, there is that sense of fellowship where we all have one common goal - to deliver the best possible product to our passionate fans. I never feel afraid of asking for help when needed or to voice my opinions on a project. We’re all here for each other, and that makes work a breeze.

As a kid, I never learned Spanish since my parents didn’t want me to face the discrimination they did when they were growing up. If you were to see me in the office, you’d notice often sport a cowboy hat. Besides gaming, I love old westerns and when I learned that the Vaquero inspired the American Cowboy, I took that and embraced it to honor my heritage. The hat is now a core part of my identity.

Are there any Hispanic people who inspire you?

To name a few, Robert Trujillo, Antonio Banderas, and Pedro Pascal. But like most kids in the late 90s, I was a fan of professional wrestling, so I’d be silly not to mention the G.O.A.T, Eddie Guerrero.

Eddie was the biggest inspiration for me in my younger years. He wasn’t just a wrestler; he was a role model. Outside of his Han Solo scoundrel tactics in the squared circle, he was another one of us who was beaten in life, faced his demons, rose to the top and showed us to put faith in ourselves. Viva La Raza!

How can the games industry support diversity and inclusion, not just during Hispanic Heritage Month, but throughout the year?

I’d like to see more Hispanic / Latin characters across the gaming industry. Diverse character representation has always been important to me, as it has for others. I can’t begin to tell you how cool it was in NEO: The World Ends with You to see the leader of the Purehearts, Motoi Anazawa, speak some Spanish and look kind of like me!

Felipe Dominguez - Associate PR Manager, Publishing Strategy

What inspired you to pursue a career in the games industry?

Like millions of kids in the 80s, my love of games started with Super Mario Bros on the NES. That love grew over the years as I tuned into Nintendomanía (a Mexican TV show about video games), read EGM and other magazines, and played every game I could get my hands on.

Years on, I decided it was time to join the industry! And what better place than Square Enix, which gave me FINAL FANTASY VI-X, CHRONO TRIGGER, CHRONO CROSS and XENOGEARS growing up. Now I get to play DRAGON QUEST with my kids. I love working here!

What aspects of your Hispanic heritage and culture do you celebrate and incorporate into daily life?

Language is the big one. We’re surrounded by Spanish everywhere in California and our games are popular in Latin America. I try to draw from my background regularly to bridge communications between teams in LATAM, the US and Japan.

My first job out of college was as a news producer for Japanese television, and coverage often took me back to Mexico and other parts of Latin America. Leading an all-Japanese TV crew through an earthquake aftermath in Chile or chasing the origin of the swine flu in central Mexico, my heritage and language helped us navigate some dicey situations and get the job done.

Are there any Hispanic people who inspire you?

Carlos Fuentes, for his writings and his love of language. Guillermo Del Toro, for his wonderful creations and for being so nice to my son and I at a Mexican ice cream store in LA.!

Café Tacuba because they rock. And, of course, my parents.

How can the games industry support diversity and inclusion, not just during Hispanic Heritage Month, but throughout the year?

Firstly, more representation. Maybe the next main character in your favorite small-town survival horror game or sci-fi RPG can be Hispanic. Why not?

Secondly, please keep offensive and outdated Hispanic / Latino stereotypes off games. Don’t know what they are? Hire more Hispanic / Latino people and ask for their input.

Many thanks to Melanie, Christian, Anthony, and Felipe for their insights!

If you’re interested in joining Square Enix and lending your own skills and experience to the team, check out our careers site for current vacancies.

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