From Invitation to Integration

This article was originally published in the Spring 2026 Issue of Bridge Magazine.

When I arrived in the United States from Mexico at the age of seven, I was enrolled in second grade. I remember being nervous and excited about the new possibilities: a new school, new teachers, new things to learn. But most of all, I was excited about making new friends and playing new games with them. Never once did I think about the new language, new culture, or new learning styles I would encounter. I cannot remember what happened in class that first week, but what occurred during my first week on the playground has been stuck with me all these years later. Every recess, lunch, or break, I would try to make friends and join in games. I had the same approach I had back home in Mexico — find a kid and ask them if they wanted to play. This approach was not working in my new school environment. Suddenly, I was different, weird, or strange. I was the outsider — the other. I did not belong. Teachers eventually noticed and started asking kids to include me. So eventually I began getting invitations to play different games and accepted with anticipation. But I quickly noticed that, even though I was invited to play, I still felt like an outsider. There were side conversations, and inside jokes, even the bilingual kids would speak English to each other when I was around. I was invited to check off a box, to appease the teacher. I was there, but I did not feel welcomed or included. I did not feel like I belonged.

Maybe this has triggered a memory for you. Do you remember ever being invited somewhere, only to find that something just felt off? Maybe you said to yourself, “Why did they even invite me if I was going to be treated this way?” There is a significant difference between being invited to a game, to an event, or to the table and truly belonging there. An invitation alone does not create belonging. True belonging comes from actively being a part of discussions, decisions, and shared work where your voice is heard, valued, and able to influence the direction. At Pension Fund, we have learned that diversity, equity, belonging, and accessibility (DEBA) requires more than an invitation. DEBA is not just about opening doors — it is about redesigning the room itself so that every person can step in, participate fully, and truly belong.

For too long, organizations have treated inclusion as a finish line or a box to be checked. They hire diverse workers, have cultural celebrations, and issue statements of support. But invitation without integration is merely “symbolic inclusion,” the appearance of diversity without the structural changes that lead to equitable power, influence, or benefit. People may arrive at the table, but without the agency to shape the conversation, many will eventually leave.

Our DEBA journey at Pension Fund reflects this evolution among our staff and within our membership. We asked, who’s missing from our table? That question led to important recruitment efforts and a comprehensive strategic plan for how we serve all our current and future members.

We listened more deeply, and a more challenging question emerged: Why would someone want to stay at the table with Pension Fund? The answer reshaped our approach entirely. We realized that belonging is not a feeling we can manufacture through mission statements or diversity training alone. It emerges from structural changes that redistribute power, recognize contributions, and adapt systems to diverse needs rather than expecting diverse people to adapt to systems that have always served homogenous groups.

This shift from invitation to integration shows up in tangible ways across our organization. Our benefits have evolved beyond one-size-fits-all models to acknowledge different cultures, languages, family structures, caregiving responsibilities, and life circumstances. Our accessibility initiatives extend beyond physical accommodations to include a balanced life-work schedule inside Pension Fund, more Spanish-speaking Member Relations team members, a part-time Korean-speaking Area Director, and essential forms translated into Spanish and Korean.

To me, most significantly, we have embedded DEBA into our DNA. Weekly meetings with our DEBA taskforce; monthly DEBA Lite moments in our staff huddle where a member of the taskforce presents a DEBA topic as a constant reminder of this work we are doing; and annual all-staff DEBA trainings that continue to encourage us to ask deep questions (e.g. Whose voice is missing from this table? What barriers might prevent someone from accessing this benefit?) — these are not afterthoughts; they shape who we are.

We have achieved perfection or arrived at an end — and honestly, that is not our goal. Integration is an ongoing process requiring constant learning, pivoting, and humility. Our commitment is to ensuring everyone who is connected with Pension Fund, from our members to our staff, has what they need not just to survive, but to thrive — in life, ministry, and financially.

It has been a long time since that first week of school, and I eventually found my place of belonging in the playground. I quickly noticed that being included in decisions about what and how to play made me feel heard, empowered, and a part of something. Over time, I have invited many people to the table. Yet I also recognize that there have been moments when I offered people an invitation but did not truly integrate them into the space. I do not know how much that first week at school shaped who I am now, but it did teach me that the most powerful table is not the one where everyone is invited — it is the one where everyone is expected, needed, and empowered to contribute. That is the table we are building at Pension Fund. And we are glad you are sitting here with us.