Much to their credit, Dallas-area
academic, business and civic members have embarked upon an ambitious effort to
expand the number of Latino leaders that serve this community. Two of these
programs reside at Southern Methodist University with similar goals in mind. Part
of the rationale for these programs comes from national studies by the Pew
Research Center (2013) which showed that two-thirds of Latinos did not know,
when asked, who they believed was the most important Hispanic leader in the
U.S.; moreover, three-quarters of Latinos believed that a national Hispanic
leader was needed to advance the concerns of the U.S. Hispanic community. This
national alarm bell, coupled with dismal Latino participation at the local
levels, appeared to describe a leadership vacuum in the Latino community that
needed some type of intervention.
Latinos, of course, are not
leaderless. U.S. Latinos have a long history as inventors, scientists, medical
experts, military heroes, news columnists, entertainers, and politicians ---
they are just not very visible because mainstream media sources choose to
overlook their achievements except during cultural holidays. If the story does not involve crime,
immigration, under-achievement or poverty, the likelihood of inclusion in
mainstream media diminishes even more rapidly.
For example, anyone who has lived in
the Dallas community for a number of years would have little difficulty in recognizing
Latinos that have been on the frontlines of many Latino-related issues. Such
names as Adelfa Callejo, Hector Flores, Nina Vaca, Rene Martinez, Domingo
Garcia, Marcos Ronquillo, Rafael Anchia, Roberto Alonzo, Tom Lazo, Beatrice
Martinez, and Edwin Flores are well-known among Dallas-area Latinos and
non-Latinos for their past advocacy efforts related to Latino education,
healthcare, immigration, voting rights, business development and other areas. Media reports may label Latinos as “leaders,”
“advocates,” or “activists” – depending on the spin desired by media decision
makers. Nonetheless, their role in shaping the quality of life for Latinos is
undeniable.
As the traditional pool of “leaders”
or “advocates” diminishes, it is clear that new blood is needed to address the
many decisions that will influence the quality of life for Latinos in the
future. The need for new blood is especially important in communities like
Dallas/Fort Worth that are experiencing rapid population growth and need
decision-makers with new ideas to address the challenges brought by this
growth. In this light, Latino leadership programs have assumed a great
responsibility and deserve as much support as possible.
To that end, following are some
questions or discussion points that came to mind as I was envisioning the types
of skills that these graduates may need to carry the leadership torch into the
future:
What knowledge will these graduates have of Latinos that reside in the
U.S. and local communities? For
example, a test of knowledge of
Latino culture in the U.S. was recently completed by a non-random sample of 400
Latinos and non-Latinos that represented college students and marketing
professionals from the private sector. The test results revealed that both Latinos
and non-Latinos had limited knowledge regarding some basic facts about U.S.
Latinos. Interestingly, the results also revealed that Latinos did not score
much better than non-Latinos on this test. While not a scientific study, the
study results suggest that more effort should be devoted towards expanding
knowledge about the Latino population – whether at academic institutions or
other training vehicles. Moreover, as Latinos continue to assimilate
linguistically and culturally, they may also need a refresher course on
important elements of the Latino culture.
What position will graduates take on issues that especially impact
Latinos? The position that a leadership
graduate takes on key issues like
gun control, abortion, criminal justice, voting rights, racial profiling, the
environment, public procurement, and immigration will likely define their
appeal in Latino and non-Latino communities. Are graduates being trained to
avoid a position on controversial issues or will they be taught how to argue
persuasively on behalf of Latino constituents?
Are your public speaking skills ready to be tested? General public speaking skills are
undoubtedly a valued asset; however, Latino leaders will be expected on
occasion to address both English and Spanish-speaking audiences. Since
the vast majority of U.S. Latinos do not study Spanish formally, it might be a
good idea to encourage our future leaders to brush up on their public speaking
skills in both languages.
Will graduates be trained to feel comfortable in using the results of research
studies? In one presentation to a
city council regarding the results of a citizen satisfaction survey, a
councilman opined: “If I want to know
what people in my community think, I will just talk to them.” Apparently, the councilman did not understand
the bias associated with his recommendation in gathering public opinion. Scientific
research can provide valuable insights that supplement one’s perspectives and
should be part of the training curriculum for these graduates.
Will non-Latinos be provided the opportunity to develop their
leadership skills if their jobs or political aspirations include Latino
communities? It seems like a good
investment. There are already enough
non-Latinos in leadership positions that lack knowledge and experience with
Latino communities. With our increasingly segregated society, the leadership
course may provide the right amount of knowledge and perspective needed by non-Latinos
who aspire to become advocates for Latino communities.
Will graduates understand how to utilize the power of the media which
has the potential to define their reputation and standing in the minds of
Latino and non-Latino audiences? Markets
like Dallas/Fort Worth provide a multitude of communications vehicles to reach
diverse audiences, and often conduct public opinion polls to monitor key issues
or political campaigns. In such an environment, Latinos who aspire to become
visible advocates or “leaders” must understand how to fashion their messages
correctly, how the journalism world operates, and the audiences that are served
by different communications vehicles.
Lastly, will the collective wisdom of past Latino leaders be used as a
bridge to the future for the newly trained leaders? It would be a mistake,
in my opinion, to believe that “leadership skills” have little or no connection
to the past. Past Latino leaders could be helpful in identifying significant
people, organizations or historical events that have proved helpful in past
Latino initiatives, as well as those that have been less helpful. The new
leadership graduates will no doubt have many new ideas of their own, but
history should help them avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.
Only time
will tell us about the long-term benefits of these Latino leadership
initiatives. If they are successful,
Latinos will be in a better position to shape their own destiny and become a
more visible partner in key decisions that affect their quality of life.
