Think about it. Do we have one leader en la comunidad fighting for what we believe in? The answer is no. The question was asked last May in an Associated Press article and no one knew how to answer. "That’s not easy for some Hispanics, let alone other Americans. Even as the Arizona immigration debate has highlighted concerns of the nation’s more than 30 million Latino citizens, it has revealed a lack of name-brand recognition for those dedicated to serving America’s largest minority group," the article stated.
The Pew Research Center recently asked the question, "Who is the most important Latino leader in the country today" and 64% said, "We do not know." Although some people did respond with names, the percentages were not high. "The most frequently named individual was Sonia Sotomayor, appointed last year to the U.S. Supreme Court. Some 7% of respondents said she is the most important Latino leader in the country. U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) of Chicago is next at 5%. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa draws 3%, and Jorge Ramos, an anchor on Noticiero Univision, the national evening news program on the Spanish-language television network Univision, drew 2%."
Why is this happening? To be honest it's a sub-culture problem. Latinos can't get over the fact that we represent other countries. I said it in the AP article mentioned above, "“When you’re in Colombia, you’re a Colombian. When you’re in Puerto Rico, you’re a Puerto Rican. When you’re in the U.S., you’re a Latino or Hispanic." And it's true. We can't come to recognize our own selves as Latinos, we seem to have a problem looking after "our own" before anyone else. So what can we do? A: Get over ourselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment