The Third Effective Role of Latino Leadership: Part 3 of 5
Posted by gangprevention on June 8, 2007
(CONTINUED FROM PART 2: HEROES OF HARDSHIP)
A Pioneer of New Thinking
By now most of us understand the importance of our thought life and the direct affect it has on what we do, how we do it, and who we become! We must constantly be asking ourselves not only what we are accomplishing by what we are doing, but more importantly, what we are becoming by what we are doing.
Socially, in a post 911 world, and growing multi-cultural America, we must model a new level of thought, a new Latino mind-set, a new cultural thinking that is bold, relative, and courageous and at the same time considerate of other cultures around us knowing that what we do for ourselves can be and should be a benefit to others as well.
Economically, we must re-think how we provide social services, how we pay for services and how we train those that deliver social services. We need a new level of economic thought, collaboration, coalition building and partnership between Community Based and Faith-Based Organization’s, Government, business and philanthropy.
Politically we must collaborate, dialogue, discuss and discover a national agenda that addresses our needs in a reasonable, yet firm political voice to be reckoned with. For example:
According to the book, “Latino’s Remaking America”, Dr. DeSipio & Dr. de La Garza, who have been studying the Elections and voting norms of Latinos since 1992, made the following observation:
“Voting provides the single greatest opportunity for a population such as Latino’s to influence the nation’s politics”
However, the Latino people in America have not had a solid voting block and we continue to have a poor showing every election. According to DeSipio and Garza:
Out of 35 million Latino’s – 1 in 6 vote
In 1996 – 1.6 million registered Latino voters did not vote
39% of Latino adults are non-citizens
2.4 million became citizens between 1995 – 2001
“The ongoing slow growth in the number of Latino’s who vote, could of course, speed up if an issue or a leader were to mobilize current non-participants”
The pioneers of new thinking are those who will help lead in figuring out the agenda that will galvanize the Latino vote for the future. For example, in the area of Health Research – In 1999, the Anglo population in California became a minority population (49.7%), and in 1998 nearly half of all the States new born babies were Latino. Yet health/medical research in California remains “normed” on the Anglo population. These Anglo research results have been used to craft health policies and programs in a largely Latino state. Perhaps it is time for a new way of thinking about health care?
In the past, according to, Latino’s Remaking America, those of low-income, low education and low access to health care were thought to be at the greatest risk for low health, but recent studies and research shows the opposite:
Latino babies are born healthier than Anglo & Black
Latino’s have a lower death rate per 100,000 (20.5% lower than Anglo & 50.4% lower than Blacks) in the top four causes of death in America
Thus, the question is not – “Why are Latino’s doing so well in spite of high risk factors, but rather, why non-Hispanic whites are doing so poorly in spite of all their advantages?”
Latino health issues, norms, patterns, etc. need to be understood on their own merits and the relationship between culture and health needs to be studied so that perhaps our culture can share things that will help the non-Latino populations reduce their risk of death to the four major causes of death.
The list goes on and on in housing, farm workers, gang violence, criminal justice & education, etc. Clearly, new thinking is needed in how to deal with all these social, educational and economic issues. Latino Leaders with an eye on the future must be pioneers in new thinking.
