Juav's Latino World

A Leaderless Community?

A couple of weeks ago I was discussing with a friend the article " Por Eso no
Avanza el Mexicano." After discussing the deep hole concept--the need to
let/help those that can get out of the hole do so with the hope that they will
return to help the rest-- he asked, "Who is your leader? Who is the one person
that can not only galvanize your community, but also motivate it into action? I
was basically blind sided; No one came to mind. I could not name a single
person.

We discussed a few leaders of a decade or so ago, but due to one reason or
another these individuals never became great leaders; some actually "goofed
up" when it came to their personal lives.

We discussed the massive demonstrations for immigration reform support. Sure
they were impressive, and it took great effort and skill to organize the marches.
But no one emerged at a national level that will push the cause through.

That day I left work a little perplexed and somewhat disappointed. The
question " Who is your leader?" remained burning in my mind. It just happens
that that weekend I came across the February 2006 issue of " HISPANIC". In it is
an article called "Powerful People, The Ones You Know". Just like the title
implies, several "powerful Hispanics" are featured. Now, let us not confuse
power with leadership. In this article you will find the likes of J.LO, Alex
Rodriguez, and Luny Tunes. They may commend great salaries and have a
major influence in their circles, but they certainly are not leaders. You will also
find the likes of Al Gonzales, Emilio Gonzalez, and Israel Hernandez. Although
these individuals are high ranking bureaucrats, they were appointed to their
posts and not elected. Now don’t get me wrong. All these people deserve
respect. Their accomplishments must not go unnoticed; not many individuals
--Latino or not-- achieve what these individuals have done. But these
individuals are not leaders; at least not yet.

The article also mentions Antonio Villariagosa (mayor of Los Angeles) and
Manny Diaz (mayor of Miami). Now these individuals did get elected, but they
are only local leaders (regional at best). In time, they may become great
leaders; we will just have to wait.

My question to you is: Must we wait for a leader? Are you our next leader? If
you are, what are you waiting for?

If you want to highlight a leader in your community, please send me a brief bio
(500 words max) and a photo.--- juav@juavpublications.com