In the coming weeks, Americans will start receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. We were able to get to this point in about ten months – a remarkable achievement. In tests, the efficacy of the three vaccines that will hit the market have ranged between 90-95 percent – equally as amazing. Even more encouraging, the Moderna vaccine has shown to be 100% effective in preventing serious or life-threatening symptoms. COVID-19 has already taken more than a million lives worldwide and nearly 300,000 in the United States. This past week, COVID-19 surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death in America. I remember not too long ago, when people were mocking the threat of the coronavirus on social media by posting statistics that implied it was less lethal than the flu. I don’t, however, blame them. They were misled.
Let’s face it, our politicians may have failed us (nearly all of them), but we don’t have to fail each other. Empathy and compassion are what we need in abundance. While my heart hurts for the economic toll the pandemic has caused to the travel industry, restaurants, and millions of other small businesses, there is light at the end of the tunnel. We are close to the end. Wear a mask, help a friend, and support strong relief legislation for the people who were hurt the worst. We have a lot of reason for optimism.
There are qualities in our community that no data point can fully capture, but this episode is about one of the biggest: grit. I talk about why perseverance, resilience, family, and purpose have always been among the greatest strengths of Hispanics and Latinos, and why those strengths can be a powerful advantage in a world being reshaped by technology, wealth, and access. But grit alone is not enough. If we want to translate all of that talent and determination into lasting economic and political power, we also need stronger networks, better platforms, and more intentional leadership. The opportunity is real. The question is whether we are ready to organize around it.
For years, we’ve been told that mass deportations would mean more jobs and higher wages for U.S.-born workers. But this episode looks at why the opposite may actually be happening. I break down new research showing how immigrant and U.S.-born workers often play complementary roles in the labor market, why removing one group can hurt the other, and how these policies may be making labor shortages, housing challenges, and economic instability even worse. This is a conversation about jobs, economics, and the unintended consequences too many people still refuse to confront.
Something important is shifting, and this episode is about why it matters. For a young and fast-growing community like ours, the rise of AI may be opening doors that were previously harder to reach — not by eliminating every barrier, but by expanding access to knowledge, tools, and opportunity at a scale we’ve never seen before. But access alone won’t determine who wins. This moment calls for strategy, community, and a serious commitment to turning potential into power. The opening is real. What happens next depends on what we do with it.