A little over a month ago, I was in New Orleans for a conference. I took an Uber to the airport when I was leaving and the driver was a Latino guy. I had not been in New Orleans for many years, and did not recall seeing many Latinos the last time I was there. I asked the driver if there were a lot of Latinos living in New Orleans, and he said “there is now”. When I asked him to explain, he said that Latinos came to New Orleans after hurricane Katrina to help rebuild the city and many of them stayed. Today, Latinos in New Orleans are part of the fabric of the city’s local economy and are provide a foundation to its workforce and consumer base. This is a story that can be told for many of America’s great cities. The book Barrio America by A. K. Sandoval-Strausz chronicles how Latinos created the foundation that ultimately led to the revitalization of the now thriving downtown neighborhoods of Chicago and Dallas.
As experts ponder how America will pull itself out of the COVID-19 recession, one thing I know for certain is that Latino workers, homebuyers, and entrepreneurs will be at the epicenter of America’s renaissance. As this scenario comes to pass, I will use this blog and my upcoming podcast to share stories and help document this phenomenon. In fact, we all need to use our respective platforms to make sure that the contributions Latinos make in bringing America back don’t go unnoticed.
Some call it selfish; I call it the American way. In this episode, I break down why voting for policies that improve your life isn’t just your right—it’s how the system was designed to work. When we vote our own interests, we build a country that works for everyone.
Michael Jordan wasn’t picked first in the NBA draft—he wasn’t even picked second. Why? The Portland Trail Blazers hired for position, not for talent, and passed on the greatest basketball player of all time. In this episode, I explain why employers make the same mistake, and why the smartest leaders hire the best people they can find—regardless of position.
Politicians on both sides have overreached—ICE raids and the war on DEI have gone too far, and history tells us there will be a rebound. In this episode, I explain why attacks on Latinos may end up uniting us more than ever before, and why the backlash could be a turning point for our community.