I have recently discussed the importance of having a routine, and setting goals for my children while we are all home fighting the spread of COVID-19. I am going to use this time to get more physically fit, do more strategic thinking, and read more books. The three books I plan to read this month are:
“Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds” by David Goggins. Obviously, we can all use some mindset help right now.
“Barrio America: How Latino Immigrants Saved the American City” by A. K. Sandoval-Strausz. I have been meaning to read this book for a while, and I think the timing might now be perfect. Latinos have helped our country pull out of past economic crises, and I’m pretty sure Latinos will do the same this time around.
“The Back Roads to March: The Unsung, Unheralded, and Unknown Heroes of a College Basketball Season” by John Feinstein. For those of us who love college basketball and are struggling without March Madness, this book should be a fun read.
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.