There is a strong quote from the early 20th Century that illustrates how economics and politics are inseparable. It goes something like this: “The worst illiterate is the political illiterate. He (the political illiterate) doesn’t hear, speak, or participate in political events. He doesn’t know that the cost of life, the price of food, rent, shoes, and medicine all depends on political decisions. The political illiterate is so stupid that he brags about how much he hates politics. He doesn’t know that from his political ignorance is born the prostitute, the abandoned child, and the worst thief of all, the bad (corrupt) politician…”
While I believe people and organizations that are locked into partisan politics do themselves and their members a disservice – avoiding politics altogether is worse. Being non-partisan means that you don’t have an automatic bias or affiliation with one political party over another, which is good, but it is not the same as being apolitical, which means that you don’t participate in political discourse at all. You can be non-partisan and still voice your political preferences. At NAHREP, we value members who are politically active. We need strong representation at the highest levels of both parties. We need influence regardless of who is in power, and you don’t get that by being apolitical. The Jewish community is a great case study. They may disagree amongst each other on many things politically, but when it comes to the things that really matter, such as prosperity, education, and civil rights, they tend to be pretty well-aligned with one another. We need to borrow a chapter from that book.
In this episode, I talk about why progress rarely comes from perfect ideas or moral certainty—and why waiting for purity often keeps us stuck. Idealism can feel virtuous, but history shows that real change happens when people are willing to act, accept imperfection, and move forward anyway. For our community, that means choosing momentum over stagnation, results over symbolism, and responsibility over comfort. If we’re serious about building power, dignity, and lasting progress, this is a conversation we need to have—honestly and without illusions.
In this episode, I talk about something we’re almost never encouraged to say out loud: wealth is power—literally. Not likes, not outrage, not visibility. I break down why real influence comes from ownership and leverage, not consumption; why income feeds families but equity builds dynasties; and why a wealthy Latino with a clear purpose shouldn’t be seen as a problem, but as proof of what’s possible. If you’ve ever felt uneasy talking about money or ambition, I’d love for you to watch this one and think about what “owning more” could look like for you and our community.
For a long time, Latinos in America were told a comforting story: work hard, be loyal, and eventually the power would follow. In this episode, I talk about why that story was never completely true—and why visibility, outrage, and good intentions still don’t translate into real power. I lay out what every successful group in this country eventually figured out about leverage, capital, and building our own institutions, and why 2026 has to be the year we stop waiting for permission and start playing a different game. If you’re ready to think beyond parties, elections, and slogans, this is where that conversation begins.