The Power of Latino Leadership, Second Edition, Revised and Updated, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 9

¡Adelante! Immigrant Spirit, Global Vision, Multiracial Identity

MY FIRST MEMORY IS of being in the hull of a banana boat as we rocked and swayed across the Gulf of México. My mother, four brothers, my sister, and I hunkered down in bunk beds as we left our beloved Nicaragua. Scared, excited, and hopeful, we were on the way to the land of opportunity! This immigrant dream has been the promise of America and the wellspring of its greatness. No one knows this better today than the millions of Central and South Americans who have made the long trek across deserts, oceans, rivers, and mountains to share in the bounty of this great country.

Anna Cabral remembers her grandparents’ stories about their perilous crossing of the Rio Grande and ...