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

CHAPTER 13

Latino Destino: Building a Diverse and Humane Society

STARTING SCHOOL NOT SPEAKING inglés was my first foray into the Anglo world. My teachers seemed cold and distant, had strange rules, and did not hug or touch the children. And the food tasted bland. Before the civil rights movement, America was white bread. I never saw a Latino in any professional position or as a teacher, bus driver, or even a clerk in a nice store. The schools stripped children of color of their cultures and taught the history, norms, and values of the dominant society. Like most children, I wanted to be accepted, and the path to success was assimilation. I learned to read and write inglés and even forgot mucho español.

When I became a teenager, there was no ...