Some Lessons From 83 Years of Learning

For more than 50 years, Frank R. Duarte has been revered as a caring man devoted to Latinos, many of whom often seek his help and advice. Here are some of his words of wisdom:

* On Success: “It’s not good to gain your goals by stepping over others. You’re not acting in good faith when you do that. Some people will say, ‘To hell with you, I’m going to jump over you anyway.’ You don’t do that to any human being.”

* On Politics: “To me, politics is a dirty word. One of things I hate about politicians is when they go like this (he touches his finger to his tongue and makes an imaginary mark in the air) and they say, ‘You owe me one.’ I don’t believe in that kind of thing. You do it or you don’t it. You do it because you care. Period. Not because you want a favor.”

* On Honesty: “One of the most important things embedded in me is to be truthful. My dad told me, ‘Do not try to make good things look bad and make bad things look good ‘cause you will lose both ways.’ Naturally, I pass on that advice. I see young people trying to take credit for someone else’s work. I tell them you are not fooling me, you are only fooling yourself.”

* On Latinas: “Our women should be equal to our men. Nobody should be subservient to anyone. I tell our women not to walk behind their men. I tell them to walk side by side. That’s equality and that’s the only way you can give women the strength they need.”

* On Status: “In our culture, the minute your status is lower than someone else’s, you are looked down upon. It isn’t because you are Indian or Mexican, it’s because ‘I make a little more money than you do, therefore you are lower than I am.’ I see it in our youth who have already achieved education: Ph.D.s, doctors and engineers. If they continue to act that way, then we are sunk.”