Latinos Are the New ‘American Dream Makers’

In its own quiet way, the United Way’s recently released profile of the Latino community in Los Angeles is a watershed document. For most of the 20th century, reports written about Latinos, from a 1930s governor’s report “on the Mexican problem” to various report cards issued through the 1990s on the supposed negative impacts of Latino immigration, have described Latinos in terms of their shortcomings.

The new report, called “American Dream Makers,” strikes out in a different direction. It is a report on how the American Dream, as symbol and reality, is being molded by Latinos’ daily lives in a multicultural Los Angeles.

The report reflects the accumulated wisdom of a collection of recent Central American immigrant business owners, social service advocates, 1960s Chicano movement veteranos and public figures of all stripes. As part of the process, committee members from the Chicano generation acknowledged their debt to the immigrants, who, by their sheer energy and numbers, have created an atmosphere where “now, it’s OK to be a Mexican.” For their part, the immigrants acknowledged their debt to the Chicano generation, which stepped up to the plate during the height of immigrant bashing in the 1990s.

The next step was to create an area-wide agenda for the Latino community. To do this, the committee sought information on attitudes about Latinos from every ethnic and racial group in the city. There was a surprising amount of consensus about basic “American values” across all ethnic groups: hard work, responsible parenting, desire to get ahead, wishes for better lives for children, concern for neighbors and community, the need for civic involvement. There also was a very high level of agreement that Los Angeles’ diversity was a positive thing.

Yet there were many problems revealed as well. While many Latinos feel a sense of emerging power and influence, some feel stymied in their goals. Also, the stinging aftereffects of last decade’s immigration debates still are being felt strongly by Latinos. As one survey respondent said, “Proposition 187 was telling us that we no longer belonged here.”

A dream is both a promise of what might yet be and a challenge to make it a reality. To make sure that the American Dream comes alive within the Latino community, we must:

* Fuel the Latino economic engine. As business owners, investors, consumers and workers, Latinos provide productivity that benefits all Angelenos. We must be ready to play our part in the economy here.

* Promote family and community strength. Legendarily strong Latino family ties, coupled with high levels of health, can provide a solid foundation for stronger neighborhoods and communities.

* Encourage lifelong learning for children and adults. A well-educated work force that happens to be predominantly Latino will continue to move us all into the information economy. Seen from this perspective, Latino educational levels are not simply a Latino issue; they are the primary issue for any of us who plan to work, invest, live or retire in this state.

In essence, “American Dream Makers,” while ostensibly a profile of Latinos, is not just about Latinos. It is about the future of Los Angeles, which happens to have a Latino majority population. That affects us all, for better or worse. The United Way report can help us decide which way we want Los Angeles to go.