I thought of my family yesterday. In my mind I saw my two Aunts working side by side at the local fast food chain, I saw my cousins living in the projects, I saw my mother as she struggled to understand 5th grade math, and I realized what we were: the stereotype. Society has cast us into our roles and we have quietly stayed in fear of what they would say if we attempted to rise up from poverty. I say, the time has come, not just to move, but with courage and incredible passion, change. This change, this motion that can force society to celebrate our culture rather than destroy it, lies in me, in you, in us. My indescribable desire to inspire change within society has pushed me to where a am today; A Hispanic woman, who is part of the first generation in her family to attend college, funds her education by her own means, maintains a 3.9 GPA, interns in one of the top accounting firms in the nation, and gives back to the same community that perhaps never thought would see her here.We must all insist on change. I see myself not just as a Hispanic, but as an advocate for equality of every man and woman. So I ask of society not what they can do for me and my family, but what they can do for all races and cultures whose incredible brilliance is being repressed. Unfortunately, what I witness happening to the Hispanic community also runs rampant in the African-American community. Within the minority community lies a vicious cycle of inequality, poverty and silence. It is time for all of us to speak and together, the African-American and Hispanic community can work to be heard. The first step is to create a stronger bond between these communities, creating a more powerful vehicle for change.To begin any movement we must first erase fear of change, erase complacency, and ignite passion in our cause. We must see the beauty that lies in education and consistent involvement in the politics of the community. We must understand that our passion must not be rooted in the desire to change ourselves, but to change the perceptions and stereotypes of ourselves. It is when we allow ourselves to flourish in our own unique ways that society can see what our community can offer. I think the best way to inspire change begins with the youth. Minority reach out programs that provide education assistance, funding, and advising is a start. Minority support programs providing tutoring, mentoring and job opportunities are also important. Creating strong relationships with companies within local communities will further encourage the hiring of minorities in the workplace. Lobbying for more equal rights laws and government assistance for education and minority education is where we all must focus our attention. The best way to fuse the connection between communities, I believe, lies in accepting each other into our respective networking circles. Schools clubs, outreach programs, Universities, scholarship opportunities, and professional networking groups should extend their requirements to include either African-Americans or Hispanics. I believe that there are great opportunities when such acceptance takes place. If each community acknowledges the respect and admiration of the other it will do nothing but inspire all of us to continue making change as we now have an even larger group of people that we are trying for. As I stated earlier, true power lies in education. Historically Black Colleges and Universities have done an incredible job with fusing cultural celebration with scholarly aspirations. While these schools are actively changing the lives of so many people, more can and must be done. More of these institutions must strive to perform better each and every year and rise to the same ranks as even Ivy League schools, and believe it to be possible. They should reach out to the community and make their presence known on a national level, so that a degree from such an institution will be a powerful representation of the brilliance of a minority student. Aggressive outreach programs to low income students should be pursued, as intelligence is often hidden behind the cloak of poverty and destitution. We must foster the learning in each individual that desires it, as it created power and strength in our cause. It is important to highlight that there is a lack of Hispanic institutions to assist in furthering the education and aspirations of youth. As a start, the historically Black colleges should reach out to the Hispanic community and allow such unique and powerful learning to be available to these fellow minority students. By studying side by side, I believe the fusion of the two communities can better take place. There is a power in educating the individual that can not be duplicated by any other means. By inspiring youth to learn, we inspire them to change, and there begins our new cycle of hope and equality.Today I think of my family once more, and I am changed. I see hope today where yesterday there was desperation, I see strength today where there was fear, and I see education today where there was ignorance. I see not color or faces; I see only the dreams living in all of us. As Ghandi states, "We must be the change we wish to see." We are change, and together we must not only beg for opportunity, but seize it. We must never fear what we do not know, but learn it. I am determined to change the way society views minorities and I know that it begins with me. I am but one Hispanic woman, standing alone, writing of my passion for opportunity. But with a community behind this one woman, there are no limits to the change that I can inspire.
