To address political, cultural, communication, and community issues that affect all minorities, African-Americans and Hispanics must bridge the culture gap by recognizing we have more similarities than differences. African-Americans and Hispanics must understand that to build a global community in today’s ever-changing cultures, we must travel to learn other cultures and languages, do something of social importance in communities outside of our own, and become known as “explorers of multi-cultural activities”.
The Black and La Comunidad Latina historically have been afraid to live outside of its own community mostly due to competition for the same resources. Too many African-Americans and Hispanics have never traveled outside of the United States and many have never lived outside their birth state. Some do not travel in fear of being discriminated against, however most minorities who travel outside of the U.S., find they are treated as American first and their race second. Travel can broaden experiences, expand perspectives and provide a new appreciation for other cultures. Through education and travel, African-Americans and Hispanics can learn other languages and contribute in the global economy especially in developing markets with primary languages such as Spanish, Japanese, German or Chinese.
In addition, the African-American and Hispanic people need to participate in each other’s community and do something of social importance. Our global community has become smaller and more dependent on each other. It has become critical to give back to the disadvantaged and create opportunities for wealth generation and education in order for all to compete in the new global economy. African-Americans and Hispanics must demonstrate our commitment to the larger global community by leading, donating or volunteering to a cause outside of our own community. A new generation of globally focused individuals has emerged who have reached beyond thinking about themselves and have begun working on global solutions for world-wide issues. For African-Americans and Hispanics to really bridge the gap between our cultures and similarly faced issues, we will have to stop struggling and thinking only of only our own race’s plight but begin to recognize that each race’s struggle is no different than the struggle of all oppressed people, regardless of color. There is an innate power we must learn as minority communities in leveraging our collective strengths and advancing our minority communities as one global community.
Lastly, the African-American and La Comunidad Latina must reach outside and participate in multi-cultural activities. Blacks and Hispanics need to support each other in interests and activities that break stereotypes of their respective communities. For example a Black man, who participates in the La Comunidad Latina by teaching salsa lessons and snow skis in the winter, will be more marketable to companies because he can relate to more cultures and is not confined to one demographic. As an integral community we need to remember to support each other and be proud when others are able to participate and succeed in activities outside of the social norms of our own community. With the changing demographics in the U.S., the Black community and La Comunidad Latina must not only gain a global competence but also develop an understanding and an appreciation of diversity in our own country. Black and Hispanic communities must break their own stereotypes of being culturally one-dimensional in order to begin bridge our communities if we want to be successful and marketable in the new global economy. Social networks like Facebook, HBCU Connect and others can help the diversity of our minority organizations and network begin communicating among ourselves instead of self-segregating. Along the same argument, Historically Black College & Universities should continue to support the needs of African American Students and possibly the needs of the growing Hispanic (and Afro-Hispanic) population in the United States by providing monies and education opportunities because the plight of our two races are too similar to not join forces. We are stronger as a minority people united than we are divided. The more time we compete against each other for opportunities and resources the further we incapacitate our ability to succeed and uplift our communities out of poverty, illiteracy and unemployment.
It is important for African-Americans and Hispanics to re-build a sense of community in order to grow past socio-economic boundaries and build a global minority enterprise to help our community become more successful If Blacks and Hispanics can leverage the strength of each other and join together to give back to global communities, as a people, African-Americans and Hispanics can create a sustainable global enterprise for our communities and leave a legacy that will continue to grow and thrive. With a place in the global market, African-Americans and Hispanics can begin to think and act beyond ourselves and start building an empire of global importance that is culturally mature, well versed in global events and can truly participate as a contributor in the new global economy.
