In an increasingly growing society where all we talk about is political correctness and the need to be a color blind society, the voices of many minorities are drowned out. We are taught in school that the best way for us to get along is to ignore our uniqueness and instead blend in or become a face in the crowd. In an ideal world, we would all be treated equally, and race would not matter, but this is not an ideal world and race does matter.
As members of minority groups African Americans and Hispanics should unite and work together as minorities to address political, cultural, communication, and community issues because while we are not members of the same minority group, we are still nonetheless minorities. I do not know why it is that whenever a minority stands up and asks for the injustices of our current system to be addressed, we are systematically shut down and accused of playing the “race card.” As stated previously, we do not live in an ideal society and race matters. Of all minority groups that understand this, the African American Community and the Hispanic Community probably understand it the most. Historically both minority groups have had bad stigmas and stereotypes attached to them. What is worse is that many in our community internalize those stereotypes and stigmas and thus help perpetuate the feeling of hopelessness in our communities that “this is how it is, was and always will be.”
As educated minorities it is our responsibility to unite, speak and act as one to get anything through our political system. Currently Hispanics make up the largest minority group in the country, if we mobilize the Hispanic vote and unite it with the mobilization of the African American vote; I believe we would have a political system that is much more responsive to our needs as a community, rather than the political rhetoric we hear every four years. It is no secret that our political system is only responsive to the needs of the people when the people rise together and speak and pressure Congress to get things done. Uniting the Hispanic and African American communities, would result in a very large group of people who have something to say.
Culturally it is essential that Hispanics and African Americans unite because our cultures in many respects are similar. As stated earlier we share many of the same experiences, both groups know the evils of racism and stigmatization but both groups also share many good things. By looking at African American households and Hispanic households it becomes apparent that both groups share a love of family and a sense of pride in their community and in their roots. It is our love of family and unity that many of us see at home that can help us unite as a “bigger” family outside in the community.
Communicating is also important amongst our groups, because it is easy to get lost in rhetoric. An old aphorism states that United we stand divided we fall. Open communication between our two communities is essential. We should not view one another as the enemy but rather as siblings working side by side to accomplish the same goal. The grievances in many of our communities are the same. Many of us are undereducated and are taught that we will never amount to anything. It is the responsibility of our communities to come together and communicate to our youth that they can aspire to be more than what society has told them they can be.
Obviously all the above is great but how exactly can it be accomplished? Certainly some may point to possible communication barriers between African Americans and Hispanics on the basis of language. This is not really a barrier, a majority of Hispanics entering the public school systems usually come out speaking more English than Spanish. There is a sense in both communities that we must all aspire to be more, not just for ourselves but for those to come. A stated previously one of the things that can lead to this unity is celebrating our similarities, our love of family, and our gregarious and colorful nature, our desire to see our communities grow and prosper. Another way to strengthen our relationship is by uniting around relevant issues that affect both communities like, poverty and sub standard schooling in inner cities where historically most minorities reside. One of the most powerful ways for our communities to grow is through the celebration of our diversity. Differences can and often do separate people, but in celebrating what makes us different we learn from one another and gain a better understanding of life. Within the Hispanic community itself there are hosts of different cultures and nationalities that exist. Likewise in the African American community, these broad and diverse groups can coalesce and teach one another not only about their respective traditions and such but also about life in general. Increasingly we are living in a more global environment. It is important that we learn how to deal with people different than ourselves. While Hispanics and African Americans share many of the same experiences and often times culture there are also many differences that we can learn from, which will help us become better global citizens.
It has been said that education is the equalizer of men; this and the statement that knowledge is power are very true. If our desire is to make the world a better place we need an educated population. If we are to break the chains of poverty and injustice that we often see within our communities, our youth need access to education. Having historically black college and universities meet that need is an amazing opportunity for many African Americans and Hispanics to receive a great education while at the same time being in a community where they are surrounded by their peers. I just recently graduated from a public university in which it was hard for me to flourish. It is a bit intimidating to be one of a handful of minorities in your course of study because you feel like you have no one to relate to. By going to a historically black college or university minority students are at an advantage because they are able to learn and grow within a context that serves their needs and desires.
It is hard to say how a college or university would meet those needs. As stated earlier within our community a lot of poverty exists. One of the major needs of African American and Hispanic Students is the need of financial assistance for pursuing a higher education. Thus one of the ways in which not only historically black colleges and universities can meet the needs of their students is by providing more financial aid. Another need in our community is that of education of our past. Many times as a minority you get the sense that your community does not have a past that can be learned from and emulated. Universities by offering expanded courses on African American Studies and Hispanic studies would do a great service to the students in out community by educating them and showing them that we have a past from which to work with, a past that was not just negative but very positive which we can emulate and build from.
There are so many reasons why African Americans and Hispanics should come together. The biggest reason of all is because in the end we are all people, it just so happens that our communities have the most in common and the most to gain from uniting and speaking as one.
