LULAC conference focuses on civil rights

Font Size:

| Saturday, May 10, 2003 11:10 PM CDT | () comments

Dawn Feddersen

"When people think about civil rights, they think of a black-white struggle," said Hector Flores, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC.

He was the keynote speaker at the Midwest LULAC Civil Rights Conference held at the Davenport branch office. And while LULAC has many goals for Latin Americans, their cornerstone mission is civil rights.

"Our story has not been told," Flores added, pointing out that television and movies seldom depict the struggles that Hispanics face.

Gilbert Sierra of Davenport, LULAC Iowa state director, believes that an important factor in assimilating to an American lifestyle is a preservation of Hispanic culture.

"So many people just think they're Americans," he said. "But when they're feeling lost, they have nothing to turn to � no culture to define them."

Sierra believes there are better ways to bring Hispanics into American culture than by "wasting money teaching us to speak English. Help us buy houses. Give us roots and we will want to assimilate," he said.

Flores and Sierra both believe that, though Hispanics are subjected to inequities, they are already an integral part of the United States.

They believe Hispanics are the backbone of American labor. The key, then, to increasing their status in American culture, Flores said, is to "more fully benefit from the profit of our own labor."

He stressed accomplishments, such as home ownership, investing, and especially education as ways to make this stride.

Promoting education is an important agenda for LULAC.

LULAC has 16 board of education-funded education centers in the United States and Puerto Rico. Though the Chicago LULAC National educational Service Center, or LNESC, is located in the heart of Chicago's Hispanic community, their free services are available for students of any race.

"Many times, these kids can't think outside of the box," said Sylvia Gutierrez, a coordinator at the Chicago center. "We try to make them aware that they have choices in life. Sometimes, it's not easy for them to see that they have talent and potential."

"Their parents work hard, two jobs sometimes, to make ends meet, so they can't always be there to teach their kids these things," said Malena Bobe, executive director of the Chicago center. "So if we didn't have programs like this, who would encourage them?"

The city desk can be contacted at

(563) 383-2245 or newsroom@qctimes.com.