post-USHLI 2010

By the time I post this, we’ll have safely landed back in Portland, Oregon from Chicago via Las Vegas. The Oregon USHLI delegation will have completed their visit to the Windy City and most importantly having attended the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI), Annual National Convention. The 4-day conference has been an incredible, enlightning, inspiring and most rewarding time for our delegation. Click here to view the USHLI 2010 photo album I posted over on Flickr. As an old professor, J. Angelica Hernandez once told me, “spread your wings, but make sure you bring others with you.”

Adelante: The Time Is Now.
The overall conference theme embodied the true sense of urgency of our involvement in today’s political process. The time is now to run for office as New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson put it. As Ambassador Carmen Lomellin told the participants of the need for more Latinas and Latinos as Foreign Affairs Officers in the U.S. State Department. As Oregon Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson put it, the time is now to stand up and stop the violence and the urgent need for Latinos to select legal careers. As American Federation of Teachers Cesar Moreno stated, the time is now to close the achievement and reform our educational systems so that Latinos achieve the American dream. As Border Angels Enrique Morones, the time is now to stop being silent, and start acting on injustices.

Finding Your Passion.
The USHLI Annual National Convention is designed to bring Latino college and high school students from across the United States together with Latino elected/appointed, business and community leaders under one roof to help individuals find their passion. Through workshops, keynotes, career fairs and networking opportunities, attendees are introduced to awesome opportunities hard found. During the conference, the United States Council on Latino Affairs met continuously to discuss issues impacting Latinos across our country. I was proud to see Oregon’s very own, Commissioner Jose Ibarra elected to be Chair of the group, replacing Norman Colon of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Hallway Learning.
At USHLI I had the incredible opportunity to interview several individuals about their passion, thoughts & insights, and key advice for bilingual [Spanish+ English] talent. Individuals like David Cordova of Indiana on Public Relations & Marketing; Chuy Negrete of Chicago on careers in Musicology and Preserving History through Music; and, Mary Campos of Iowa on civil-service and public service opportunities. These interviews are intended for  you to learn through their insight to help you figure out and consider these industries as careers. Special thanks to all the interviewees for making this possible! I had the opportunity to spend time with Fabian Garcia of Southern Oregon University where he was able to listen in on the interviews I conducted with participants, and introduced him to many individuals I knew. While he attended workshops, he also took part in hallway learning. On the final night, I met two students from the mid-west, Denise and Areli. What turned out to be a small conversation quickly morphed into a strategy session on establishing a scholarship endowment for undocumented students. We hand wrote the fundraising letter and established the parameters. Hallway learning also included developing and outlining a mujeres conference designed to empower mid-west Latina students and community members. I was moved by the simple fact of the simplicity of it. No internet. No phones. No special accommodations. Just plain passion at work.

Dr. Andrade, his team and the entire experience taught me a valuable lesson: that leaders are never exempt from providing an excellent example for others and that we must pave the way for those coming right behind us. John Haroldson taught me the most important, that our work is far from done.

David Molina is the Founder and CEO of BilingualHire, a consumer internet service focused on advancing the careers of bilingual [Spanish+ English] talent. You can visit and connect with him at Twitter, Facebook, and/or Posterous.