Guerrero: L.A. needs a new generation of Latino leaders
Latinos make up nearly a third of the city’s population and have a lot to contribute. To really make a difference, the L.A. Council must find a way to give them a seat at the table and allow them to take their place as leaders of their community.
Latinos are the largest group of non-English speakers in the country and the largest immigrant group in Metro. It is the largest group of people living in poverty, and it is the only ethnic group that is concentrated in urban areas around the country.
Latinos also represent a huge under-exploited labor pool.
At the same time, Latinos in California are the fastest growing immigrant group in the country, and they continue to be one of the largest immigrant groups in the state.
There is a lot of untapped talent in the Latino community that could change L.A. For starters, they must rise to higher positions of power. These leaders must be recognized, they must be empowered to get things done.
And the Council and the public deserve to know what it is that they have to offer, and what they are willing to do to make it all come together.
That’s why I am introducing the L.A. Latino Leaders Initiative to help make that happen. It is designed to identify and elevate the top Latino leaders in the community and mobilize them to take action.
It’s a start. It’s a small step in the right direction. But let’s make it work.
On a night when an estimated 300,000 people, including hundreds of people with disabilities, are expected to flood the streets of downtown Los Angeles to protest income inequality, the L.A. Latino Leaders Initiative at City Hall is making progress.
Among the first to be recognized and selected as Latino leaders in the city were City Council members, who were given key positions to facilitate a new relationship between Latinos and the City.
Council members were not named simply because they are Latino; rather, their leaderships and leadership skills were put into the mix to find the most qualified Latino leaders. After all, the Council is the body that enforces and enforces laws throughout the city, and leaders are essential to its success.
