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Shared values, handshakes and the American way of life

By James A. Diaz

Every morning, since the very earliest days of Latino Perspectives, my business partner, Ricardo Torres, has walked into my office and reached out his hand for a ceremonial handshake that seems to officially start our day. Having never experienced that daily behavior in my previous corporate life, at first I found it somewhat stilted and unnatural, but over time it has developed into an unspoken ritual that reconfirms commitment to our purpose and shared values no matter what the trials and tribulations of the previous day have presented.

The birth of Latino Perspectives was a joint vision to chronicle our community’s pursuit of the American dream, while respecting and celebrating our Latino heritage. Our backgrounds, personalities and the cultural paths that led us to this point are quite different, yet we inevitably find our mutual purpose and values continue to trump any differences.

This month we celebrate the birthday of the United States. We are reminded of the common principles espoused by its founding fathers and their commitment to ideals that transcended individual differences. We emerged a nation formed by 13 very disparate colonies that made their own handshake commitment to each other through a Declaration of Independence.

In the midst of this celebration we find our community and the country embroiled in a national debate about the implications of the "Latinization" of America. July Fourth evokes images of parades, flags, barbecues, baseball, and the "American Way." And it is these very values that some in traditional America fear are under assault by the perceived threat of immigration. On the flip side, some Latino purists bemoan the loss of cultural traditions as they watch Latino youth lose touch with the language, traditional music and cuisine.

Between the hand-wringing about the future and the desperate clutching of the past, there has been precious little reaching out, and certainly not enough handshakes.

Ongoing acculturation will deepen, broaden and enrich our sense of purpose. Yes, things are changing and yes, there is some sense of loss, but we believe that many in the Latino community are strengthening the value system of the American Way.

In this month’s Latino Perspectives, we will introduce you to Latinos who embrace the values of our founding fathers with their own Latino perspective:

A female boxer whose belief that "all men and women are created equal" has allowed her to fight against prejudice and tradition; a longtime Valley family who over the past century have "pursued their American dream in a land of opportunity" to establish a popular local dining institution; a journalist who doesn’t take "freedom of the press" for granted after emigrating from Peru, where the state controls the media; and a state Legislative aide who cherishes "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" after fleeing repression and death squads in Columbia.

Also in this month’s issue: an examination of some non-traditional health care for Latinos ranging from the lessons learned from centuries-old holistic remedies, to the cutting edge science of the bio-technology world. We take a look at practical approaches to health for you, your children and your parents – power swimming as a cool way to stay fit this summer; tips to thwart obesity among our youth; and how to navigate the new Medicare discount pharmaceutical maze. And on the heels of new findings about the prevalence of mental-health issues among our youth, James Garcia sheds light on this unspoken tragedy in our community with a powerful first-person account of his battle with depression.

Plus, Catherine Anaya introduces us to 300 young Latino boys in search of a Big Brother and Ruben Hernandez lets us in on what’s happening lately at Quepasa.com. We look at the hottest music coming out of South America since the bossa nova and, in a particularly cruel reporting assignment we ask, "Can a meat eater find happiness in a vegan restaurant?"

We hope you enjoy this issue and as always are anxious to hear your opinions and suggestions. Give us a call or e-mail us at:
editorial@latinoperspectivesmagazine.com.

And on this July Fourth, take time to reach out and shake the hand of someone who may differ from you. As you do, you will be celebrating one of the greatest shared values of our country and somewhere one of our Founding Fathers will be smiling.