Latino Leaders in the Academy : Issues and Expectations
Tomás A. Arciniega
Good morning. Buenos días. I am pleased and honored to have been asked to give the morning address at this important conference sponsored by the American Council on Education. Es un gran placer y verdadero honor.
What I decided to do in this presentation is begin with a brief retrospective look at the key ground we have covered in the past forty years or so of the Latino civil rights push for equality, then move quickly to discuss the implications for the journey still to be traveled-porque la verdad es que todavia nos queda un chingo de trecho por recorrer en esta batalla.
For there can be no question that the struggle for equality of opportunities for Latinos, blacks, and other minorities and women in America continues. Y especialmente nosotros como líderes académicos tenemos que seguir empujando para lograr los cambios que serán necesarios, si vamos a realizar nuestro sueño-our dream of a truly democratic America for all Americans regardless of race, color, creed, gender, or the language they speak or what accent they bring to the English language of our country.
Two quotes and a brief word or two about a most significant hermano we lost recently to set the context for my message to you this morning:
If a man has done nothing for a cause worth dying for, then he is not fit to live.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Give life meaning through your commitments.
-Paul Reinert
Dr. Roberto Cruz the founder and first president of the National Hispanic University passed away this past summer. Roberto left a most important legacy-some twenty years ago he founded the National Hispanic University, which was first in Oakland and now is in San Jose, California. He would not be deterred. He was determined, driven, and totally committed to his dream. And he made it happen. Shortly before his death the National Hispanic University received full accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Roberto's struggle to realize his dream of a national Hispanic university provides a wonderful example of what hard work, stubborn perseverance, and at times sheer audacity, can accomplish. And we have other role model examples, each with his or her dreams for his or her university we can point to-Miguel Nevárez, President, University of Texas, Pan American; Tito Guerrero, Stephen F. Austin State University; Ricardo Fernández, for Lehman College-Cuny; Eduardo Padrón, Miami-Dade Community College District; Augie Gallego, San Diego Community College District; Sandra Serrano, Bakersfield College; Mildred García, Berkeley College; Piedad Robertson, Santa Monica Community College; Alex González, CSU San Marcos; Manuel Esteban, Chico State; Rubén Arminana, Sonoma State; Ana "Cha" Guzmán, Palo Alto Community College; and Max Castillo, University of Houston Downtown-all with dreams for their respective academic places.
In every case each president is doing a terrific job in the handling of his or her responsibilities-all are proven wonderful role model examples. Certainly not without difficulties and trials and tribulations at times, pero los logros de cada uno speak for themselves and provide impressive testimony regarding the fundamental rationale and premise of the civil rights movement-all that we want and need is the opportunity to prove ourselves.
As I reflect on that trajectory, I think in terms of eras; first of the early days-the late fifties and early sixties, then of the late sixties, late seventies, and eighties, and finally the nineties to the present. Each period represents a particular important era in the Latino push for equality in our United States of America.
- The late fifties and early sixties
The late fifties and early sixties era was a difficult time for minorities in general and specifically Latinos. There were limited and restricted avenues for advancement and upward mobility. The struggle at this stage was securing primarily symbolic gestures and recognition-at times looking for any recognition by the mainstream.
We were often proud and pleased when a few of us were hired as teachers, as postal carriers, or singled-out for recognition in the armed services. And we celebrated the first ever political appointees and politicians we elected in overwhelmingly Latino areas.
The G.I. Bill provided the first wave of talent, but the realization had not yet sunk in with us that we had just as much right to available college scholarships, choice jobs, or to aspire to be university professors, deans, and even vice-presidents and presidents. The primary objective for Latinos then was to identify and support our college degree holders. We had to encourage our youth to go to college and our graduates to pursue advanced degrees, etc. The few who had doctorates were much sought after, but the harsh reality was that role model examples were few and far between.
- The late sixties, the seventies, and eighties
This was the exciting event-filled Chicano movement era-the at times turbulent period of the sit-ins, the student uprisings, the takeover of university presidential offices, a time of open demands for appointments-and we also began to see efforts by academe to respond.
Slowly at first, and then the dam began to break with first-time appointments of department chairs, deans, vice-presidents, and eventually even for the first time, some Latino presidents.
Significantly, the concerted push to move that first big wave of Latino doctoral level people quickly into position was on. Often Latinos were appointed to administrative positions very early in their career tracks-but we learned on the job and quickly. And of course, when any of us faltered, much was made of those problems. But we began to see and experience real progress-real change in the number of brown faces in positions of importance.
The most significant thing that sticks in my mind about those days is the memory of just how much of an impact these changes had on Latino students, on faculty, and on our community off-campus. Although the appointment of a Latino to a department chairmanship or a dean here and there may not seem like much today-at the time it was a most extraordinary occurrence, and the impact was truly dramatic and always touching. Students recognized and felt the impact immediately, and they were energized.
Yes, they were indeed energized, weren't they? Some of us remember very well those days and recall their faces. Exciting times indeed, and I believe we need to keep remembering and reminding ourselves of the intensity of it all-and how much was and still is at stake.
- The nineties to the present day
Which brings me to the nineties and into the present day era. In a most important sense, I have already noted the most obvious change that has taken place in the Latino reality of the nineties to the present day era-in academe a significant number of Latinos and Latinas have been appointed to president and chancellor level positions.
Certainly not enough to call it a level playing field by any means, but enough to acknowledge and recognize that a change for the better is happening. We are indeed reaching a critical enough mass to enable us to drive the direction of future changes, and that is what we must recognize and take advantage of. . . that's my message here today.
We need to keep pushing for additional top level appointments, but along with those efforts, we need to identify and focus more systematically on just what other actions we should be concentrating on.
In that regard, two things jump to the top of the action priority list for me. First is the need to keep on track in our leadership building efforts. We need to keep organizing multiple efforts and projects and conference initiatives to emphasize how important it is to identify and prepare the next wave of Latino leaders. Not just in higher education, but across the key areas of public education, business, health and human services, the political arena and, of course, science and technology. And academe needs to play a central role in that development, which is why academic leaders are so important and central to this priority concern-why ACE is so key.
We can and must make sure those efforts continue and that they are successful. I am confident that all of us here understand the importance of that imperative.
The second, and my final point, is in some ways more problematic, but no less important and key. How can we best ensure that we remain true to the core ideals and values of the civil rights movement? How can we best ensure that, when it comes to the actions and stances we take as leaders on equity issues faced by our people, that our actions pass muster in the civil rights movement sense? That when it comes to taking actions on core equity concerns, that our actions and our record do set us apart-that both will confirm that we are making a difference for the better for our community. We must be bona fide agents of change. For what good will it ultimately serve if we succeed in moving more of us into top level jobs, if once there, they do nothing to improve things to change the harsh realities faced by too many of our people?
As we wrestle with how best to do this, I am convinced that academics must play a very important and central role, because what academicians do best is assess and conceptualize and analyze societal concerns-then we write about them. That's what is needed now-we must get a meaningful dialogue going about: (1) the importance of the issues and the implications for us and for our community, and (2) most importantly, about what we should do as Latino academic leaders to make a positive difference in these times?
It is this added dimension in an accountability sense that sets us apart-the added burden of responsibility we shoulder and bring to the fray as Latino and Latina administrators. So yes, this is the important added dimension we need to discuss and analyze, and pull at and chew on. And we need to do so much more systematically than we've done to date, for it is of central importance.
That's the nature of the challenge you and I face today. We need and must continue in our advocacy efforts. But we must be smart and on top of the issues we address. Most importantly, let's recognize our strength-our strength in numbers, in the additional support bases we have, and let's play to those strengths.
Which reminds me of a story that underscores the point about the importance of playing to your strengths in life:
"Ten-year-old Danny Ayala, tragically, lost his left arm in an auto accident. Undergoing the therapy necessary to face life with only one arm, his therapist, a Judo student began to show him some of the conditioning used in the Judo training. Young Danny took to the ancient art of self-defense. Soon, Danny began to train with his therapist's Japanese Judo Master. Many months passed. The other boys in Danny's group signed up to participate in a regional tournament. Danny, even though he would be disadvantaged, also wanted to sign up. The teacher could not deter him. The master began to teach the boys many special moves for the tournament, but the master only taught Danny one new move. Danny felt that he was being snubbed. He asked repeatedly to learn other moves, but the master said, "You can win your match if you learn this one move." On the day of the tournament, Danny easily won his first three matches. In his final match, he had to face a very experienced fighter, the previous year's first place champion. For a while the referee considered calling the match fearing that Danny was overmatched and might be injured. But the match continued, and then in the flash of an eye, Danny pinned the champion using the one move that the master had taught him. Danny was the champion! Danny and the other boys were extremely excited about his win. In the car on the way home, Danny asked how the master knew that he could win with his one special move. The master smiled and said, "The only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm."
Ya más claro no canta un gallo on the issue of playing to your strengths. Yes, that's important, but let me close with some personal reflections and a Tía Josefina story to underscore my main message.
hbli@asu.edu