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Keeping the Promise
Familia was once considered the hallmark of the Latino culture. Machismo was once defined as a man who is loving, caring, nurturing, protector, and provider, with honor, dignity, and respect.
A Chicano/a was once considered an activist who brought large numbers of our gente together to improve our social, economic, educational, and political conditions.
Latinos/as across the nation once stood up to proclaim their identity against a government and a president who decided to baptize us as “Hispanic” and never asked us how we wanted to be identified.
La Raza was once a symbol of an unwritten understanding of unity among Chicanos/as, Latinos/as, Puerto Ricans, Boricuas, Native Indians, and other oppressed nations with roots tracing back to pre-Columbian times.
The Aztecan, Mayan, Taino, and Sioux were all once great and powerful civilizations.
El Movimiento once meant a collective and sustained grassroots movement with a goal of improving social and political conditions for all Latinos/as. Español was once a very powerful language that taught and maintained history, identity, traditions, customs, religion, values, and charted our future.
Once upon a time, we believed in ourselves enough that most other civilizations aspired to emulate our state of evolution. English for the most part is derived from the Latin language. Mathematics and astronomy have their origins from our ancestries. We have always been great discoverers and teachers with promising new generations to come.
Our legacy now is being recorded as the lost civilization and broken promises. Learn from the past and teach your children the importance of our history and keeping the promise.
Gracias,
Ramón Pérez
Toledo, Ohio
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