Philadelphia
I like Philadelphia. In comparison to New York, I prefer Philadelphia.
Philadelphia has gone through a lot of changes. Some areas have deteriorated, others have improved. Politics and the community have a lot to do with that. We as a community, as a people, need to get ourselves together politically so that we can put the pressure where it belongs so we can improve Philadelphia even more.
From the perspective of a Puertorriqueño, Philadelphia has changed a good deal. Latinos had nowhere near the level of support and resources and programs then that we have now. I mean, to see a teacher, let alone a principal in a school who spoke Spanish was like seeing someone from the planet Mars. A Puerto Rican principal? Are you kidding? That was...that just didn't happen. There were no organizations like ASPIRA, Lulac, Congresso, Concilio; no Spanish radio programs, Spanish television. None of that existed.
At City Hall now, just about everywhere, there are people who speak Spanish and can understand what Spanish speakers are saying. When I was growing up here, that didn't exist. And the attitude was, and I was told this many times, “You know you're in America now, you speak English.” There are many differences in that respect. The opportunities were not there. Now, if you're bilingual, you are worth a lot more in the job market than then. In another 10, 15 years, Latinos are going to be the largest minority in this country. There are going to be more Latinos than African Americans.
If you look at the Southwestern part of the United States now, there are droves of Latinos. What does that say to industry and business? A business owner who puts out a product, wants to make sure that product is used by everyone. Now, if there's a group that's growing larger, the businessman wants to make sure that that group can use his product. Now, to do that, he needs to know the likes and dislikes of that particular group. Is he going to hire the guy who only speaks English, or is he going to hire the guy who speaks English and Spanish? The bilingual guy, because he's going to tell him what it is that that group out there likes so that the product will be used.
Being bilingual used to be looked at like an alien trait. Whereas now,
being bilingual is a big asset. That's a big difference. And I think with
time, America has progressed in terms of its own identity. Our minds are
a lot more open. When you look at the issue of sexual orientation,
there was a time in the United States when a person would not dare to say
that he's homosexual or that she's lesbian. As the years have passed, as
the law has been interpreted, America's mind has changed. And that
applies not only to sexual orientation, but to different cultures, beliefs,
and religion.
Afterword
I'm pleased to share my experiences with my students. I think need
adults should be open and honest about themselves in order that young
people will understand the realities of life.
