Former HUD Secretary and San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros believes in dreaming big. He was the first Latino elected as mayor of a major U.S. City and achieved a high ranking post in the Clinton administration (with a few controversies, eso sí). So Cisneros seems like a logical candidate to offer advice to the Latino community. I guess. Well, whether he is or isn’t, he’s back and spouting inspirational words to Latinos in a new book called “Latinos and the Nation’s Future”, and has a few words of wisdom for us all:

“This country cannot move forward if we (Hispanics) don’t move forward,” he said, adding that he felt it was necessary that his own community mobilize itself to attain the improvements in education, health and labor conditions “that will permit them to continue in the middle class and be owners of their own homes.”

Cisneros says that it’s vital that we work together to ensure a better future for everyone, since in the next 40 years Latinos will represent one-fourth of the U.S. population.

Cisneros also says he’s confident that we will soon see a Latino in the White House, and in fact that person is already out there walking (or crawling and drooling) the earth:

“I don’t know if he or she’s in elementary school or in law school or is already elected … to public office, but I believe that that person is already alive and we’re 20 years or less away from having a Latino or Latina president,” he said.

This is all nice and warm and fuzzy and kind of relevant. But I’m not sure what this kind of rhetoric really contributes to the community. It’s not like Henry’s out there mobilizing the peeps, and I feel like this discourse is like a “Yes we can” for Latinos without any real substance. I’m wondering if his book has any strategic ideas that might illuminate us or if it’s just another “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” spiel. If anyone reads it, let us know.

Via / Hispanic Business

Image via Philanthropy Magazine