The Power of Latino Leadership

CHAPTER 6La Cultura: Culturally Based Leadership

LATINOS ARE A RICH culture of synthesis and fusion. With such a colorful array of fiesta-loving, family-centered, hard-working, tamale- and salsa-eating Latinos, one might wonder, what could possibly keep this sundry group together? What are the connecting points that give a shared identity to this camaraderie?

Much like the Jewish community, Latinos are an ethnic and cultural group. Latinos are bound together by the Spanish language, a shared history, a spiritual tradition, and common values that stem from both their Spanish and their indigenous roots. Cultural values are fastening points—the nucleus—shaping a collective identity from the many ingredients of the delectable Latino familia. As Arturo ...