Gilbert G. Cuevas
By Gilbert G. Cuevas / Guest contributor
Based on the lifetime work of Nobel prizewinner Edward O. Wilson, who has explored the biological origins of the human condition and concluded that mankind is tribal in nature, our students should have a basic understanding of the friction and abuse among racial and ethnic groups in our United States history.
The objective is not to suggest that the dominant white population has been exclusively responsible for the transgression against major ethnic and racial groups in our history, but to broaden the scope of understanding of tribalism, which is not peculiar to any racial or ethnic group. In his book, The Social Conquest of Earth, Dr. Wilson concludes that “Forming groups, drawing comfort and pride from familiar fellowship, and defending the group enthusiastically against rival groups – these are among the absolute universals of human nature and hence of culture.”
World history is replete with examples of horrific treatment of people of a different color, religion, philosophy, or gender. Citing only the most egregious transgressions in the past few centuries, the following should suffice to convince even the most skeptical: the elimination of the American natives in the Americas by the Spanish and Portuguese (late 1400’s and 1500’s); the subjugation, elimination, and impoverishment of many of the indigenous people of the United States by the early European settlers (19th century); the American enslavement of negroes from Africa (19th century); the ill treatment of the Irish and southern and eastern European immigrants by assimilated Americans that led to the National Origins Immigration Acts of 1921,1924; the treatment of Mexicans during and after the Mexican American War; the Armenian genocide by Turks in the 1920’s; the subjugation and abuse of Palestinians after World War I; the Holocaust that eliminated more than 6,000,000 Jews and others by Germans in the 1940’s; the Bosnian abuse and elimination of Moslems in the 1990’s; the current atrocities worldwide based on religious belief -“jihad”.
Again, from Dr. Wilson: “In its power and universality, the tendency to form groups and then favor in-group members has the earmarks of instinct. It could be argued that in-group bias is conditioned by early training to affiliate with family members and by encouragement to play with neighboring children.”
Future Leaders of America was founded for work with Latino youth. The reasons for designing a program primarily for Latinos did not stem from a desire to maintain a separation from other ethnic groups. On the contrary, the organization was founded to get the students to feel comfortable with themselves, and then with students of other ethnic, racial, and religious groups.
Latino students in the early 1980’s were very often reluctant to join organizations or projects in schools or communities where the majority were students of another race or ethnic group. Though students would not or could not articulate reasons, there were serious consequences for their refusal. Bright students often chose to remain in basic classes rather than move in to more challenging academic courses even when counselors recommended them. They would not join clubs; they would not try to excel in academics, music, or other endeavors primarily because they did not want “to be the only Mexican in the group”. Many chose to drop out of school, or chose a “contrary” path to life.
At the start of the FLA program, it was critical to understand what Latino students needed to feel more confident and of equal worth to peers of other races and ethnicities. Through trial and error, the common change, we learned, came from a learned sense of pride in self and a loss of fear to try new things.
The cheers we introduced were the easiest ” lesson”. These were fun and though boys initially objected, we knew they were receptive to other experiences when they began to participate. Public speaking was another lesson that helped students gain confidence. Family group formations and family discussions enabled the students to feel comfortable and willing to share views. Through discussions, students learned a great deal. The cultural activities were designed to make students feel a proud connection to their culture, a pride that they were gradually losing in their neighborhood environment because they were consistently bombarded by new visual television images, and sounds and dances different from those of their parents. The delegates were made to see that there was beauty in the culture of their parents and forefathers as well.
The Future Leaders philosophy had amazing results: in Hueneme High School, for example, there were 10 Latino students (FLA graduates) elected ASB presidents in a ten year period. At least half of the ASB officers were FLAers for a number of years.
Interestingly, the greatest number of FLA representatives in student government in all six affiliate areas occurred after our all-region seminars held at UC Irvine in the 1990’s. The seminars were designed around mock elections in schools.
Immigration, Demographic Changes and the Challenge for America was a topic that was introduced in FLA from the start. The message to delegates was that the white population was declining, minorities were in the numerical ascendancy, and that minorities (primarily Latinos and Afro-Americans) were at a disadvantage because of their backwardness in education. We encouraged all delegates to learn as much as possible because, as we explained, they would live in the most competitive country in the world and there was a price to pay for ignorance. As things worked out, the changes in demography have occurred, minority children are now the majority and we are in a difficult state. Educationally, Latinos and Afro Americans are in the lowest category, economically, the same, and the incarceration rate of Latinos and Afro-Americans in our jails and prisons are the highest of any other ethnic or racial groups.
The financial collapse of 2008 was not foreseen though periodic downward cycles in our economy were understood to occur. What is not yet fully understood by Americans is that the sale of homes on variable credit were sold on a large scale to poor whites and a vast number of Latinos and Afro-Americans. The unraveling of our economy started with the foreclosure of these homes that were sold unscrupulously to the ignorant and poor. And now, without investments on infrastructure, a disproportionate number of minorities, whose skills are limited, are among the most unemployed.
For the next decades the demographic changes will be more pronounced. In 2010, there were 30,000,000 Americans, primarily white, in the retirement category. By 2020, 50,000,000 Americans are projected to retire. More than 80 percent of Americans over the age of 65 are white.
From 1970 to 2010, approximately 42 million individuals immigrated to America and, this was the largest immigrant group to come to our shores in our history. They were much different from those that had come before: 24 million came from Latin America, 10 million from Asia, and 1 million from Africa. Three million came from southern and eastern Europe and only 2 of the 5 million came from western and northern Europe.
Because of the fast reproductive rate of minority immigrants, there are now more than 100,000,000 members of minorities. Ninety two percent of the U.S. population growth in the past decade was to minorities. White children declined by 10 percent and now, the median age of white women is 41, which is past the age of reproduction.
The challenge for minorities in the next decade, is to work with all Americans interested in obtaining greater economic equity and social justice. Fortunately, the model for us to follow has been developed by CAUSE in Ventura County.
Few organizations are such ideally suited to serve as positive models for our youth. CAUSE is successful because it is inclusive and because it focuses on financial equity and social justice.
FLA should serve as a feeder system for the work performed by CAUSE. A strengthened CAUSE will help all Americans in the county make gains regardless of race, ethnic group, religious affiliation or gender.
America is an experiment. No other country has so many races, ethnic groups and people of different religions. It remains to be seen whether groups in America can avoid the demonization of others that in turn lead to major conflicts. We must avoid association with groups that tend to divide based on race, religion or ethnic connections.
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From the book What is Wrong With White People, by Joan Walsh:
“The size and stability of the American middle class were once the envy of the world. But changes unleashed in the 1960s pitted Americans against one another politically in new and destructive ways. These battles continued to rage from that day to now, while everyone has fallen behind economically except the wealthy. Right-wing culture warriors blamed the decline on the moral shortcomings of “other” Americans—black people, feminists, gays, immigrants, union members—to court a fearful white (and I would add, declining) working- and middle-class base with ever more bitter “us vs. them” politics. Liberals tried, but mostly failed, to make the case that we’re all in this together.”
— Editor’s note: Gilbert G. Cuevas is the founder of Future Leaders of America.