To be Latino in Lorain means ...

Editor’s note: Another Viewpoint is a column the Morning Journal makes available so all sides of an issue may be aired. Martin Leibas lives in Lorain.

What does it mean to be Latino in Lorain?

Some of us strut around with “placas” of our “raza” on our bodies, while others have flags on our socks, shirts, hats and cars, to makeshift curtains in our homes.

But is this what it’s really like to be a Latino in Lorain?

We celebrate Cinco De Mayo, Three Kings and Hispanic (a word thrust on us) Heritage Month, and yet do we really understand the true meaning of what it is to be a Latino in Lorain?

I’ve witnessed family members and friends on vacations or other settings tell “strangers” that they are from Cleveland, without a mention of Lorain. Where is the pride that so many of us claim to have?

I’ve lived in Lorain for over 50 years and never have I forgotten my roots, being a proud Latino in Lorain.

Though we may be a significant part of Lorain’s population, we are still in the shadows when it comes to understanding what it is in supporting one another.

We pick, prod and sometimes have contempt for those who want to make a difference for the Latino in Lorain.

We are at odds with one another in the empowerment of Latinos by way of worrying who gets the proverbial pat on the back for a job well done.

We allow our egos to get in the way of our progress, a fortune we Latinos have long been waiting to come to fruition.

Yes, we have Latinos in powerful positions at the time of this writing.

But they are not the ones I speak of.

I am referring to those who “talk the talk” but when it is time to “walk the walk” they fade away, become obscure, like the backdrop of a painting.

These are the Latinos I talk of, the Latinos who will not vote but have much to complain about, the Latinos who feel the world is against them but will not endeavor to make a difference, the Latinos who proclaim to anyone who will listen how proud they are of their heritage and culture, but fail to answer the call when it is time to prove what it truly means to be a Latino in Lorain.

There are those who have not wavered, who have endured, who assimilated to a culture not our own, but yet are proud to be a Latino in Lorain.

We may lose our cultural centers and clubs but it is not the fault of those who have broken the barriers of mainstream America.

It falls on the those who do not attend events that matter, those who fail to become members of our centers/clubs and instill in their children their heritage.

The Latino progression then lies with our youth.

They are the ones who should attend Latino dances and fundraisers, as well as join cultural organizations such as the Coalition for Hispanic/Latino and Issues and Progress (CHIP), the Hispanic Fund, El Centro (volunteer) or any other event that allows them to have a voice. “For they are our future.”

They are the ones who will decide the fate of the Latino in Lorain.

In closing, all of Lorain needs to be held accountable when we see our cultural icons such as the Puerto Rican Home, Mexican Mutual, Slovenian Home and other cultural clubs closing their doors because of lack of membership.

Whatever happened to this once proud “International City” by the lake.

Have we forgotten?

Martin Leibas