Latino Business And The U.S. Census

Now that so much attention is being paid to the Latino community because of the results of the US Census it’s a good time to dig a little deeper, to find the gaps in the data and the conversation. And it’s not like Latinos are driving the discussion about Latinos – no one, at this point has a firm handle on the narrative. Maybe it’s better like this, so that everyone has an equally weighted voice in the matter. But politics and media being what they are, it’s just a matter of time before both hook-on to a facile explanation and definition of Latinos and the Latino population growth.

One such gaping gap in the conversation is about Latino business and entrepreneurship. Especially in these trying times, when jobs are scarce and Latinos are at the bottom of the statistical heap, the Latino si se puede attitude is responsible for a surge in new business ventures. I think its time we kick-start the conversation.

To that end I sat with Eddie Alderete, Senior Vice President at IBC Bank and President of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, to chat about the present state of Latino business and what he sees as the future of Latino entrepreneurship.

As always, education is the foundation of a prosperous economy. But not only in the schools; much has to be done to educate the American population at large about Latinos and the Latino community.

The best way to do it, according to Aldrete, is to rely on the irrefutable data. The numbers, he says, make a compelling argument in favor of comprehensive immigration reform, among many other things.

Follow Victor Landa on Twitter: @vlanda
[Photo by borman818]