In the throes of anxious times made so by lingering economic fears, Americans are not united on how to approach the future.  Only the most uninformed or those who revel in some sort of heavenly-ordained exceptionalism can deny the growing evidence of America’s worrisome position.  HispanicLatinos cannot afford to not be involved in thinking about the future.  But they certainly should not get wrapped up in passionate, patriotic bromides about their country.  At the other extreme, they cannot squander their energy on recriminations regarding a now-past history.

HispanicLatinos instead need a new, overarching intellectual framework that might supply the different groups that comprise the HispanicLatino population with a philosophy, ideology or set of constructs to meet a future that might prove daunting.  Developing a new approach and a new way of thinking almost certainly will require internal and intrinsic change in the way HispanicLatinos view themselves.  But by doing so they can – and must – find their voice to change their current circumstances so that they can help vouchsafe America’s imminent and long-term survival.

From within, their new voice must resonate.  The times require – no, demand – that HispanicLatinos be more forceful and stronger and louder than they have been in their barely audible (and visible) past.  Unlike African Americans, whose unwavering mission has been to rectify the horrendous wrong inflicted on them, HispanicLatinos until now have had no similar national unifying perspective to animate their social or political life and to motivate them to push forcibly to demand attention for their communities – or to demand more from themselves.

Periodic, historical instances of civil disobedience have been important, but HispanicLatinos now possess the elements for a transcendental moment that can translate into a national movement of thought and action under a new framework for the future.  At the center of new HispanicLatino thinking should be the power and potential of their demographic story.  The continually growing size of their population must be their north star that leads them to demand more of the country but, ultimately, more of themselves, for the more they realize they will determine if American succeeds or fails, the more they will grow as individuals and as a people.

Continuing HispanicLatino population growth – in real terms and/or as a proportion of the population – should be the organizing and underlying principle for a new way for HispanicLatinos to view themselves.  A new sense of self should arise from their understanding that they are nothing less than of continuously growing critical geostrategic component of the country’s future.

Feel free to forward these blogs adapted from previous writings, with additional thoughts published invariably in between.