COMMENTARY: Reflecting on 35 years of service

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San Benito County LULAC Council 2890,

As I write this final commentary to the community that has supported, helped build the foundation of our organization with total support and encouragement, I can only reflect on our 35 years together with gratitude, pride, and a hopefulness about what is to come. When we formed San Benito County LULAC 35 years ago, we were informed that some LULAC councils would last only 5 years and persons prepared for failure and closing within this time frame.

We proved everyone who doubted our existence wrong, we went 30 years past that prediction. With the formation of our local council we had an extraordinary opportunity to build on establishing partnerships that have lasted for over 3 decades in San Benito County, always thinking of building leadership within our younger generation to become the leaders that we have today.

Our membership which includes persons who cared to take a seat at the table to discuss and plan for a better future for everyone in this community. We never based our plans on a personal agenda, only on an agenda that would advance social and racial justice, racial equality for all. We build an action agenda that built partnerships with other non-profits, agencies and school districts which became beneficial in commitments of support.

Our many board members always gave their all to develop a team that could work together with our community, and never saw others as competitors. We are forever grateful for the partnerships and the model that we developed to assure success in all that we did for others. As partners we achieved support, sustainability and made an impact on various actions that benefited our local community. As a strong grassroots organization, our focus was always to attract resources to advance our work with local educational programs and support of our residents most in need of services, especially our farmworker community.

These past three years have been a challenge for our board and membership as we encountered the national scope leadership changing where our local council could not turn to an upper level of leadership as in past years. Difficulty was also presented at a local level where persons unable to return as members began social media judgmental commentaries against our local council and went on to further damage member reputations and funding resources which maintained our local educational programs. Unfortunately our bank accounts were made public, our memberships were defamed with an unauthorized press release with accusations that no one would be able to endure for 3 years.

San Benito County LULAC Council 2890 with 83 adult members, our Collegiate student council with 35 members and our youth council with 27 middle and high school students will be on hold for 2023 which will not cause any educational programs, partnerships, corporate sponsors to stop supporting our plans for this year and possibly for years to come.

We know that many persons, especially students depend and rely on our existence and support, that will not go away. We are ready for the next phase of organizational leadership series of actions. Rest assured that this same group of persons will now be soliciting community members to join their “new leadership” LULAC council and be promised funding for joining.

Like other organizations, we will not give in to such tactics of local persons with mean-spirited actions that only think of their own agendas. We are a grassroots group of residents who will move on with the Latino Coalition of San Benito County who was formed by local residents on February 10, 1988, many who in later years ran for office and created a pathway for others to follow.

We thank these leaders for thinking ahead and knowing that someday in the future the Latino Coalition of San Benito County would continue the work of other organizations that came after them. Profound thanks to founding members such as Tony Ruiz, Henry Solorio, Ken Duran, Bob Cruz, Tony Aguirre, Al Gutierrez, Jose Alvarez, Marian Cruz, Chon Reynoso, Richard Elias, Jose Puente, Fernando Gonzalez, Bob Castellano, Mickie Solorio Luna.

Thanking everyone for their continued support and encouragement during our 35 year journey. Our commitment to this community will continue. Feel free to make contact with us anytime.