My name is Eduardo Crespo. I am a naturalized Latino U.S. citizen who immigrated from Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Lawrence, MA during my high school years. I graduated from Northern Essex Community College with an AA degree and was recognized as one of the 40 Most Successful Graduates during the celebration of the college’s 40th anniversary.
In 2007, Eduardo founded and is the CEO of Hispanic Market Solution (HMS), a multilingual and multicultural marketing and public relations agency based in Lawrence, MA.
I am asking the Northern Essex Community College students, faculty, and administration to raise their voices to amplify our Latino Recognition Initiative, LARI, a national public awareness campaign to highlight Latinos’ contributions to the U.S. economy, the labor force, and society.
During these uncertain and turbulent times, we must minimize “by the will of the people and the power of the market” the negativity and persecution that is impacting our Latino and immigrant communities. We are being denigrated by media outlets’ messages portraying Latinos as a detrimental sector of the population, such as drug traffickers, rapists, cheaters, and abusing the system. It reminds me of the 2/28/12 Boston magazine article that called Lawrence, MA, with an 82% Latino population, The City of the Damned.” I believe that silence is complicity and a sign of weakness.
This nonpolitical progressive national public awareness campaign aims to create and disseminate content about the important role of Spanish-speaking people in the history of our country, plus their important contribution to its greatness.
The messaging will be through presentations, articles, TV, radio shows, digital podcasts, print media articles, and social media messages. The in-person or virtual venues are roundtables, events at chambers of commerce, professional and business associations, forums, conferences, and conventions. We must demonstrate how Latinos have become critically important to our society.
All who believe that Latinos are being unfairly targeted should join this campaign. Thus far, we have received ample support from local, regional, and national media outlets plus numerous business associations, colleges, and community groups.
For ideas, resources, interviews, and questions about the LARI national campaign, contact Eduardo Crespo at ecrespo@hispanicmarketsolution.com. I thank you for your consideration.
