Roberto Rios was the first in his Latino family to “set foot on American soil,” as he described it.  Roberto was embarking on a college career at Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee.  The son of a Church of Christ minister, Roberto spent the majority of his 23 years involved in the church in his hometown of Lima, Peru.  A move to America away from all his family was not going to change his Hispanic heritage. When Roberto graduated two years later with a degree in computer information systems, he quickly secured a job in computer networking in Arizona. After marrying his bride Jeana, he moved his family back to Lima where their first child was born.   “We really wanted our child to be born in Peru,” said Roberto who anticipated returning to the States.

I’ve been studying: (a)  how to not look askance at folks who appear to be fair-weather friends, and, (b)  how to be an improved friend. As in, being there when I’m needed. And yes of course sincerely asking ‘how can I help?’ involves self-centeredness. I believe self-fulfillment through good deeds though, is not a bad thing. I am not studying how to join the saint-hood nor suggesting such for others. Long ago I realized the personal satisfaction and ‘the feel good’ derived from helping. For a time this was likely the chief component of my volunteerism motivation. 

Keynote speaker, Chang Bin Yim, held the audience spellbound at when the Korean American Chamber of Commerce was launched in Chattanooga. The Korean Chamber is a volunteer Council of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce and is one of more than 60 similar Korean groups in the United States. Their mission is to help existing Korean businesses and support new ones, promoting a stronger business environment in the Southeast region.

Dawn Billings has spent the last 35 years as an advocate stressing hope for women and children.  Dawn was selected as one of 15 "Women of Achievement" in the state of Georgia by the YWCA, and was chosen from over 3200 women by Oprah Magazine and The White House Project as one of the nation's emerging women leaders for her social programs designed to benefit the lives of women and children around the world.

At-risk babies couldn't have a better advocate than Rae Bond, executive director of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society. Her position there is the latest in a long list of community health and community leadership roles over the years. She has been the executive director of the Tennessee Municipal League. She was the founding executive director of First Things First in Chattanooga. No stranger to politics, and to the politics of healthcare, Rae was Director of Public Affairs for the National Governors Association for a decade.    Her newest project focuses on Infant Mortality which is also an interest of the governor's office of Tennessee.

"We are We Everywhere." The soft-spoken words of Rene Hernandez speak loudly of his Latin heritage.  At 23 years old, Rene possesses the work ethic and drive necessary to run a restaurant and pursue a degree in medicine.  He also has a maturity and clarity about the ins and outs of this world and what it takes to make a difference. 

La Paz de Dios is the trusted guide for the Latino community in Chattanooga.  Bridging the diverse Latino community to local and regional community resources, La Paz also provides service organizations a network in the Chattanooga community for those seeking to serve Latinos and learn how to better access and gain the trust of that population.  Since its formation in 2004, La Paz has sought to identify and address the social and humanitarian needs of the immigrant Latino community, locate and foster relationships with trusted organizations that can serve them, and provide the community with the confidence, capability, and education to become self-sufficient and resourceful.  The mission of La Paz is to enable individuals to become more engaged community members to create a healthy, culturally inclusive Chattanooga.

Beverly Cosley is the new Executive Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs of the City of Chattanooga.  She's not shy about telling her age and made a point of how she recently turned fifty at a speach for Chattanoog's Women's Leadership Institute several years ago.  Beverly noted that the birthday changed how she looked at community service.  "When you straddle the middle age and senior categories you can see both sides in a positive way. Wisdom is a culmination of growth. Some people maintain their wisdom better than others and pass it on. Those are the people we look at. Whether you plan for it or not, your legacy follows you."  Her comment on age and wisdom is typical of this thoughtful community leader and a major reason why she does the challenging work of the multicultural  office.

How do parents teach their children about race? The combined stories in this article can help pave the way for discussions against prejudice. Deborah Levine tells us in Adventures in Diversity Land, that her father banned racism and the use of racial slurs forever. My mother taught me that racist names are the result of previous generations, and although they are still used sometimes, they are not right.

Chattanooga, with a population of more than 160,000, now centers a county of more than 300,000 residents and a metropolitan area of more than a half-million. More than 1 million people now live in the 28-county area within 50 miles of Chattanooga. For most of these residents of Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, Chattanooga is their closest urban center.

Ardena Garth is the first African American woman public defender in Tennessee’s Hamilton County. The State of Tennessee created the office of public defenders 18 years ago. It was originally an appointed position by the Governor. Ardena was the only applicant with both defense and prosecutorial experience. Of the 27 initially appointed public defenders, only two were black women. When the office became an elected one in order to assure local accountability, she ran for office and won. Tennessee’s first elected black female public defender has been re-elected several times.

When Jessica’s father bought her a one-way ticket to the States from Guatemala when she was 25, that was his way of saying, “I believe in you, hija, and I expect you to truly 'be ‘somebody'.’” Now go do it.

Reese Witherspoon quote - “Being a Southern person and a blonde, it's not a good combination. Immediately, when people meet you, they think of you as not being smart.”  

Harper Lee quote - “Well, they're Southern people, and if they know you are working at home they think nothing of walking right in for coffee. But they wouldn't dream of interrupting you at golf.”

Southern Factoids

1.  Question: What are Pow Wows?

Answer: Pow Wows are Native American social gatherings. Begun in the early 1800s, these current day versions include food, singing, dancing, and very importantly, drum music. They serve to connect Native Americans but non-Natives often join the gatherings and get a first-hand exposure to centuries-old American Native culture.