Posted on 12/02/2007 10:22:49 AM PST by hispanarepublicana
Lubbock Hispanic Chamber of Commerce officials say a proposed merger with the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce will fix the Hispanic group's financial problems and allow it to better serve its members.
But some residents and members are concerned that merging could mean Hispanics will lose their voice, allowing their needs and interests to disappear in the system.
The Hispanic chamber held a public forum Saturday morning to discuss the pros and cons of a merger, which has to be approved by members and accepted by the Lubbock chamber to happen.
If the two chambers merge, the Hispanic chamber, which has been independent for 33 years, would become a division within the bigger chamber. But it would not lose its charter and articles of incorporation, said Mike Arismendez, Hispanic chamber chair-elect.
"The Hispanic chamber will continue to exist," he said. "We will continue to focus on minority businesses."
However, it would lose some of its autonomy. Under the proposal, the Lubbock chamber would have final say in Hispanic chamber board appointments and be responsible for selecting and hiring the new Hispanic chamber leader. The smaller chamber also would be subordinate to the bigger chamber.
But a merger also means more money for the Hispanic chamber, which at times has struggled to pay its bills and its employees.
"The struggle we have is finding new dollars," Arismendez said, adding the chambers' staff spends up to 85 percent of its time fundraising, which takes time away from providing services to its members.
Esther Sepeda, former long-time president of the Hispanic chamber, said she is "not completely in favor" of the merger, and she believes the chamber can get through its struggles without resorting to the merger.
"This is not the first struggle we've had," Sepeda said. "We've always had struggles."
But Velma Medina, Hispanic chamber chair, said she thinks the merger, which would provide more personnel, financial security and resources for its members, should be considered. Under the current system, the Hispanic chamber struggles to assist Hispanic businesses because the money just isn't there, Medina and Arismendez said.
But some aren't so sure financial security should be gained at the expense of the Hispanic voice.
Member Barbara Gonzales Whittenburg said she is concerned about the Hispanic chamber losing its rights.
"It's really going to take a toll on us," she said, fearing the chamber would go from being like a family to being the stepchild.
And Emilio Abeyta, a business owner, said he is not convinced the Lubbock chamber will watch out for minority businesses like the Hispanic chamber does.
"The big organization tends to swallow up the little ones," he said. "The reason (the Hispanic chamber) existed to start with is we needed to focus on our own objectives and our own mission."
Eddie McBride, Lubbock chamber president, said the chamber addresses small-business needs and would not treat a small Hispanic business differently than another.
The vote on the merger proposal will take place during the Hispanic chamber's Dec. 13 meeting. All members are eligible to vote.
If approved, the Lubbock chamber will discuss the proposal at a Dec. 20 meeting and would likely take a vote sometime in January.
To learn more about the proposal and to voice opinions, residents are encouraged to attend the next public forum, held from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Maggie Trejo Super Center, 3200 Amherst St.
Officials said they hope there will be a big turnout, disappointed that only about a dozen people showed up to Saturday's forum.
Merger pros and cons, Hispanic chamber says
Pros
• Members qualify for FirstCare insurance plan.
• Financial stability.
• Increase in personnel and resources.
• Will continue with Program of Work.
• Participation in high-profile city events.
• Representation on various Lubbock chamber committees.
• Accountability to provide more services with more resources.
• Better marketability of events hosted by Lubbock Hispanic Chamber.
• Will maintain charter and articles of incorporation.
• Will have the ability to meet financial obligations.
Cons
• Possible loss of organizational identity.
• Possible loss of Texas Association of Mexican American Chamber of Commerce membership.
• Current Lubbock chamber board is not culturally diverse.
• Membership dues will increase.
• Hispanic chamber has been independent for 33 years.
• Concerns over voice in the community.
• Hispanic chamber may get lost in the shuffle.
• Hispanic chamber will be subordinate to Lubbock chamber.
• Lubbock chamber will select and hire the new leader of the Hispanic chamber.
• Lubbock chamber has final say in Hispanic chamber board appointments.
• Hispanic chamber already has high exposure at events.
• Lubbock chamber possibly will create a minority division, which will cause competition of members.Source: Lubbock Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Next public forum
• Wednesday, 6-8 p.m., Maggie Trejo Super Center, 3200 Amherst St.
• Hispanic chamber members encouraged to come, all public invited.
• For more information, call 762-5059.
By the numbers
• Lubbock Chamber of Commerce: 2,157 members.
• Lubbock Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: 325 members.
To comment on this story: robin.pyle@lubbockonline.com 766-8742
james.gallagher@lubbockonline.com 766-8706
Lubbock ping
Assimilation is the better path to success.
True.
(And for some reason, I pictured an elderly Asian man with a long white goatee who ended the above advice with “Grasshopper”).
:-)
The Cons seem to focus on the loss of “separateness.” It amazes me that the same folks who self-segregate seem to complain the most about not having any of the benefits of being part of the larger community.
A separate C of C may have been necessary at one time, but that time has passed.
Come to think of it, I have not seen many hispanic business that are members of the Hispanic C of C.
The Hispanic business with which I frequently do business are members of the Lubbock C of C and not the Hispanic C of C. The attitude is also different; these business owners do not see themselves as separate from the community, but rather an equal member of it.
That is also what I've noticed.
If there’s a Latino “division” in the Lubbock CHamber, then nobody should mind if folks also organize a “White Division?”
Or is racism and divisiveness the sole business of the so-called “minorities?”
Have you watched CNN lately? Of course it is.
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