It is 2011. For a moment, can we set aside the fear and vitriol that surrounds conversations regarding people for whom English is a second language. I am not talking about Hispanics. They only exist in the mind of the U.S. Government. The government coined the term "Hispanic" back in the 1970's. It was used to refer to the people who were born in any of the Spanish-speaking countries of the Americas or those who could trace their ancestry to Spain or former Spanish territories.
Obviously, this represents a wide variety of countries and ethnic groups with different social, political and emotional experiences. Most Hispanics see themselves in terms of their individual ethnic identity, as Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban, etc. instead of members of the larger, more ambiguous term Hispanic or Latino.
A large segment of the population of the United States is represented by these groups. They come here from diverse backgrounds with different skill sets, but most of them are seeking "the American Dream". They seem to follow the same route taken by the Germans, the Polish, the Irish and the Italians. They establish mini-communities that are ethnocentric. Large cities throughout the United States have Mexican neighborhoods, El Salvadoran neighborhoods, Puerto Rican neighborhoods, etc. Just as it occurred with other immigrant populations, one's ability to assimilate into the United States culture determines whether or not an individual can move from the tight communities and into mainstream, main street America.
By and large, this diverse group is a working class population. Where many Americans see menial labor, this group sees opportunity. While many Americans seek jobs with fewer hours and more benefits, this group focuses on the potential to earn a living. While most Americans seek a nuclear life style, this group enjoys the strength of extended family and shared housing. Still, for all that they contribute and as hard as they work, moving up is very difficult. They must first climb over the language barrier. Our school systems offer their children courses that help those children blend into society. The parents do not all have that same benefit. Beyond the jingoistic rhetoric, it remains pathetic that McDonalds has it's menu printed in English and Spanish, and few lenders offer Spanish speaking assistance. The subliminal message is very clear. You can have a Happy Meal, just don't think about buying a home.
There is little use for a road map to success if all the signs point you to failure. My partner and I make attempts to reach out to the Spanish speaking community. I was born here, she was born in Lima, Peru. I continue to try and improve my Spanish. She is 100% bi-lingual. As the word has spread about our service, we have been receiving more calls. Our service remains a work in progress. Lately, we have hit a "brick wall". It is seemingly impossible to discover and develop a relationship with a Spanish speaking lender. The few that we have come across, do not treat prospects in the fashion they deserve. The sorry lot that we have encountered seem to prejudge the value of the potential loan and offer lip service to follow up. We refuse to believe that large segments of our population will continue to be under serviced. We will find a lender that will treat all prospects with dignity and respect. If you are such a lender in the Maryland, DC, Virginia market...please give us a call at 301-509-5111.
Welcome should be more than a word on the door
Again, this has nothing to do with the legal or illegal status of anyone. While I welcome your comments, any that I deem inappropriate will be deleted. If this stirs up passions that you can not control, send your congressman a letter. This is about establishing a level playing field for everyone. Access to housing is the law in this country. Access to lenders should be as well. If lenders want to continue to ignore the problem, those that step up will just enjoy a larger market share. One day, those that continue to ignore this group of people will find the McDonalds dual language menu pretty handy. They will only need to master the phase "quiere con papas fritas?"
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