Dear Editor:
I’d like to take a moment to mention the rich cultural heritage of our community. The City of Union City has a long history of being a first stop for immigrant communities. I myself was born in Cuba and came with my parents at a very young age (1966).Union City has always welcomed immigrants with open arms, and I’m a living testament to the history of immigration in Union City. Starting in the 60’s and continuing into the current date our town has had an ever growing Latino community. In deed most of our students are of Latino origin or descent.
The 2010 census showed there is a total population of 66,455 and 56,292 are Latinos and students in our schools show tremendous Latino background. In fact our students very often become the keyhole by which their parents can peer into and eventually become immersed in our American melting pot. But, I’m sure you’ll agree, our kids need to have strong role models. Our Latino children need an example of Latinos who have, like them, have grown up in our town, in our communities and have made something out of themselves. An example is Esther Salas who recently was chosen as United States District Court Judge for the District of New Jersey. She is the first Latino/as to serve in this capacity.
There is only one Latino Assistant Superintendent representing our school system. And that is a real setback, and don’t get me wrong I think Ms Silvia Abbato is a wonderful model for our children and I’m grateful for her being here, but we need more,especially when we have many qualified Latinos/as who are ready to take top positions.
I think we need to move forward .three years ago we had two Assistant Superintendents of Latino origin. It is clear that today we only have one. The positions Assistant Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent are highly perceived by our student population. Together we can give our children models they can relate and emulate from, let’s make our children proud of their heritage.
Respectfully,
Oscar Cordero