A Latino leader talks about the gains, the pains

For leaders in the Latino community such as Will Gonzales, these are challenging times. Not only is the public demanding immigration reform, but economic problems such as the meltdown in the subprime-mortgage market threaten to eat away at the economic gains Latinos have made in recent years.

Gonzales runs Ceiba, a coalition of five Latino community groups founded in 1991. Gonzales, 45, has been the leader since 2001. The group is named after a tree native to the Caribbean noted for its resilience.

In an interview with PhillyInc, Gonzales, who also is a lawyer, spoke about his background, gains made by Latinos, and the work still ahead.

PhillyInc: Why did you become a community activist?

Gonzales: Knowing that but for others that I would not have been in a better position. I know there are the traditional heroes that they have holidays for, but there are a lot of people at the grassroots level. . . . Today, there are so many people challenging the system.

Q: Has Philadelphia's Latino community in particular been hurt by the subprime-mortgage crisis?

A: For years, the community was fighting to ensure that credit was available for people. The floodgates opened tremendously, where now credit is too available. . . . We in the Latino community have been somewhat lucky. People literally five, 10 years ago could buy a home for $30,000, $50,000, which are now worth $60,000. The fact that the equity has gone up has given them a cushion [against rising mortgage payments]. . . . We may see a more serious problem two, three years from now.

Q: Why do 40 percent of Latinos not have bank accounts?

A: Convenience and also disincentives. . . . You're dissuaded from having more than a certain amount in a bank account in a month. . . . In Pennsylvania, that is still a barrier to savings. Politically, some people who are knee-jerk anti-public-benefits consider them an unfair advantage. It's the other way around. With savings they would have an easier time getting off of these public-benefits situations. . . . When you are living paycheck to paycheck, it's kind of hard to have some type of savings.

Q: Earlier this year, you were among the community leaders who criticized Wachovia for closing two branches in North Philadelphia. How has that situation been resolved?

A: Wachovia worked out great. They were able to facilitate the property transfer to Borinquen Federal Credit Union [a member of the Ceiba coalition]. The hope is by the summer of next year, Borinquen will be at its new home at Front and Allegheny.

Q: Have local banks been responsive to the needs of your community's entrepreneurs?

A: There have been some improvements over the years. . . . We've seen banks like PNC develop relationships with Dominican grocers. There is consistently the challenge of getting that capital. . . . Somebody may have a great business plan, but it's in their heads [or] it's not articulated in a way that traditional American institutions want to see a business plan set forth.

Q: How important is it for Latinos to learn English?

A: It's as important for people to learn Spanish. If you want to have a successful business, you have to be multilingual [especially if you are trying to sell to Latinos]. . . . There are some Latino businessmen who don't know Spanish as well as they should.

Q: What's been the impact of the crackdown on illegal immigrants?

A: The raids and other issues are not as bad in Philadelphia. . . . Somehow, it's easier for them to find opportunities here. It's not because employers are less diligent. When they go to other markets, there is more competition for jobs.

Q: How has the Latino population changed over the years in Philadelphia?

A: At a minimum, every two years [the Mexican population] goes up by 5,000. Washington Avenue is very different in 2007 than it was in 2000. A lot of them are really good at savings, and a lot of them are opening businesses.

- Jonathan Berr