EAST TEXAS UNFILTERED w/J. Chad Parker: Featuring Nancy Rangel

Welcome to another episode of East Texas UNFILTERED with J. Chad Parker. In this episode, Chad sits down with Nancy Rangel, President and CEO of the Hispanic Business Alliance in Tyler. Nancy shares her family story, how her parents came to Texas, and how she grew up between Houston and East Texas. She talks about building the HBA from a small program into a strong nonprofit that trains business owners, supports entrepreneurs, and connects Hispanic and non-Hispanic leaders across Smith County. You will hear how local banks, the Chamber of Commerce, and city leaders work together to help small businesses grow.

Nancy also speaks openly about culture, community, and immigration. She explains what a quinceañera is, why family and faith matter so much in Hispanic homes, and how Hispanic workers and business owners help power the East Texas economy. This conversation is about understanding, respect, and finding common ground. If you care about the future of Tyler, small business growth, and building strong relationships across cultures, this episode is for you.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

When I came from Houston, my literacy was very low. I remember them pulling my dad to the side and saying, we're thinking of holding Nancy back because her reading and l language arts nowhere where it needs to be. And he actually I remember him walking in and see the counselor or whoever. And I said, okay dad, so what's the game plan for next year? And he says, I I enlisted you for all honors classes. He said, because if I don't push you, no one else will. And I took all honors all through high school. Uh graduated with honors, did amazing. I was the very first Hispanic ever cheerleader in the history of Henderson High School.

SPEAKER_02 0:43

Welcome to another episode of East Texas Unfiltered with J. Chad Parker. I'm your host. Today we have a woman named Nancy Ranghel. Everybody calls her Rangel, uh, and that's probably because we live in East Texas. But what we're going to talk about is the organization that she runs, the Hispanic Business Alliance. You're probably going to be surprised about how many of your Hispanic neighbors actually live in Smith County, Tyler, Texas, and how much they contribute. Nancy, thank you for being here today.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

Thank you so much for allowing me to be here. It's a joy to be here and always uh spread some information about uh the Tyler HBA and also just our community as a whole here.

SPEAKER_02 1:21

Well, the position that you hold with the HBA or the Hispanic Business Alliance is what?

SPEAKER_01 1:27

So I'm currently its current president and CEO of the Tyler HBA.

SPEAKER_02 1:31

How long have you been uh have have you done anything or worked with the HBA?

SPEAKER_01 1:36

So I started working a few projects uh with my predecessor. Uh we've only had one, and uh, but I came on board full-time as um just as a part-timer um in that transitional time frame in 2014. And I stayed there and um, you know, I helped them transition into a 501c3 nonprofit because they had just converted over. Um so did a little bit of that strategic planning, getting our board of directors, you know, set, those types of things. And then um gradually they just said, you know, do you mind staying a little bit longer and now doing more of a program director and then um executive director and now as it's sitting president CEO?

SPEAKER_02 2:18

Well, you must have done a good job, I'm assuming.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

If I ask you, I enjoy it. I love what I do. Um and I enjoy and and I get to work with a lot of uh people, organizations, uh businesses, business owners. So I just enjoy all of that. It's our community, you know. Uh we live in Tyler, it's a great place to be at. Um and I get to work with a lot of folks here. So I love my job.

SPEAKER_02 2:41

How long has the Hispanic Business Alliance, you know, been open uh in you know Smith County?

SPEAKER_01 2:46

So, you know, the kid going a little bit further back, you know, years ago we had a group of Hispanic leaders. There weren't that many, but um, they came forth to the Chamber of Commerce and explained to them that, you know, the Hispanic, not just the population was growing, but also the Hispanic business sector. Um, and that was in 2004. So around um 2005, they came together, the Chamber of Commerce brought in the city of Tyler, Smith County, um, different institutions, Tyler Junior College, others, they came together to kind of discuss like, hey, what can we do to create an organization that can benefit the Hispanic business sector? So um in 2007, that's when the Tyler HBA was established, and it was actually Hispanic Business Services that was essentially a department within the Chamber of Commerce. And so that's how it was with my predecessor up until 2014 when I arrived, it converted into a nonprofit 501c3.

SPEAKER_02 3:44

All right, and I can see the city uh uh uh they probably acknowledged and saw the benefit in educating Hispanic business entrepreneurs.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

That's yeah, absolutely. You know, a lot of um at that time, um there were a lot of Hispanic business uh owners, those that were wanting the longest entrepreneurs, like you just mentioned, um, that their first language was still Spanish. And so a lot of the information that we were uh providing as far as mentorship, as far as guidance, even some of our small business trainings in those time frames. Um was all in Spanish. Oh, it was in Spanish. Um and it was all in Spanish. Um it was bilingual, but primarily in Spanish because we wanted to ensure that the information they were receiving on how to establish a business here in City of Tyler or Smith County, um, that they were establishing and they knew exactly what needed to be done, how to do it, where were our rules, our permits, our regulations, all that information. So it was all done in sp in Spanish uh per se, you know, and and we've seen as we progressed throughout the years that we've now teach some that are bilingual and some that are entirely all in English, because we see a lot of those um first generation type of uh individuals that now their sons or daughters grew up in that mom and pop business. And so now they're coming in and they're making changes and they're kind of not taking over, but they are working with mom and dad to run and operate that business. So so we're seeing a lot of that happen now. So those generations are now taking some of our trainings entirely in English.

SPEAKER_02 5:17

Because I would I would just guess that some of the training for businesses from you guys would have to relate to, you know, how to form a DBA, how to form a corporation, understand the rules about protection for themselves, uh with insurance and otherwise, um, you know, paying sales tax if applicable, and all of these things that business owners have to know the rules on.

SPEAKER_01 5:39

Yes. And actually when I came on board, I visited a lot of these mom and pop businesses, and you know, those were some of the the primary um, I guess you want to say challenges that they just did not understand or were not very educated or trained on. Um so the first thing that we did is I I worked with my board to develop what's called a entrepreneurship academy. And what we did at the beginning was just kind of do like a small um training where we went and talked about what you know, what is the business, the difference between LLCs, S Corporation, C Corporation. Um then we went into the taxes of each one of those entities as far as and we also went into the financial and the credit and you know seeking some type of funding for your business. So we got banking, uh-huh, banking banking involved, um, and and also uh uh accounting and taxation and also um the laws that were involved. So I started with the what I call the three-legged stool. Um so one was law, one was the accounting and taxation of it, and the banking part of it. So we focused in those three areas and we actually brought in experts. So for example, if I had if we talked about accounting and taxation, I brought in a CPA to go over all of that information.

SPEAKER_03 6:52

Just locally?

SPEAKER_01 6:53

Yeah, locally. Um and and the reason why is because I wanted to make sure that they were getting not just um information that was correct from a credible source, but someone who was an expert and also up to date on all these ever-changing rules and regulations. Yes, and a lawyer that knew all the things that were so I wanted to ensure that they were getting the information, receiving really good training that was quality training from experts. So we started with that, and I always uh provided um class climate surveys at the very end to ensure that we were headed, we were doing the right thing, that we were headed towards the right direction. And every single survey was we want more. Now we want more. Now, can you provide us information about risk and insurance? Can you provide us information over marketing and advertising? Can you provide us information of uh human resource laws? You know, things like that. So we just expanded it to where now it's an eight-week program and it's an eight-week academy. And at the end of it, which I love the most, is they are required to complete a business plan. So when they finish, they don't just have to complete the business plan, but they have to make a presentation. It's kind of like their capstone project.

SPEAKER_02 8:03

They have to stand up and speak in public to their peers.

SPEAKER_01 8:07

Absolutely, which is also another essential skill set to have. When you're a business owner, you're gonna have to speak to your clients and your customers. That's right. Or, you know, the taller paper may come to you knocking at your door, wanting to interview you. So those are little skill sets that we want to incorporate into the academy. And we've graduated hundreds of folks through there. They've run very successful businesses. So we're very proud to be offering that type of quality training to our um, you know, leaders here in our community here.

SPEAKER_02 8:37

Well, um HBA today versus say 2007, is it just the expansion of the type of training that you can provide uh to the people? That's really what's happened over those years?

SPEAKER_01 8:50

I think so. I think not only the training has um uh expanded and grown very much so, but I also think that, you know, our footprint in the community has definitely gotten bigger. Um we we're definitely that go-to organization. And I'll give you an example. You know, we run and focus more on entrepreneurship, business, economic, um those types of areas. And when the pandemic happened, um the Netherlands Health Department reached out to us and said, Hey, we need some help with getting folks vaccinated. And I remember, you know, questioning saying, well, huh, hey, hold on, we don't do anything with healthcare or medical. Uh, but they came to us because there was no other organization that they felt was credible enough to get this information out to the Hispanic and Spanish speaking community. And we actually were um uh the first group that NetHealth worked with, we created, uh, because you know they were at Harvey Hall, remember, those long lines to get vaccinated. Um so we actually he I said, What about if folks are not coming to Harvey Hall, why don't we bring it to them? So we actually partnered up with one of our local Catholic churches and we held uh several COVID clinics, and it was all ran by board of directors, past board of directors, family members of board of directors. So it was all volunteers from the HBA organization. And we were able to get folks, nurses, um, volunteers to help, all this kind of stuff. And we partnered with Christas and others to be able to provide vaccinations for actually thousands of folks out there.

SPEAKER_02 10:26

Well, you certainly when it relates to business and messaging to the Hispanic community, you guys seem to be at the top of the list as far as um, you know.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

We tried to be, yes, definitely so.

SPEAKER_02 10:36

And and you know, uh truthfully, if people just walk around and and acknowledge what exists in our community is just about every trade is filled with Hispanic workers, at least from what I see with my own eyes.

SPEAKER_01 10:48

Yes, absolutely. Especially some of our biggest, you know, industries here in East Texas, like healthcare. You know, healthcare I believe is our number one. I mean, the all of these industries Construction. Construction, hospitality, yes, restaurant. All of those.

SPEAKER_02 11:03

Um Yeah, I mean, you know, kind of jumping around a little bit, um, you know, there was a press conference. Uh I don't know, you were you involved in that press conference in November?

SPEAKER_01 11:12

I don't believe so. Which one?

SPEAKER_02 11:14

The one with Moondo's hospitality healthcare.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

No, I was not, but I did watch it.

SPEAKER_02 11:18

And we're going to get to that later. But there was a concern there, but uh the representatives I thought was interesting. You know, they were not all Hispanic. That is the representatives for the construction hospitality restaurant. Um But clearly Hispanics dominate as far as employees, if not employers, in many of those industries in Tyler Smith County.

SPEAKER_01 11:42

Absolutely. You know, I would say it's about close to over thirty something percent in just in the construction. You know, I just came from uh uh an event earlier this afternoon, and one of the things that um Dr. Perryman mentioned, he said, you know, it just in Tyler here, there are several construction projects that are put on hold because we don't have the workforce.

SPEAKER_02 12:03

Right. Well we had um as long with the workforce they got a little scared, a little shaky there for a minute, and but uh otherwise we might have the workforce, right?

SPEAKER_01 12:13

We could, absolutely. And and we have it. And I think Tyler, we know we have continuously grown as far as um the Hispanic population, you know, and the the gaps that it fills in within our workforce and our labor market. And so that's one of the things that that he he briefly mentioned uh today.

SPEAKER_02 12:30

Um people, you know, that don't get out much or or they live in a certain area, they might not realize the numbers in Tyler Smith County in regard to the Hispop Hispanic population. I mean, you probably know them. I've researched them to be somewhere around fifty-one thousand plus out of two hundred and fifty-something thousand in Smith County. Are those numbers what you know?

SPEAKER_01 12:52

Yes, yes. And I think it, you know, and those are of course, uh we have to keep in mind a lot of our numbers come from the Census, uh, the Census Bureau. And uh one of the things that the Census Bureau, and I'm telling you, because I was the chair for the United States.

SPEAKER_02 13:05

They underreport Hispanics.

SPEAKER_01 13:07

Yes. Uh-huh. And one of the things that it's very difficult to get Hispanics to complete the census. Yeah, answer the door and complete the census. Well, and it's actually, you know, believe it or not, it for a lot of even our elderly, there's certain population groups that it's just a challenge to get them, or renters, you know, people that rent or lease uh a home or an apartment. It's very challenging to get them to complete the survey simply because they're like, uh, what is this about? It's they're asking my personal data, my information. Anyone is kind of a little, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:38

I I don't I don't like it either.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

And so and it's a lot of people.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

But I sometimes they try to ignore the census.

SPEAKER_01 13:44

You try to avoid it, right? As much as you can.

SPEAKER_02 13:46

I do.

SPEAKER_01 13:46

But the census, you know, they actually um so so always g keep in mind that the census is always a great uh resource, and that's really kind of the only source that we have for the most part.

SPEAKER_02 13:59

Yes. Now, also, you know, for I guess um, you know, congressional seat allotments as well. You know, that's kind of the other issue that competes with that, right?

SPEAKER_01 14:10

Yes, that's absolutely right. You know, that that's that feeds right into that.

SPEAKER_02 14:14

Some people might want to undercount the Hispanics for different reasons, right?

SPEAKER_01 14:18

I mean, it might be. It might be even. You know, and it's interesting because here in um in I guess the city of Tyler, they the census had to come in more than once uh because it was done during COVID, during the pandemic, so it was already challenging enough. So it was just challenging already on its own. But then um trying to get folks, yes, and it was very late because they just couldn't get but but one of the things that's uh of course they have on on their end um, you know, that's going for them is you know, the census knows who has not filled it out. And so they will go through those areas and continuously we're coming back and finally we're able to get the reporting uh closer to what we felt um are the numbers here for Tyler.

SPEAKER_02 15:07

Now let's back all the way up. You know, um you can't talk to a Hispanic person um of any age and and not ask about their parents. And if you're curious, and it's a sincere conversation, you ask them where they're from, right?

SPEAKER_00 15:20

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:21

And um I've done a little research on you and your mom and your dad. Oh, cool. Okay. Because I know your mom was a nurse and your dad uh came to the U.S. first as a preacher and he went to Lubbock, right?

SPEAKER_00 15:32

Yes, correct.

SPEAKER_02 15:32

And look, I've got a picture of your mom here.

SPEAKER_01 15:34

Oh, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 15:36

Where I I I couldn't tell in the story where you were born.

SPEAKER_01 15:39

So I was born in Houston, Texas. And so um I was actually just talking to a group, folks, um, the very first in in in I guess in our families, both mom and dad, that ever came to the U.S. was my grandfather. Uh grandpa came and he was born in 1901, obviously. He's passed away. Um he died at the age of 98. But grandpa told us lots of stories of things that he had. So in the when he was around early 20s, I believe, um, they had what's called the Braceros program, where they were allowed to, they were from Mexico, they lived in Mexico, but they were allowed to come and do agricultural work or um d the train of seasonal workers. A lot of seasonal workers, and they were allowed to come and work and then head back home. And so he was part of that those programs that first launched obviously it's a long time ago. Um, but one of the neat things is that um, so as the time passed by, uh, one of my grandfather's daughters, one of my aunts, uh, married a gentleman who was a veteran here that he his family had always been here. Um I always say, you know, when when Texas drew the line, he got to stay on the side of Texas. And so when that happened, um, you know, the family, you know, um, she was like, Hey, mom, dad, y'all come over here. And so when they went to go get their paperwork done, um, turns out grandpa was already a citizen. And he just didn't know that for like for, I don't know, 50 years or so that, you know, he had just lived in Mexico. So the whole family migrated to Houston. My father had met my mother at a church conference in Dallas when he was still in school of preaching at Lubbock. And um, they ended up getting married, moved over here, one of the last families to move over here to um to eat uh to Houston, Texas, simply because mother worked as a nurse. She had been there for over a decade and loved her job. Um, and once dad graduated and found a job in Houston, they moved over to Houston, Texas. And so that's how my family, you know, ended up in Houston. And so myself and the one, the sister right before me were both born in Houston, Texas.

SPEAKER_02 17:52

How did you get to uh the Tyler Smith County area?

SPEAKER_01 17:56

Uh because of my family, my dad. So um dad started up several uh a church in Houston, a couple of others, um, and he was asked uh in Henderson, uh asked to come to uh to Tyler. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

Is that them? Yes, that's mom and dad. Are they both still alive?

SPEAKER_01 18:14

Not my mother. Mother passed away in 2020, but my daddy was asked to come here to Henderson to start a Hispanic congregation for the Church of Christ, and he did. And so we moved out here in around 1989-90 to East Texas, and that's I was around ten years old uh when we moved out here. And it was a huge culture shock because coming from Houston to Henderson was a huh we'll talk about a culture shock. I remember telling dad, like, you could have picked somewhere where at least there's a mall. Like there was nothing. But um, and then in ninety-eight, um, you know, I'm the youngest of four siblings, uh, four, there were four daughters. Um, and I ended up um receiving a scholarship to attend the University of Texas at Tyler. Um UT Tyler was always what they called a kind of like a um I don't I don't know what the correct terminology was. It's just kind of like the junior and senior, and then you graduate.

SPEAKER_02 19:07

It used to be TJC was the first two years. Correct. UTC. But then they kind of merged that. Yeah, yeah. But I I saw that you were you were some uh one of the first members of freshman.

SPEAKER_01 19:19

So they they converted into a four-year institution, four-year university. When they did that, they um only admitted fifty freshmen for that very first incoming freshman class. And it was so neat. You were one of them. And I was one of them. So that's how I ended up. It we all moved out here to to Tyler, and I started at UT Tyler, finished there, and then just worked here um in East Texas in higher education for many years, got married, worked in higher ed in Houston at the University of Houston, and then came back.

SPEAKER_02 19:48

All right, and so at UT Titler, it looks like you got a uh a marketing degree in business and a master's in human resource development.

SPEAKER_01 19:55

Yes, yes, a master of science, yes.

SPEAKER_02 19:57

What did you do with that? Did you use that at all in uh in school or as a teacher in Houston when you went back there?

SPEAKER_01 20:03

You know, I absolutely when I was ended up working, I eventually worked up to be a program manager um that managed a big program at U of H. And um these were all business students, obviously, the Bauer College of Business, and we worked on a lot of the different, you know, students that were seeking um internships or work um jobs when they were graduate. So I would work with a lot of different entities and businesses to try to get them businesses once they graduated. So I did, I I loved it. I use a lot of what I do uh that I for my college degrees in this current job now. You know, both of those, um, you know, I always tell folks, you know, in marketing it's kind of like an umbrella. There's advertising, there's sales, there's retail, there's graphic design, there's just a plethora of things. Um and one of them's marketing research. I've done all of them. Um, but marketing research is the area that I focused in school. I loved marketing research. I worked very closely even with one of my professors who's still there to this day, um, doing mar doing research, um, collaborating data, you know, collecting back the old school way where we will call someone to try to get them.

SPEAKER_02 21:13

Would you take a survey for you? I promise it'd only take five minutes.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

That's exactly what I would do. And so I I enjoyed a lot of that. And so that's why I've always been inclined to to the data, very, very data-driven.

SPEAKER_02 21:26

Well, you seem to have been, you know, very successful, uh, not only in school, but in your, you know, in your work with the Hispanic Business Alliance. But I want to ask you about, you know, how do you because I can see you being a good spokesperson spokesperson with the Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, because you guys are now interacting with them uh in a relationship, aren't you?

SPEAKER_01 21:47

Yes, yes. Well the Chamber has been there since day one. You know, they took us in since day one, uh, put up as a put us up in like in a department.

SPEAKER_02 21:55

What do you think their motivation was initially?

SPEAKER_01 21:57

Well, you know, it it the business sector.

SPEAKER_02 22:00

You know, they're they're very uh to educate more workers, to make them more in compliance with laws. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 22:06

And they do all of that to this day, you know, the chamber does. And connections, networking. I mean, th those are all the uh a number of things that the chamber offers that because of them we're able to offer as well. You know, a lot of our, you know, just today, you know, the event they had, you know, we're invited to things like this because we are part of the the chamber. And in fact, our board chair always sits as the board director on the Chamber of Commerce board board.

SPEAKER_02 22:31

Oh so y'all have a dedicated seat?

SPEAKER_01 22:33

Yes, yes, and they have one on ours. So we are we're always engaged, working, collaborating, brainstorming, um, you know, along, like I said, Henry Bell, who's actually the the president. Yes, everyone knows Henry Bell. He's amazing. And um Tom Mullins also used to be on our board. Yes. And so both of those, they were very instrumental in what creating what's now the HBA.

SPEAKER_02 22:56

Scott Martinez. I've heard a lot about him as being very impressive and really bringing a lot of relationships and knowledge to a town like Tyler for the Tyler Economic Development Council.

SPEAKER_01 23:08

Yes, he is he's extraordinary. You know, we actually, you know, we have an event that's kind of like our capstone event. We call it the Hispanic Achievers and Business Leaders Awards. And every year we would seek out a speaker, uh notable speaker, and we actually had Sean Martinez as one of our speakers. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 23:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 23:27

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 23:27

Is this it?

SPEAKER_01 23:28

This was last year's our award winners. You know, we have different categories from women-owned to um, you know, community organization, community impact leader, um, and we're emerging business, small business. All of those, yes. And these are all of our uh award winners for this past year. And then there's one award that's called the Adelante Award. Adelante in Spanish in Spanish interprets or uh um moving forward or helping us uh to to move forward as an organization. And that's the president's award, yes. And Don actually, when I first arrived in 2014, um he had just become a councilman. Uh and so at that time, uh there's also we also ensure that we have a City of Tyler seat on our board of directors. And so it usually was in the past uh a mayor of some sort. Um at that time, our current uh manager, I'm sorry, it's always been a manager, but our manager was kind of in transition into moving to Tyler. So they uh uh assigned Don Warren to our board, and it was one of the best things that could have happened for us. I'm sure it was uh once he stayed on there, he not only stayed as this uh city council terms, but he also stayed on with his uh mayor terms, and he really helped us a lot as an organization to kind of um our journey and navigating into growing this organization to its next level. So we appreciate him and and the city of Tyler that's always also been one of our main contributors and supporters.

SPEAKER_02 25:00

Well, you know, Don, he's he was he's been on the show like you before. And uh uh you can tell um he's got the perfect balance, I think, between, you know, intelligence and a heart.

SPEAKER_00 25:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 25:11

Right? I mean sometimes with politicians we say one or the other maybe uh uh overbalanced or underbalanced. But Don, I think he genuinely loves people. He does. And he likes to help people. And I could see how what an asset he was probably on your point.

SPEAKER_01 25:26

Yeah, and you're saying as the intelligence, because you know, he also is a very good listener. Um, you know, a lot of things that you know I would describe to him as far as like, you know, these are kind of like some challenges we're facing. W give us your advice, you know, what mentor us through this, guide us through this. And he was great as to helping us navigate through a lot of that. And so I I commend him and and and I actually gave him this award. Uh I wanted to make sure we gave it to him before um he ended up as yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:56

He's finished this year.

SPEAKER_01 25:57

Yeah, he's done.

SPEAKER_02 25:58

Now, the Hispanic Business Alliance, does it receive funding from, you know, grants, cities, uh the federal government, or is uh does it raise its own funds?

SPEAKER_01 26:08

We raise our own funds. And so we still, you know, um I would say the main contributor that stayed since day one has always been the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Tyler. Um and aside from that, everything that we we receive is all fundraised through other through either um trainings, workshops, seminars, um events, you know, through sponsorships. And and we started actually, you know, one of the things that when Mayor Warren was on our board, we had individuals that will come up to us and say, Hey, um, I want to be a part of what you're doing. Like I love that what you guys are doing. I I'm I applaud y'all for that. How can I become a part of that? We didn't have anything as far as beside our board of directors. We really didn't have, or you know, po folks that attended our events, sponsorships, those types of things. Uh, we didn't have per se membership. And so that was one of the things that was brought up. And we did launch that. We launched it about two years ago, and um it's still one of those things that we're still navigating through, but we are getting more and more folks to to become members of the of the taller HBA because they see the reason behind it as to why it's important for us to continue uh as an organization and making a difference and impacting our community here locally.

SPEAKER_02 27:30

So HBA membership, you foresee being open to non-Hispanics or just Hispanics?

SPEAKER_01 27:36

No, no, no, absolutely. We actually have uh, you know, I would say 50-50, you know, we're uh 50 percent that are Hispanics and 50 that are non-Hispanics. So we uh anyone who wants to join us, who wants to um tap into the Hispanic market, you know, learn more about the Hispanic market, that's what we're here for.

SPEAKER_02 27:54

How do you join the HBA if you're somebody listening and you're maybe you look like me and you you're not Hispanic and you don't know?

SPEAKER_01 28:02

So our information is currently we're in the process of uh revamping the website, but there is a landing page.

SPEAKER_02 28:08

It's tough to traffic there.

SPEAKER_01 28:10

So it's a landing page, but you when you go there, it's tallerhb.org. You're gonna find um the contact information. So reach out to us, we will get you set up right away and send you all the details. Because the other thing is too that you know we work with a plethora of different level types of businesses. When I mean levels, I mean the ones that are just starting to the ones that are corporate, you know, um organizations that, you know, have been around forever. And so we um we want to ensure that, you know, you get the the best ROI. And so some businesses will tell them, you know, we have these events. Well, what are you wanting? Well, I want more exposure. Okay, then let's look at these types of events, these types of things will give you more exposure into the Hispanic market. So we work with everyone to ensure that whatever membership level will really help them attain what their goal really is, because everyone has different goals.

SPEAKER_02 29:02

So I'm assuming there's different membership levels. Levels, correct. And they basically uh make you a member, but also uh kind of serve as a sponsorship, but uh also give you access to the Hispanic market in a much more specific way.

SPEAKER_01 29:18

Correct, yes. And and we have one level that's um that's uh separate, it's just our uh pillar and and the other ones really chamber of commerce. Yeah. Uh-huh. And so there's just different levels that we have, and they provide, like you said, different um, you know, um access to different things. And so I I always encourage folks, you know, try it out, see what it is, and maybe next year that that fit didn't work for you. Maybe we can move to a different level. And and um we're very good about working with businesses because we understand their struggles, we understand their challenges, we understand that, you know, today this year I can do 500, next uh 750, maybe next year I can only do 500. We get it, and we want to work with folks, you know, um in situations like that.

SPEAKER_02 30:00

I'm presuming um with your marketing background uh that you are promoting the Hispanic businesses that you are helping and are members.

SPEAKER_00 30:09

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 30:10

And at the same time, the non-Hispanic members, you are helping connect them with people that they otherwise would be unable to know.

SPEAKER_00 30:18

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 30:19

It's almost a mutually beneficial arrangement.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 30:23

And have you seen uh, you know, I guess the money raised is evidence of membership increase, I would assume.

SPEAKER_01 30:29

Absolutely, yes, yes. We definitely have seen an increase. You know, the first year we did it, uh, we launched it just, you know, as a kind of a Cinco de Mayo mixer, and it was great and fun, but it was it was just a launch and and it was an amazing uh it was just amazing to see how many folks that were business owners, uh community members came out and said, we want to be a part of this. We we see because they see the effects of it out in the community and just how many of these businesses, you know, um, and many of them, you know, could be a good thing. Couldn't operate without Hispanics. Yeah. And even then some of those that graduate from our academy or even took some of our classes, uh small business trainings, you know, a lot of those still call on us to this day. You know, if they're opening up a new business, they're like, hey Nancy, you know, I'm having a question on this permit. You know, what what exactly does this mean? And we'll walk them through it. And again, we're very uh correlated with the city of Tyler. So we have a great partnership with them as well. So we reach out and we have connections in the network to be able to help folks when they're in those kind of trenches.

SPEAKER_02 31:33

But I mean, academy members that graduate, I mean go and do their own business, they're not necessarily the ones that are members of the Hispanic Business Lines, are they?

SPEAKER_01 31:42

Um are, not all.

SPEAKER_02 31:43

It's more the sponsor crowd, the the people that want to have access uh to the, you know, the wide range of activities, employment, resources, and numbers in the Hispanic community. That's that's who should be a sponsor. Yes, yes, that's who should join us Hispanic business aligns.

SPEAKER_01 32:03

You know, and I and we have a lot of a lot of banks that are here locally, uh, the hospitals, the universities, you know, all of those are, you know, support the HBA, you know. One of the things too is we have a, and that was one of the reasons why the pillar um level of membership was created, because folks wanted to ensure that um there was a level of money that could be um they could uh provide to the HBA some funding that could be used for the the uh mission of the organization because they b just believe in our mission. So they wanted to say, hey, we just want to give this money. Yeah, I know the membership stuff you use for membership, you know, things and stuff, but we want to give money to you to use for your organization. And so, and that's really neat to have that kind of support from, you know, non-Hispanic businesses and Hispanic businesses.

SPEAKER_02 32:52

It's gonna be there every year.

SPEAKER_01 32:54

Yeah. Right?

SPEAKER_02 32:54

I mean, you can count on a certain level of funding to keep the doors open over there on Irwin Street. Oh, yeah. Right?

SPEAKER_00 33:00

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 33:01

Because you're you're uh I went to something and it was uh uh a few months ago. It was a celebration, they had different people out there. It and I even saw Tyler First uh comprehensive plan was out there. Do you know what I'm talking about? It was at Hillside Park. It wasn't a lot of people.

SPEAKER_01 33:17

Oh yeah, yeah, that wasn't us, but yeah, I know what you're talking about. I think it was like um uh the Tyler uh police department night out or something like that.

SPEAKER_02 33:26

That's what it was. But it was at the Hillside.

SPEAKER_01 33:28

Yes. And uh there was a lot of vendors and people there, and I really didn't know, you know, if that was any in any way related to the Hispanic Business Alliance or It's not, but you know, a lot of those businesses or even nonprofits that are out there, um we have uh and again this was something that started years ago um when the the community came to us and said, Hey, um we're having a lot of folks that don't really understand when is Hispanic Heritage Month. Um people think it's around Cinco de Mayo, you know, because it's very fun and exciting time. I mean, that's what it is that we enjoy it. I didn't know it. And we enjoy it. And so that's one of the things that we did. We said, you know, this let's utilize this as an uh an um opportunity for us to really inform and educate our community of when is Hispanic Heritage Month. So we started a kickoff event. We did it in partnership with the city of Tyler called Roe City Fiesta, and that is we bring in a lot of vendors, a lot of booths, uh booths are out there of business uh owners, um, those that want to reach out to the Hispanic market, um a lot of you uh uh, you know, and the entertainment is really neat because we have a lot of local um ballet folklorical dancers, and we even have now a mariachi band at the Caldwell Elementary School. Students that are learning to become mariachis. And so we we have a uh professional mariachi band, but we have those. So it's just really neat to see all of this traditional uh dances, traditional uh attire, dresses, the colors, the cuisine, the food trucks, all that out there to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month.

SPEAKER_02 35:05

This uh Rose City Field, where where does this take place? Does it take place there?

SPEAKER_01 35:09

At Berkfield Park. Oh, yes. When is it? We normally host it either at the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which is September 15th, or we do the closeout, which is closer to October 15th. So Hispanic Heritage Month starts September 15th, ends on October 15th. So we either do it at the start uh to kick it off or to end it with a capstone and close it up.

SPEAKER_02 35:30

I mean, how long has that, you know?

SPEAKER_01 35:32

We've had that event, uh, I believe now it's been six years.

SPEAKER_02 35:36

All right. Have you seen it grow? Have you seen more people come out?

SPEAKER_01 35:39

We have seen it grow, definitely. So um our numbers last year were near the lowest that we've ever had, um, I have to say. And I think a lot of that has to dwell into people were scared to come out, you know, they were just a little bit more reluctant.

SPEAKER_02 35:53

Things were uncertain in the fall last fall. Correct. And and they remained that way uh maybe not as much to today, but certainly up to the end of the year, right?

SPEAKER_01 36:02

Yes, yes. And so we saw those numbers uh decline for sure. Uh but as far as the other events that we had, our numbers we they were indoors, um, both of our other events, and so I think that's why a lot of our numbers really were not declining.

SPEAKER_02 36:18

Aaron Ross Powell Your office and where the Hispanic Business Alliance works from is where?

SPEAKER_01 36:22

So we are still located at the Chamber of Commerce.

SPEAKER_02 36:27

In the Chamber of Commerce building.

SPEAKER_01 36:30

Yeah, we're there in downtown.

SPEAKER_02 36:31

Is that the old Blackstone?

SPEAKER_01 36:32

Yes, that's exactly where we're on the second floor.

SPEAKER_02 36:35

So I mean, uh that's a that's a close partnership, it would have seen.

SPEAKER_01 36:39

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 36:40

Uh which means the Chamber of Commerce uh in the city of Tyler value Hispanic people and their business alliance. Am I reading that right?

SPEAKER_01 36:49

Absolutely. You know, they they st in a sense, you know, they um started the Tyler HBA. They also started, I don't know if you knew this, um, the Chamber of Commerce started um Leadership Tyler, they started the Better Business Burial, they started Visit Tyler, they started the Business Education Council, all these different organizations now that are their own entities, um, all started there. And three of us are still housed there, us, Leadership Tyler, and BEC.

SPEAKER_02 37:17

Well, good. I always wondered what the uh you know, what the Chamber of Commerce ever did, but you know what? This is very educational to me because what I see from what you've told me is they've built institutions that r enhance and make more efficient different parts of the population, workforce and leaders, it seems like so that the city remains prosperous.

SPEAKER_01 37:42

Correct, correct. I mean that that seems to be and it all started from them, you know.

SPEAKER_02 37:46

And that's Henry Bell?

SPEAKER_01 37:47

Yes, that is Henry Bell, you know? Yeah, and he uh he has been very instrumental in doing all that. And it's really neat to a lot of folks don't know, because you know, even I myself, I would always think when I first started there like, okay, so there's only like five or six chamber employees. Like what are they? What are all these other floors? What do they do? You know, NetHealth is there, Group M7 is there. Um They're just tenants, I guess. There are tenants, just like ourselves, and TDC is there, you know. So um we're all just tenants. So now primarily the first floor, East Texas Communities Foundation is there as well. Uh the first floor is all Chamber of Commerce, um, and then the other ones are just tenants.

SPEAKER_02 38:23

Well, if people don't know how, you know, connected you are and how uh you know impressive you are, tell us how many boards that you're presently on in the local area.

SPEAKER_01 38:35

Oh wow. So currently I'm not on I try to serve at around three at a time. It's too much, doesn't it? Because yes, but I've served on many, many boards. Um I serve on a lot of committees. I just rolled off as the um the um chair or the pr uh chair of the Better Business Bureau uh chair past year, and um I served on there for a couple of years. That's one of the longest uh boards that I've sat on. Um but also um, you know, I'm involved with some of the revolving fund for the Toller Economic Development Council. Um revolving fund. Revolving funds.

SPEAKER_02 39:10

Okay, I want to ask you about I've asked people before, and uh I think Taylor Fitzgerald realtor, he he mentioned something like that when I said, where does the T uh TEDC get their money? Is it a revolving fund?

SPEAKER_01 39:25

Well, I don't know where they get their money from. Uh they have a lot of uh what's and I forgot what they call the Trevor Burrus.

SPEAKER_02 39:30

How does this fund you're talking about operating?

SPEAKER_01 39:32

So the revolving fund is loans that they um hand out to business and entrepreneurs, business owners and entrepreneurs that are wanting to they currently have a business or um and there's several stipulations on how to receive it, um, but it's a com it's a uh basically a committee, it's a board that we meet and discuss on who's applied for that loan um and whether or not they're eligible for it and whether or not they receive those fundings.

SPEAKER_02 39:58

Hispanic businesses?

SPEAKER_01 39:59

Um, this is this is just in general.

SPEAKER_02 40:02

Is there anything contained within the Hispanic Business Alliance, uh some type of uh sum of money that that that's loaned out? I mean, have y'all gotten into helping business already?

SPEAKER_01 40:13

I wish we were. I wish we were, and I I I wish there were more opportunities like that. I know that I've spoken to several uh you know colleagues and friends that are in the Austin area or different areas and they have things.

SPEAKER_02 40:27

How does that work available? If it could work here.

SPEAKER_01 40:30

It really works uh closely with um the ones that I've seen that work very that work wonderfully are working with either a bank or credit union um that provides them a line of credit right after that. You know, right when I say after that, I mean they go with through kind of an academy as well. And their graduates, when they graduate from the program, will receive a specific line of credit to launch their business. And so it's it's an amazing opportunity from them. And they're I mean, and they're very successful with it because the one challenge that every business owner, either starting in the middle or towards the end, it doesn't matter where you're at, is always the funding.

SPEAKER_02 41:15

To buy equipment, to buy something to get right.

SPEAKER_01 41:18

And and so it's and and so that's one of the areas that if we could, you know, provide more funding to business owners, the sky's the limit with things they can do. And I've seen it, you know, some of our graduates when they've graduated with a very, you know, small business and then they receive that that funding, they just scale up, you know. Right. And not all that.

SPEAKER_02 41:39

I mean, you can just look around and if you talk to people, whether it's working on somebody works on your house or somebody's absolutely and you ask them and and you see a Hispanic person who he is the boss, it's his business. He's driving the nice truck. Yeah. And he says, Well, I used to be in the tile business and now I own a tile business. Right? And so um and I just often wonder, you know, how these guys, if they're not connected, get access to funding if it takes any real money to start up.

SPEAKER_01 42:09

And we work very closely with a lot of our banks. You know, we have individuals. In fact, like I was mentioning to you, uh, the portion that we talk about business banking, the relationship of with that you have to have with your bank, what are they going to ask of you when you apply for a loan? Like those types of things that we talk about. Um, the banker who teaches it for us is Jesus Vera. He works for Vera Bank and he's been doing this for 30 some years. And that's my bank, by the way. Is it um so we it's our bank too? Shout out to Vera Bank. And and they're just uh amazing at very helpful, very helpful, very helpful.

SPEAKER_02 42:43

Compared to large banks.

SPEAKER_01 42:45

Yes, and so it's and so we have, you know, um, we've had folks from Austin Bank that have sat on our board. Um, and again, so we refer them out to these folks that we know that are going to help them. We know that we'll we'll help them in a sense to help them explain to them. You know, and and we even, you know, I've heard the bankers sometimes tell the folks, hey, come see me, we'll run it through, and you know you're not ready yet, but we'll I will be able to tell you what is wrong with this that you still need to work on so that you can attain a loan or funding from us.

SPEAKER_02 43:18

Yeah, it just seems like the Hispanic Business Alliance, the way it's going, I mean, it's made a lot of progress, it's grown. Eventually, maybe it has some type of scholarship like things where people apply for money, you know, single payments, a thousand, two thousand, because they want to buy a piece of equipment or something that can dramatically improve their business and their income.

SPEAKER_01 43:37

Yeah. And I'm always looking for opportunities of who we can work with, you know work with. I mentioned just recently to to uh my board chair, we're looking into some opportunities that we're hoping that we can tap into that that's the way that we want to head towards it seems like uh just from my personal friendships and with people that are

SPEAKER_02 44:00

Hispanic that work and do things is oftentimes it's a vehicle, it's a it's a machine of some kind that is the only thing really keeping them from you know real progress. And so that's why I always wondered if if you guys had thought of that or or you even did that. But I mean you gotta walk before you can run, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 44:20

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 44:21

Right? But you know, for people who are watching, uh it is no secret the Hispanic population is increasing uh in the state of Texas, right?

SPEAKER_01 44:31

I mean Yes, absolutely. You know, the numbers, um it definitely the numbers that the census put out, you know, really showed just how much we had grown. Um almost four percent since the last set census. Yes, correct. And and and those numbers we see them grow, and even here in East Texas, you know, we've seen that growth since the 1990s, you know, where it just continues. And like I was mentioning to you, we moved out here in 1990, and so I've definitely seen the growth. I felt it, you know. I remember uh, of course, coming from Houston, you know, we were used to, you know, being out and about, shopping, you know, restaurants, those types of things. And um, you know, I remember folks that would tell me, because I worked uh for Southside Bank at the time I was in college, and I worked for their gentry um street location. They have a branch out there on Gentry. And um, some of the Hispanic uh tellers that work there, they're like, No, we hardly ever go down South Tyler. And I was just like, but they've got the mall over there, they've got this, you know, but they were just accustomed to not doing that, you know. And and of course, you know, Houston's the melting pot of the world's the biggest one there is you will hear all kinds of languages being spoken, all kinds of athletics. Vietnamese, all of them. All kinds of things.

SPEAKER_02 45:48

I went to law school in Houston and I was blown away that that liter that was almost like a if you took everybody in the whole wide world and took a few people off and put them all in in a city, it would be Houston.

SPEAKER_01 46:00

Yes. Well, you know, and I I remember I worked in the for the School of Engineering when I first arrived to Houston, um, and then I moved out to Bauer College of Business. But I remember being in the elevator and all kinds of languages were being spoken. I mean, there were literally like maybe five or six groups that were in there chit-chattering and talking or on their phones and all different languages. It was really just neat to see that, you know?

SPEAKER_02 46:25

It's interesting, and you know, to some people it might be threatening or something to fear, right? I mean, America, uh, the U.S. generally has um, you know, a policy of assimilation, right? Yes. And I think people are somewhat afraid that either assimilation is happening so fast or some people aren't trying to assimilate at all that it's making um it's making some people uncomfortable. Would you do you kind of agree that's happening?

SPEAKER_01 46:50

Everyone always has a reason or something that makes them uncomfortable. And and and that could be, you know, I it's it's one of those things where I feel that um, you know, we you know, sometimes I think uh stereotypes get in the way, you know, a lot of myths and things like that get in the way where, you know, if if we try to share with them the truth and stuff and and really how things are, you know, and I'll I'll be frank, you know, I remember one of my friends that um I I when I first arrived to the HBA, she was not Hispanic. And I told her, I said, look, you can ask me any question, any curiosity that you have, anything you want to. It will not hurt my feelings. I have a very thick skin. Um I am from Houston, Texas, and I am from Houston, Texas. I told her, I said, I grew, you know, so I I'm I'm totally fine, you know, and um, and she would ask me all kinds of questions. And and it was really neat because even like, for example, got invited to a quinceera and um had never been, didn't even understand really like what do I do? What what do I have to buy? What do I bring? How do I dress? You know, what do I say, you know? And so it was a lot of those things that, you know, I I don't, you know, ask folks, don't be afraid.

SPEAKER_02 48:06

You know, 15-year-old coming out party. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:09

It's kind of like a you know, they're sweet 16s, this was for in 15. This is uh the age of 15.

SPEAKER_02 48:14

It's a cultural difference that, you know, people are learning more and more. I mean, they have a float in the Rose Festival now that's a Queen afloat. I mean you know, those kind of things are happening, and um I people have to realize that, you know, one and four and a half people uh in Smith County uh very well. And and for people listening to this, you know, we always hear a lot of terms used for race. Like, you know, it used to be Chicano, Latino, Hispanic, you know. I mean sometimes you're people are afraid that are not Hispanic, you know, like what to say. I mean, is there a a term that's generally accepted that that we keep hearing Hispanic? Is that it?

SPEAKER_01 48:57

I would say Hispanic. To be on the safe side, um, you know, you're never, you know, you're always you're never gonna be a hundred percent correct, you know, because there's always folks that prefer something different, you know, everyone's different. Um but I do want to say that a lot of folks always ask me, Hispanic, Latino, what does that mean? And so Hispanic means that they are Spanish speakers. So for example, people that live in Mexico, people that live Venezuela, you know, Guatemala. They yes, if they speak Spanish. Now there are folks that do not speak Spanish, or Spanish is not their um their main language, um, but are considered part of our um so those would be or like Spain would be his considered Hispanic. Right. But then like Brazil, they speak, you know, Portuguese. And so they're considered Latinos. And so um so everybody can be considered a Latino, but specifically if you're Hispanic, it's because you speak Spanish.

SPEAKER_02 49:54

All right. Well that uh that makes it pretty easy. Uh but you know, that was the only thing I had a little anxiety about preparing for the show because you know, I had seen you refer to Latina, uh you know, and I'm assuming that's a female Latino uh you know, gender on the translation.

SPEAKER_01 50:13

Yes, yes. And we, you know, one of the things because we were gonna do something uh for Hispanics uh for Latina uh the leadership conference, and and you know, one of the reasons why we even ventured off into our Latina uh leadership conference was for um wet female uh Hispanic females that uh were launching businesses. And um again, going back to the research, you know, years ago that I I stumbled on an article that said, you know, Hispanics and Latinas uh um our females are outpacing any other demographic when it comes to entrepreneurship. And so I rushed to my board and I said, you know, what can we do to to cater to these women, to to help them, to support them and uh encourage them, you know, to continue, you know, building businesses, building, you know, thrive, making our economy thrive. And that's where Latina Leadership Conference uh came about. You know, I'd been to a lot of conferences, but they were more uh religious or faith-based. Uh and I had never seen one in East Texas that was for just Latina leaders, Latina entrepreneurs. And so when I first proposed this idea, many of them were kind of like, wait, wait, wait, this is new. We've never done this before. What are you talking about? Um, but the very first year we had like 50 women show up. The next year we had a hundred, the next year we had 150, you know, then 300. It just continued growing. And these are all Latina women who own businesses and um are thriving.

SPEAKER_02 51:43

It's an annual conference.

SPEAKER_01 51:44

It's an annual annual conference that we do. Um we hosted um this year we hosted it in September, and again, it just keeps growing.

SPEAKER_02 51:52

During Hispanic Heritage Month.

SPEAKER_01 51:54

We try to do it during Hispanic Heritage Month, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:56

Well, that's interesting. Are are these female-owned businesses, are they uh consolidated in certain areas or are they just across the board everywhere?

SPEAKER_01 52:04

All across the board, you know. Uh when we first started, it was a lot of more of that um um those MM kind of business, but this is now scaled up to where I have folks that own construction companies. I have ladies that, you know, own uh, you know, uh realtors, obviously, you know, a lot of independent, you know. Uh but we have women that own restaurants, you know, we have women um that own their own law firms, you know. So it's just a plethora just different in industries now.

SPEAKER_02 52:33

Aaron Ross Powell Well, and it's just it it it coincides with the increasing Hispanic population in Smith County, I would I would assume.

SPEAKER_00 52:39

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 52:40

Your uh organization probably when you were when you first started off in it, I'm sure immigration help and support was a lot easier then than it is now.

SPEAKER_01 52:49

Aaron Ross Powell What do you mean immigration help?

SPEAKER_02 52:51

I mean like when people came with questions about, you know, I I want to try to um, you know, all I need to do is fill out a form and pay$500 and I can be a citizen or or I need to get a visa or you know, those type of things.

SPEAKER_01 53:03

Yeah. But you know, a lot of the times, you know, I would refer them out to our Hispanic American Center, which call in Spanish, we refer to it here in Tyler as the El Centro Hispano, um, where they handle immigration.

SPEAKER_02 53:14

Um they have relationship with immigration lawyers, I presume.

SPEAKER_01 53:18

Absolutely. You know, um and Gilbert Urbina is the guy in charge of it and is great. Um and so we would always refer them out here. Yes. And but now we know He's a translator.

SPEAKER_02 53:29

Yes, yes, he is in depositions.

SPEAKER_01 53:32

Yes, he is. I was about to say he also works for the county and he does a lot of that w work that's very much needed. And you know, we we would refer them because we've never been experts in immigration. Um, however, we know enough when it comes to a lot of businesses, because you know, business owners sometimes have questions on those things. So we try to get ourselves a little informed and educated as to, you know, what what's your best move. But we've always been really good about having a lot of folks that dealt with immigration law and referring them out to make like again, making sure we're sending them to the expert, the person that can answer questions from A to Z, um, and they're getting it like I say, like it's usually said from the horse's mouth, you know, you get it from there. But we do, you know, a lot of our business owners, you know, one of the things that um if you're in and there's not as much data on tracking how many, if you want to say undocumented uh uh immigrants exist. But one of the things that I can say is that, you know, you can't track if a business owner um i is undocumented because the IRS designates a number to them. They utilize that number to start up their businesses, they utilize that number to pay taxes.

SPEAKER_02 54:44

That's called a tax ID number.

SPEAKER_01 54:45

That's exactly what it is. And so and so, you know, the tax ID number, they they know uh and and these folks are really good about making sure they, you know, dot their I's and cross their Ts and stuff. And so we have a lot of successful businesses that are giving back to our community, not only through taxes, you know, uh economic uh impact numbers, but also giving back in our community that, you know, are creating um different types of like, you know, when all this is happening, folks were like, hey, we'll go bring, you know, I'll pay so that we can get, you know, food for those elderly that, you know, it's it's this kind of during the pandemic, you know, we'll get this stuff out to you, you know. So we see a lot of that that's happening. I see it more because I'm more in tune with what's happening in the Hispani Latino, but they are very good about helping one another out during in in in moments of crisis.

SPEAKER_02 55:38

I mean, everybody who is honest understands that there are people here that are undocumented, and that's not an issue that just came up last year. No, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 55:49

I mean, it's always been an issue for decades.

SPEAKER_02 55:51

It's all I mean there's day one, I would say. I mean, there's always been this understanding that people came here and they came here because uh obviously they wanted a better life, and everybody understands that. I think that's compassionate. But there also were employers that needed them. And um you know, the government had never suggested otherwise uh until more recently, and it had something to do, it would appear, to me just from looking out, that the numbers increased so much that it it maybe caused a pendulum or a reaction of some type uh to where we are today. You know, and and I'm just I'm the honest broker, not the politician, the guy looking for answers to questions, you know, and asking those questions. I mean, what do you think about that?

SPEAKER_01 56:41

You know, one of the things, you know, and I was reading up on something that I loved how it mentioned. It talked about, you know, we were talking about labor and the workforce and things like that, but you know, just how much the Hispanics and Latino group um the the impact that they have, but you know, a lot of folks talk about, you know, um you know, we have shortages in in our workforce. For sure.

SPEAKER_02 57:05

We know that in Tyler. Yes. We know that in the fall of this year that there were some projects allegedly that could not go forward at that period of time due to people not showing up for work.

SPEAKER_01 57:16

And we've talked about the industries, you know, construction, ag agriculture, um, hospitality, health care, uh, we talk about manufacturing, transportation, all these areas and industries, you know, his a lot of our, you know, undocumented or immigrants, whichever you want to showcase it at, those people fill the gaps of the that that uh jobs people don't want to do sometimes. They don't want to do or that are just we don't have the workforce here, just US, we don't have the workforce to be able to fill those jobs. So these folks come in and fill those gaps. And so that's something that, you know, the data's out there. It shows how, you know, even during the pandemic, um, you know, one of the groups that um had to be as reassigned or reclassified as essential were our agricultural folks because, you know, they were not uh included in there and um the United States, Washington had to go back and and add them in there. And now we have gone back to a program that's started back like a braceros program, where now the U.S. does have a partnership with Mexico where they come in, they they um they seasonal come in and they do different works for agricultural um areas and and industry and then um head back. And when they come here, they provide them uh food and shelter, everything. I mean, they come in and do the work there and then they head back. You know, and like you said, it's seasonal, but it's one of those partnerships that it works perfect for us. It's a win-win for both the United States and um for those migrant workers.

SPEAKER_02 59:00

Aaron Powell I mean the immigration laws are now kind of I mean, there's there's court cases that have ruled certain things. There, I mean, there's a lot i it's it's not like you can just tell somebody like this is the rule, right? I mean this.

SPEAKER_01 59:13

Yeah. And it changes, you know, and and like you know, we've seen it changes with every administration, you know. I it it's one of those things that could be a priority or not a priority.

SPEAKER_02 59:22

It could be uh uh you know, uh a court of appeals ruled one way, right? And then there's the whole DACA, you know, the deferred action on childhood arrivals, right? Correct, yes. People that basically have lived their whole life here.

SPEAKER_01 59:36

Yeah, those are those from my understanding are um individuals that their parents uh came here and uh they were little. They were either just born or months old and they've lived here their entire lives, have never been anywhere lived anywhere else, and they don't know anything else. Um a lot of them, even English, it's their first language. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 59:58

Yeah, and it's unfortunate that uh I mean the politicians seem to be, you know, really um not doing their job, not really being meaningful, and it's forced all these issues into the courts, and you've got these different rulings all across the country is what it looks like to me. Um and I know you're not a political organization, but you're just gonna be able to do that. Yeah, we're nonpartisan. We represent them. Uh and this has to be, I would think, talked about to some extent as a concern or or something.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:28

Yeah, and you know, one of the things that I think as the Hispanic community has always um wished for is that, you know, um our our those that we've elected would kind regardless of whatever side of the fence you set on that that we come together and really just focus on what's best for the United States. Um and and we know that, you know, the number of m immigrants, you know, uh folks that are coming here to fill in the gaps of that workforce that that no one else is filling, you know, those are needs that we have in our co it in our economy.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:05

It helps Texas. I'll just stick with Texas. So Texas is absolutely one of those. Yes. I mean, we're a border state. We have a unique relationship with Mexico, not like New Hampshire, right? Correct. No. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:16

We we have a very, very neat relationship. And the further south you go, you see it even more so.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:21

But I mean, it starts to become uh you know, you really can't tell the difference a lot from Mexico across the border and some of the areas down here.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:31

Yeah, because a lot of those, you know, border cities and and communities have really um c work so closely together that they have it almost became seemingless at some point. Right. Where they were, yeah. And it was it but again, a lot of those, you know, vibrant and and again, I'm not I'm not gonna come up with the the solution of it because our next section. But I but I do want to say that, you know, we wish that folks would really just come together and and hear out a lot of um the facts of just how much, you know, uh a lot of Hispanics and in immigrants, you know, and all that, how much we are contributing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:13

Right. Yeah. I mean that's what you're saying. And that's what that's what gets lost in all the political noise. Yeah. Is that, hey, if we judge their contribution, um you know, it's a pretty it's a pretty it makes a pretty big impact on our everyday lives. Yeah. I mean, if you have a person that mows your yard, if you have somebody that cleans your house, uh if you've become friends with those people over time, I mean if you've ever done a remodel project, if you've ever done anything, chances are you've worked with Hispanics, documented and undocumented, uh, to get a lot of these things done.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:50

You know, and and one of the things too is that I always liked, and I want to make sure I share this, you know, in 2022 the Latino GDP was$3.6 trillion. And in 2023 it grew to 4.1 trillion. And I can guarantee in 2024 and when we get these numbers later, they're only going to continue to grow. No question. In fact, you know, I believe that they said if the Latino GDP were its own country, it would rank among one of the world's highest. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:18

I think it's fifth or sixth. One of those number six. Uh-huh. And uh if it gets to five trillion, uh then it'll be like uh the one of the top six, seven, you know, plus or minus economies in the world.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:32

Yes. Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:33

I think people just you know, they Hispanics aren't seen sometimes as much in their contribution, I think. And I don't know why that is. Do you?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:43

I don't know. You know, and and you know, the Census Bureau, again, it doesn't um populate a lot of this data or information, I think, um, or many uh research entities.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:56

It's uh not reported or underreported.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:58

Correct. And you know, just I think the most recent data we have from our beer bureau is in 2022 when it shows that we have almost um half a million of just Hispanic-owned businesses, and out of that we have about six hundred and fifty billion in receipts, um, almost four million employees. And I mean, I can just go on in the numbers of just what an impact it's making. And we're seeing those numbers um primarily the the big uh portion of these numbers are coming from our states like Texas, California. You know, these are they're on the border towns with Mexico, and so uh, because that's where most Hispanics reside. Um, so yeah, it's it's one of those things where I wish more and more of this information was shared so that folks could see just what a positive contribution. And and as far as taxes, you know, they they the receipts and the numbers are astounding as far as how much they're contributing in the billions of dollars as far as our sell our taxes, sales tax, property, I mean, all those that you that you can think of.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:01

I mean, you know, you think about immigration uh in US history, and and I was a history major, you know, it was initially people came over, you know, from Europe and then eventually uh English, you know, and then eventually, you know, Irish and Italians and and different people were treated poorly at different times when they first came over, right? But when you talk about assimilation and cultural and um philosophies, I mean Hispanics generally are are are Christian and Catholic for the most part.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:32

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:33

Family oriented.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:35

Very family oriented.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:36

And and hard workers and entrepreneurs, right? I mean if people didn't know who we were talking about and that was the description, and we added to it the economic contribution to the country, I think people would be, you know, bargaining for them to come in. Yes, yes. I mean, as a Hispanic I mean, I just wonder, you know, you have to interact. With city officials through the Alliance, right? Trevor Burrus Correct. But you still have to have love for your own people or the people that you're connected with. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:14

You know, earlier when you were talking about like what what should I call you or refer to you as, you know, I'm one of those that, you know, I'm very proud if you call me Mexican, if you call me uh I mean that's kind of a bad word now.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:28

I mean, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:06:28

I mean people Chicano, or if you Chicana, if you call me Latina, if you call me Hispanic, you can call me. I'm proud of all of those. You know, one of the things I think that um, you know, the Hispanic population, um, and they're not the only ones necessarily, but you know, when you're talking about assimilation, you know, they assimilate, but we have such strong uh culture that we we don't um just decided, okay, we're just gonna forget about all that.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:58

You won't be just like me in five years, right? It may take a couple generations for people to assume uh uh an image that you're comfortable or used to seeing.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:09

Yeah. And and even then, you know, I think that um, you know, I myself have kids, you know, when I go back to the assimilation, you know, where you know, either you speak or you look a certain way or you eat certain things, you know. My kids, you know, eat some of the most authentic stuff that m even a lot of folks don't eat, you know.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:28

Is that because of you?

SPEAKER_01 1:07:30

Yes. They eat menudo, they eat, you know, all these kind of mole, they eat all this kind of stuff, you know, not just your enchiladas and tacos, they eat all that too, but they eat, you know, last night, you know, we made a uh a kind of chocolate, hot chocolate that's called champurrado that not many people know, that that goes back to our indigenous uh ancestors that they created um hot chocolate uh with cocoa. And so those are certain things that, you know, we uh again going back to assimilation, we do assimilate, however, our our our culture is very special to us, it's very valuable to us, and there's nothing wrong with that. And we don't mean it for everyone to have to do what we're doing. We're not at all trying to do that. We just want to continue loving that about us. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that. And you know, my kids, if you ask them, you know, what are they, they'll tell you they're Mexican.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:22

Right.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:22

And and and they're, you know, second, third generation here, you know, already. And they're just kind of like, yeah, we're Mexican, you know, and then they say it very proudly so, you know, and and I love that about them, you know, that you know, I'm like, well, you're born in Tyler, Texas. You're not born in Mexico.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:38

Technically, they're not Mexican unless they were Mexican nationals, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:08:42

I mean, technically, they're not. But I tell them I was like, oh, they're proud of their ethics, but they're very proud of their heritage. And I think that's something that, you know, um, you know, we I've seen the the Hispanic community assimilate, but we do not lose those values that are the religion, that it's the family, that it's the work ethic. You know, the the you don't lose any of that, the the the the desire to thrive, to do better, to be better than that.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:10

Right, to provide for your kids and love your family. And all of those things you know seem to come in abundance uh with most of the Hispanic people and families that I know.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:22

Yeah. I even tell my little my boys, I'm like, the only reason why mama never uh attained a doctorate degree is because I had to leave something for y'all to to to look forward to getting. So both of them, they know they they will uh attain a a doctorate degree. So do you know those things like that that I think it's it's very special and and I I love how our you know, we see a lot of members in our community that embrace that. You know, even Road City Fiesta, we have a lot of folks that are not Hispanic that are out there. We love that. We love to be able to share all of that, especially our cuisine, music, things like that. I mean, how could you not, you know, love it?

SPEAKER_02 1:09:59

Yeah, I mean, life to me would be uh boring and not very interesting. And we were all all the exact same, right? Everybody I knew was the same. Yeah. You know, everything that I ate was always the same. There was nothing any different nobody was different or unique or or strange in any way to what I was used to. And so uh I just think sometimes people forget that and they don't they take it for granted. Um, when things aren't going right, people always look for, you know, scapegoats and you know, the answer to the problem is here, not there, you know?

SPEAKER_01 1:10:34

Aaron Ross Powell Yeah, that's what I was saying. Going back to, you know, it's a l sometimes it's a lot of myths or it's uh misinformation or you know that hasn't been communicated correctly, or sometimes just half of the information, not the full flow full-blown uh uh picture or the holistic uh response to it, you know. So I think that's one of the things too that I I I hope that more and more, you know, and I'm one of those friends that I tell folks, call on me if you ever have a question or whatnot. And I've had a lot of discussions with groups from both sides and and just entities and folks, and just talk about, you know, how why do you feel that way? What do you think? And I'll and I do my best to try to explain to them, you know, this is data and this is what's really happening, and this is why. And so a lot of those things I try to share with folks to try to get them to feel uh more knowledgeable.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:26

And I think the more knowledgeable that we are and the more information we have um access to or that are accepting and and accepting for us to look at Hispanic people with more respect for what they've already earned.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:42

Yes. Right? Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:44

Now, these misconceptions that you mentioned, are there several that keep popping up that you get asked about for people who aren't really familiar with the Hispanic community? Is there something that you're always answering that you can think of?

SPEAKER_01 1:11:55

No, I think a lot of sometimes folks, you know, when um they see Hispanics, they automatically, you know, think, uh, you know, I don't know, are they, you know, do they speak English? Or are are they an immigrant? Like they have all these kinds of questions.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:08

And you know, are they with the cartel? Have you heard that?

SPEAKER_01 1:12:12

I have not, but yeah, that could be one two. And I just tell folks, you know, just just walk up and say hi. You know, don't you know, you know, you're never gonna know until you find out, you know, and get to know folks. And and I tell folks, you know, nine times out of ten, that person is is more like you than you thought. Absolutely. Right. Absolutely, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:33

I mean, I mean, everybody I can think of that I know, uh I mean, you know, either helps my mother or has done a lot of stuff for me. I mean, you know, I'm not I can't even think of somebody that I know that's Hispanic that that uh that I, you know, that I have a poor opinion about.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:51

Well, and think about it, you know, I work very closely with folks who are entrepreneurs, right? And they're business owners. And they have so much in common with all the plethora of number of business owners that are here.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:03

They face the same challenges, you know, dealing with the same people, same issues, same bills, yeah, same contractors, same everything.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:10

Yeah, same everything. And so, you know, uh a lot of times I feel that, you know, you have more in common than than you might think you do not, you know. And so I always tell folks, like, you know, just try to to and and the same goes the other way, you know, where I tell Hispanics, don't feel uncomfortable, you know. Um be intimidated with me. Yeah, don't be intimidated with it. Yeah. And I think, you know, one of the things, because folks will ask me, they're like, Well, how do you do that, Nancy? Like you can just walk in a room, talk to anybody. And I tell them, I I I don't know the exact answer. Confidence. But confidence.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:48

You have confidence in yourself based on what you've accomplished.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:52

Um But this is even before, and I think a lot of it comes, in my opinion, my upbringing. So when I started in um in Henderson, in I'm sorry, in Houston, Texas, the first place where I grew up in um the first couple of years of my life, um, I lived in an all Hispanic Mexican American Mexican community. And I tell you this because it was Aldean back in the days. And I remember my dad telling me, I will pay you a dollar uh for any white person you can find. Where in all in that community where I grew up.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:28

Did you find one? I couldn't find one.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:29

And he would tell me, I'll pay you five for an African American. You couldn't find one. It was so saturated with nothing but Mexican and Mexican American folks that it was just like, wow. And then we might we moved to um next to the where the church was located, and it was all African American. It was ninety-nine percent African American. And I grew up in that that time in just elementary school, and then when I moved to Henderson, it was all white people. It was all 99% Caucasian. Um and so I did you go to Saddler's Barbecue? We did, yes, yes, we used to go there. Um not that often. No, but I knew it was there. Yes, yes. So you knew about that.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:10

And well, I know one of the owners that used to own it, a guy named Cody Sadler from Henderson.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:15

Yes, yes, absolutely. Um but I I mean, it's so I feel very comfortable with different groups in different settings. Um, is that a nice town? Where?

SPEAKER_02 1:15:27

Did you like living in Henderson? It seemed like a it's a little rural, maybe?

SPEAKER_01 1:15:31

I I enjoyed it. I love the education piece of it. Um because when I came from Houston, um I actually my literacy was very low uh for the age of where I the age group where I should be.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:47

You got more attention in Henderson.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:49

In Henderson. In fact, I will never forget. I was just mentioning this to one of my friends because we just filled out the paperwork for my son who's going into middle school next year, and we had to pick the classes, the curriculum. And I was telling her, you know, when I went there, I remember them pulling my dad to the side and saying, Hey, um, we're thinking of holding Nancy back because her reading and language arts and literacy, it's nowhere where it needs to be. Um, she has very low literacy rates. And my dad and English?

SPEAKER_02 1:16:19

Were you being taught English or Spanish?

SPEAKER_01 1:16:21

English, yeah. It was all English. And so um it's just the schools that I went to were just in the worst of the worst.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:28

And everybody was speaking Spanish during the day at school?

SPEAKER_01 1:16:31

Uh no, no, no, no. When I went in in Houston, it was I went to English speaking uh they did offer that.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:40

All mean was all Hispanic.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:42

In the all Hispanic ones, um, you there was bilingual, so you could choose either or, but when I when I went into it, it was English. My older sisters, they went to all Spanish. Um, just because when I arrived, my older siblings already spoke English, so I spoke already some very good English by the time I got into kindergarten. So me and the one before me did that. But you know, anyways, long story short, uh my dad walked in there and he actually I remember him walking in and then we walked back out to see the counselor or whoever. And I said, Okay, dad, so what's the game plan for next year? And he says, You're going into high school, ninth grade, and I was like, Okay, they just told you that uh my rates are not very, you know, he goes, Oh, and I I enlisted you for all honors classes. And I said, Did you just not hear what he told you? Like, why would you? He said, Because if I don't push you, no one else will. And he pushed me and I took all honors all through high school. Uh, graduated with honors, did amazing. I was the very first Hispanic ever cheerleader in the history of Henderson High School. I can't believe that. Is that right? And my sister um Nidia was the very first uh Hispanic lionette, which is drill team in the history. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:54

You also did well in college, though, I think, didn't you?

SPEAKER_01 1:17:57

I loved college. I actually founded UT Tyler's Hispanic Student Association that's still active to this day. Um my sister Nydia, who started out at TJC, founded the Hispanic Student Organization at TJC that's still active to this day. So we've tried to help, you know, start uh just you know, some presence, you know, some some some uh uh opportunities for Hispanics to be able to become engaged while they're at h in college.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:25

Right, just to meet each other, uh network, you know. Right? I mean kind of like the Alliance has done for businesses.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:33

Correct, yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:34

Now as far as um you know I guess the most unpleasant uh aspect of last year for you guys was most likely uh immigration and ICE, which is still in the news, right? Absolutely. Um the city, the cities and the counties decide how they interact with the general public. I mean, is that something that they ask you about, ask for guidance from the Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Business Alliance? Is there any, you know, collaboration between the law enforcement agencies and the city for what they want to do and how they want to do it?

SPEAKER_01 1:19:12

No, I I wouldn't say there's um they don't reach out to us for any of that stuff. You know, I don't know about the chamber, but I know for us they have not. You know, I've had conversations with our sheriff, you know, I um have great conversations with him. And I feel a very um openness as far as like if I have concerns, you know, I can call him, he'll take my call, he'll answer those calls. So um, you know, I've had a you know, a few of those conversations. Um, but as far as you know, what we've seen in the past, I know that, you know, we even had some business representatives, some that were not even Hispanic, that have came out and just talked a little bit about how certain, you know, laws, how it affects us here locally, you know, in in Tyler and East Texas.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:59

Not just the people who are undocumented.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:01

Correct.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:02

Right? I mean that's what that uh that press conference uh in November uh with different hospitality restaurant construction people was not made up, like we said, of all Hispanic people. It was business owners essentially suggesting that the task force model uh, you know, may not be the best approach for for their business.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:25

Yeah, you know, one of the things that even earlier today, you know, listening to Dr. Perriman, you know, i if if you don't want your um hospitality, healthcare, restaurant, you know, construction in in the other industries to be affected by, you know, to be affected, then you know this is something that's really we need to we need to be able to, like we say, try to come to a good um, you know, agreement that really could be a win-win for everyone. Because, you know, one of the things that, you know, again, I don't know of anyone, Hispanic or not Hispanic, that does not agree with we don't want bad people here, regardless. You know, I think everyone is on the same, you know, and I think sometimes there's a myth or there's, you know, that uh no, they do want everyone. No, no, no one wants that.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:18

You know, nobody wants people that can tell somebody somebody wants to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:23

Yeah, we don't want that in our communities. Nobody does.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:26

Um They can look at you and hear you say that and imagine themselves knowing you that you don't want that in this community for your family either.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:35

Absolutely not, you know.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:36

But it's a little more it's a little murkier, you know, with regard to Hispanic uh population and businesses, their role in it, documented, undocumented. And so my point is, don't you think this ought to be uh thought out, you know, thoroughly before anything is quickly implemented.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:56

Yeah, and I think that one of the things that, you know, going back to what I was mentioning, you know, immigration it's just it's just it's just has not really been looked at comprehensively for decades. And and and it's just it's one of those things. Every president, I think, you know, talks about it, says they're gonna do something about it, and and none of them Or fix it. Or fix it, yes, correct.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:23

And they have not done anything to fix it.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:26

No. The and and you know, the only president that I that you know would say that's even done anything about immigration is it is President Trump, you know. But it's you know, for some people they don't agree with it, some people they do, you know, but uh other ones that that really if we could all have everyone come and have a seat at the table, and when I mean have, I mean all our folks that what we like to solution-oriented people. Yeah. Look at all the things that that um how it it is affecting us, and I mean financial contributions, uh economic impacts, those types of things, and seeing what are the areas, how can we uh work with these groups so that we can continue to enhance our economy, enhance our country. You know, I think that those are the conversations that are very difficult for folks to have nowadays. Politically. Uh-huh. Politically, yeah. And but I think it's really gonna take folks to really sit together and and listen to one another's concerns um and really see like, okay, how it's put them in their shoes. Yeah, and and not get emotionally um involved because you know, you could be emotionally filled about something, but no, no, no. I want to know, like, okay, you know, how is is this hurting our economy? This is gonna, you know, hurt, you know, our our communities, you know. So we need to look at that. We need to really take that seriously and figure out a solution as to how can we benefit from it, but at the same time, you know, not hurt our communities.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:54

Aaron Powell I mean, if people sat down uh and they were responsible for creating a policy and they didn't have to get re-elected, I imagine this problem would have been long fixed, don't you?

SPEAKER_01 1:24:06

I think so.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:07

I mean is it not, you know, the base of you know, of either party and and extremes.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:14

Yeah, but I think it's been for a minute where I feel like, you know, and as far as I can go back, it's even the Obama administration where, you know, folks don't don't want to sit down at the table with, you know, and I play both parties where they don't want to sit together at the table and really discuss this, you know, and and really, you know, come heart to heart with it and figure out like, okay, you know, I hear you, you hear me. And I think, you know, they a lot of them have gone come together, gone close to something, and then something happens, and then that's, you know, all that work is just kind of pushed to the side. So, you know, there's other things. So I think that there's been strides for it to try to make it happen, but it's it's just not there yet.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:57

Aaron Powell Well, that's what I hate in general for the Hispanic community, is because w if you take just DACA, right? I mean, people that were little children and they've been here, graduated from high school, whatever, that's the closest thing that they've gotten to to almost addressing an issue of immigration. But like you said, I mean, it's nowhere being talked about anymore. No, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:25:19

No. And it's kind of like it gets put on the table, then it gets back. And you know, I'm not in their shoes, so I don't know. May you know, there's other things that have to be prioritized. So you're it's getting elected.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:29

I'm saying it's getting elected.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:31

You're sticking to that.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:32

I'm sticking to that because we've seen it. Obama, you know, could have got it and it passed, but that nobody's gonna give him a win. And then when Trump was in, he could have gotten it passed, but they're not gonna give him a win. I know. So that's unfortunate for the Hispanic. And so something's gonna have to happen to change immigration policy.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:49

Yeah, and and I don't know if we're saying you know, this whole deal about, you know, um having more Hispanics that are um elected officials. Elected officials, you know, that's a whole nother conversation on its own. But, you know, folks have have brought that up, you know, number of times. And and and I think also, you know, one of the key things too is that I, and this is just in my personal, you know, not representing anyone or anything, but I've always told folks, I've never at at that point when people asked me, I did not feel the need to have to run for a political office because I felt very strongly that I could literally walk up to any of our local officials and express my concerns to them and they would listen and they would help us navigate the situation.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:39

They'll listen, but you know, especially where we live, there's not much room for them to wiggle. Correct. You know, in the political environment, either in Austin or Washington. Yeah. Right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:26:50

Yeah, you know, but you know, for example, um, you know, when I believe um when the new law came into where the um now our police force had the capability or the ability to ask for immigration, you know.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:04

Ask whether they're a citizen when they made a legal stop.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:07

Correct, yeah. And or what, you know, if they were they were stopped for whatever reason um that they had done, then they could be asked for, you know, things like that. You know, when I when I brought those concerns to, you know, our folks that are, you know, elected or not elected or in those leadership positions, you know, they were very um concerned just as much. And they were like, no, we're not trying to, you know, um racially profile.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:32

Yeah, racially profile. I mean, that was the that was the issue.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:34

Yeah, and I honestly I never felt like it happened, you know. I I I honestly did not feel at that time that any of that happened, you know. I just I always tell myself, you know, like I felt really good about going to these folks, explaining that what the community was asking and sharing with me. And they were it was very well taken, very well accepted. Um, and and so that's one of the things that I feel also that um We need to do also a better job of when you have questions like this, go straight to the source and ask them. You know, go straight to your sheriff, go straight to your city manager, your city mayor, whoever it is, you know, 10, 9 times.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:17

Or or what are they doing?

SPEAKER_01 1:28:19

Because a lot of times we don't even know what they're doing because we don't ask. You know, and sometimes they are working on things that we don't even know that they're working on.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:27

And sometimes, you know, the federal government is not good at execution, right? Like they pass a law or make these grants or these task force things available, but they don't provide a lot of details to local law enforcement on how it's going to operate, right? Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:45

Oh, yeah. I don't know about any of that. We don't deal with any federal, like like you mentioned, I think a while ago, federal grants and stuff. We don't do any of those stuff. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:53

Trevor Burrus, Jr.: There's a s there's state grants, you know, Senate Bill 8 that provides money to help pay for, like you said, if you use local resources to enforce immigration, you know, it costs money locally. But earlier I had said something or asked something about, you know, the implementation of anything from the way it was to a new way, don't you think that it should probably move slower so that people realize its effect as it's taking effect?

SPEAKER_01 1:29:26

You know, just like anything, I think that when you're going to implement any type of program, initiative or plan, you know, you try your best to look to really look at, you know, what are gonna be, how is it gonna be implemented, how is it gonna affect, you know, and and what are gonna be the consequence or the the the um output of all of it. So I think that goes for anything. Cause and effect. Yeah. And so it's one of those things that I I think that, you know, um, and it goes back to, you know, kind of dancing around that area that, you know, you've got to look at, you know, you know, your leadership, it's it they're really enforcing rules that are kind of imposed on them, you know, a lot of the times.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:06

And that's kind of you know they're pressured to enforce those, right? I mean, like if you look at when we talk about 287 uh G, you know, yeah, the sheriff has to sign, right, and agree to. Uh, but I've understood there's a lot of pressure from uh outside uh to, you know, implement those agreements.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:30

Well, and it comes directly from, you know, our governor.

unknown 1:30:33

Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:33

I mean, it comes, you know, and so it's a state principle.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:37

Yeah, and so uh it's it's one of those things too that again, you know, a lot of folks sometimes, you know, they they go hard after the sheriff, but uh you you have to look at the holistic picture, you know, and and see what what he has to do, what he doesn't, you know, because I think it's like over a hundred from a hundred thousand over populate to five hundred grant thousand, I think, or something like that population.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:57

For a hundred thousand dollar grant. You can get a hundred thousand dollar grant from the state uh if you provide information, and that's none of these grants are absolute. Just like none of the money from the federal government or from ICE, it's absolute. If you look it up, you'll see there's a lot of questions, and so it's not even for sure you'll get the money, and so that's where I go back to uh shouldn't it be implemented with a lot of thought before we jump into something uh because are the negatives gonna outweigh the positives?

SPEAKER_00 1:31:30

Well, that's a sheriff question.

SPEAKER_02 1:31:33

Yeah, I mean that and you know, in fairness, I don't know uh you know, I know our next door neighbor in Longview um stayed on the jail model.

SPEAKER_01 1:31:43

Oh yeah, that we believe so. You're right.

SPEAKER_02 1:31:45

And um I just wondered what the thought process is, you know, for that. And obviously you're not the one to answer that question, but um hopefully um and I'm sure you're uh of this opinion, hopefully, you know, things stay calmed down, yeah, remain as they are, and that we the people that live in Smith County and Tyler do everything we can do amongst ourselves to have the best place to live, the most prosperous for er as many people as possible, right? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:16

No, absolutely. You know, and that's one of the things that we do have in common, you know, Hispanic or any other demographic group. I think that we all want that in line, like what you just mentioned. You know, we all want that to be the the the goal, right? To be able to live in aone that I've spoken to, regardless of whatever demographic or group, um, they all feel the same way. They're like Tyler is a special place. I love Tyler. They've always felt that way about Tyler. Then, you know, that's why we have a lot of folks that come here. In fact, you know, in earlier luncheon, you know, they brought up the question of what about all these folks that are coming in that are from other states?

SPEAKER_03 1:32:56

California.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:57

Yes, that we're having a number of folks that are coming in from our neighboring states, but also from California, New York, you know, all these folks are figuring out about Thailand.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:06

I hear people complain about that all the time, like uh don't come here and don't come here and change our our way of life.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:14

Um But I but I don't think and I and I and one of the things too, I also don't think that, you know, and this is me coming back to where, you know, a lot of my family is still in Houston. And so I I I surround myself with uh with in Houston in an environment where it's just everyone's different and and it's almost as if that's just sharished, you know. That's very it's not frowned upon to be different or to have different opinions.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:40

In Houston.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:41

It's encouraged, you know? And so I think that's one of the things that, you know, and Tyler, you know, we we love it. In fact, there was a gentleman, and I don't know who it was, he was a TikToker, I believe. He drove by hu by East Texas, and he said, you know, we hear a lot about Austin and Dallas and Houston and all these different and down south board towns. He goes, I've never heard about East Texas, and now I know why, because y'all don't want to tell us about East Texas. Look, and he switched to camera and he says, Look how beautiful it is. And he just went on and on and said, you know, it's just a beautiful place out here. Like I am just shocked, and now I know why you guys never talk about it because y'all don't want us to get, you know, get the secret out.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:22

Well, you know, it's funny you say that. Um the motivation behind this podcast was the impressive people of all uh you know that live here in East Texas. Uh and and that's really what the show is meant to highlight uh just regionally amongst ourselves. So be sure and uh like and share.

SPEAKER_01 1:34:43

Yes, please make sure you like and share.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:46

Has anyone ever approached you, Nancy, and said, Hey, we think you should run for office city council, uh county commissioner, anything?

SPEAKER_01 1:34:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:55

And uh have you ever said yes?

SPEAKER_01 1:34:56

No.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:57

Uh I do you have any intention of ever saying yes?

SPEAKER_01 1:35:00

No.

SPEAKER_02 1:35:01

All right. You I mean, you're so much sweeter than I am. Um and as much as I would love to be a part of the solution, and I think I would be good at coming up with solutions. I know the political I do not have the political demeanor, okay? I would be, you know what I'm saying? I would get aggravated, you know what I'm saying? But that doesn't seem to be your problem. So what is it?

SPEAKER_01 1:35:24

Well, I think because you have to understand, you know, all I I I love a lot of our politicians. They are great people. They are I mean, they are just um and and so I think a lot of the times, again, we forget that they are just as human as us and they face a lot of trials and challenges just like any one of us. And so I think sometimes we we don't give them as much grace as we should. Um, because a lot of times, you know, we're wanting to push an agenda, which and I get it, you know, at the same time, but I think that for you for someone to listen to you, you can't you can't go off on, you know, uh be very, you know, rough around the edges with them, you know, you gotta because they're because think about it, you know, no one I worked in retail for a while and and for one of our Fortune 500 companies, and I'm telling you that, you know, when customers come or clients come at you screaming and yelling, you almost are like kind of like, okay, hold on, you know, like, but when someone comes to you in a nice way and says, Hey, you know, I have a problem, you know, da-da-da, whatever, you know. So I think a lot of times, you know, we forget to to try to work with them, you know, instead of attacking them. Um, and and yes, things don't always go our way, you know. Uh I it's one of those things that, you know, as a Hispanic um daughter of an immigrant, you know, uh granddaughter of a migrant worker, you know, like none of this stuff a lot of times have gone my way, you know, and I've been stereotyped, I've been called names, I've been you called racist things, you know, and I've name it, I've, you know, and it's one of those things where, you know, I I give grace to a lot of folks because we never know the things that they're d having to go through.

SPEAKER_02 1:37:06

Judge you not lest you be judged yourself.

SPEAKER_01 1:37:08

Well, and I'm also a preacher's daughter. So, you know, I I have the uh, you know, empathy, a lot of empathy and and and you know, heart for a lot of these folks because I genuinely care. I genuinely care about our community, I genuinely care for the future of our uh country. I genuinely care about just what kind of environment, you know, our children are living are gonna be in, you know, when I'm no longer here, you know. So there's so much that we are are vested in that we should all be invested in to wanting to get a better uh country, a better community, a better city, a better county, whatever you know you want to look at it. So I think that sometimes, you know, again, going back around the table and being able to really have those heart-to-heart conversations. Because sometimes, you know, even myself, you become educated when someone tells you, no, Nancy, I can't do that, and you're like, but why? You know, and then they tell you why because of this.

SPEAKER_02 1:38:05

And you're like, Many times things are more complicated than they're presented. Almost nine out of ten times.

SPEAKER_01 1:38:12

They're very complicated. And you think, no, it's just A to you know, A to B. And they're like, No, no, no, Nancy, I have to go through all this to get to get to that.

SPEAKER_02 1:38:20

Well, I I I think you would agree with this. We live in a great country, especially if the standard is all the other countries outside the U.S.

SPEAKER_00 1:38:28

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 1:38:28

Um and even when things, as you say, don't go your way or people are discriminated against or what have you, and the hope is that that decreases and eventually is completely eliminated. But um it's still the place has uh has been well for you and your family, has it not?

SPEAKER_01 1:38:46

Absolutely. Yes. We we love it here. You know, I um and I and when I was younger, I really got to enjoy a lot of both worlds because you know, dad had different jobs, even though he was a pre minister, a preacher, um he never took salary from there. So he he had his own jobs and one of the jobs he had is he worked for um an airport um um there in in Houston and um he would receive free air one free air for airfare for him and his family once a year. And we would go to Mexico every year, but we would go to different parts of Mexico because he wanted to ensure that. No, not Mexico. But we he wanted us to take us to the history so we could learn. So we went to Guadalajara, Monterrey, you know, Mexico, uh the Ciudad de Mexico, DF. So we went to all these places. We visited all the pyramids, uh, we visited all these historical things that he wanted, they wanted us to really know these are your roots, this is where you, your, your um family, indigenous, all that comes from here, you know, and and dad at the very end, uh dad came, um, he was born in what's called Piedras Negras Coahuila, which is right on the border, it's a border uh in in Mexico. Uh Pieronegras Coahuila, it's on the border, and what Pieronegras Coahuila, what separates it from from the US is the Rio Grande. And where my dad grew up, um, my grandma owned land and she owned a farm. Um, and you literally take some steps down and you are at Rio Grande, which in make in Mexico we call it El Rio Bravo. And dad grew up there, and dad was is he's an excellent swimmer because he was just always swimming and going and fishing and you know, playing out, you know, and stuff. And so that's where I learned how to swim, you know, because we would go every summer over there and visit the family. We would swim in Rio Grande all the time and um and really enjoy, and we would go during Christmas, so enjoyed a lot of the uh festivities that would happen during that time frame and uh a lot of religious festivities. So I really got to embrace and learn a lot about the culture and just how um people lived in Mexico and and it really also made me appreciate a lot of what I had. Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:41:09

The poverty, the poverty there uh in many areas is you know, would make anybody stop complaining if they saw it. And we did. I mean, like I mean um and it's I mean, because you see it if you go to Mexico. Aaron Ross Powell, Jr.

SPEAKER_01 1:41:23

Yeah. Even though we lived in ourselves in poverty in Houston, you know, um that's a different kind of thing. It was nothing close to the folks were having to to endure. And so uh, you know, it's one of those things again, you know, where uh I'm very grateful that you know my parents decided to come to to Houston and to start a family, you know, and and to for us also the key, my mom and dad were educated.

SPEAKER_02 1:41:51

And so they were very much inclined to they had a head start in the United States if they were here educated, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:41:57

Yeah, they were educated and they both came in. You know, father, you know, was able to get his citizenship through the the school of preaching and they helped him and stuff like that. So he was able to get all of that. So we did have a you know a head start, and and mom was very um, of course, she was a nurse and had studied to become a nurse. She was so she was very adamant, you guys will become go to college. You will go to college. We didn't know how to do it. The you know, all my sisters attended, uh started off in junior colleges, Kilgore College, TJC, et cetera. But um, and I was the first to attend a four-year institution, which was something that back in those days was unheard of. For a Hispanic, Latina person or Latino-Latina to start not at a junior college was very, very rare. And so we were blessed with that opportunity, and it was again navigating through it, but you know, by the grace of God, we were able to do it.

SPEAKER_02 1:42:52

Well, look, I want to end with this. I appreciate you being on the show and giving us your perspective. And I'm hopeful that it's helpful to many of the people that'll watch this to see somebody that they don't know of a different race, a different culture, different upbringing. But they see so much of of of the same in themselves when they hear and talk hear you talk about yourself and your family. Tell us what you hope for Tyler in Smith County in the East Texas area in the coming years. And we'll end on that.

SPEAKER_01 1:43:20

Oh wow. Well, you know, I hope that we will continue to uh grow. Uh and and when I mean grow, I mean not only obviously population will grow, but as far as like um grow in in in alliances with one another, to be able to um you love one another. You know, I you know, I talked to, you know, a friend of mine and we're always saying, love thy neighbor, you know, to always uh love on one another and and understand that, you know, everybody walk has a different walk of life, you know, um, but we have more in common than what we think. And and that's one of the things that I think if we ever just say, you know, invite someone to a cup of coffee and you will be blown away at just how much more you have in common than you don't. Um and that goes for um, you know, as any of your Hispanic or Latino uh friends that you may have or just acquaintances, you know, invite them for a cup of coffee and and you will be um just astonished at the same time.

SPEAKER_03 1:44:15

About a beer instead. Which tequila, whatever fluts you're about.

SPEAKER_01 1:44:21

But yeah, I think it's just one of those things where you know you would be surprised, especially, you know, if you know uh if you want to go talk to a business owner, you know, I'd be more than glad to help you to connect you uh with someone because because like I said, you know, we have so much more in common. And I think a lot of us have most importantly, our goal is very common where we want to see Tyler, we want to see um uh Smith County, we want to see East Texas become prosperous. We want to see that in the future. Um, and and I think you know, a lot of it is just us becoming more educated, becoming more knowledgeable on things, and and asking the right people for this information.

SPEAKER_02 1:45:01

All right, well, want to uh harness the power of the Hispanic community, uh, make an alliance with the Hispanic Business Alliance. Thank you, Nancy.

SPEAKER_01 1:45:10

Thank you.