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| Spring 2008 Commencement Speaker
Antonia Hernandez
President and Chief Executive Officer
California Community Foundation
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Nationally recognized for her commitment toward the betterment of underserved communities in Los Angeles and beyond, Antonia Hernández oversees all operational and programmatic aspects of the foundation’s activities.
Previously, Hernández was President and General Counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF ), a national nonprofit litigation and advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the civil rights of the nation’s Latinos through the legal system, community education, and research and policy initiatives.
An expert in philanthropy, civil rights and immigration issues, Hernández began her legal career as a staff Attorney with the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice and worked as Counsel to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary before joining MALDEF in 1981 as Regional Counsel in Washington, D.C. Hernández is a trustee for the Rockefeller Foundation and a member of the Boards of Directors of the American Constitution Society, the national American Automobile Association, the Automobile Club of Southern California and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LIS C). She currently serves on commissions, advisory boards and committees, including the Commission on Presidential Debates, the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University, the JFK Library Foundation Profile in Courage Award Committee and the UCLA School of Law Board of Advisors. She is a frequent public speaker and has received a number of honorary degrees and awards. Hernández is a member of the State Bar of California, District of Columbia Bar, American Bar Association and the Mexican American Bar Association of Los Angeles and a fellow of the American Law Institute.
Hernández earned her Bachelor of Arts in history at the University of California, Los Angeles and a Juris Doctor at the UCLA School of Law.
| Commencement Speech
| Good morning. Student Regent Camarillo, President Natalicio, distinguished members of the stage party, UTEP faculty and staff, parents and family members, and members of the graduating Class of 2008, thank you for giving me the honor and privilege to be part of this special occasion.
First I want to tell you how very happy I am to be here. Every time I come here, I delight in the beautiful Bhutanese architecture, and now I see there are a few new structures – the parking garage, the Bio-Science Building and the Hilton Garden Inn. There is one particular building that is dear to my heart. It exists because of the work I did when I was president and chief counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, better known as MALDEF. In 1987, MALDEF sued the State of Texas for discrimination against Mexican Americans in south Texas because of inadequate funding of colleges. Because of that suit, the legislature changed the funding mechanism for the University of Texas System, and this school received more money.
But the real reason I feel especially at home here is because 80% of the graduates are of Mexican American descent and 75% are first-generation college graduates. I am both.
I also know the hard work you have gone through to be here — all of you from the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Engineering and Science, and University College.
I know what you have been through to get here today because I went through the same thing — in California. My parents came from Torreón, Mexico to Los Angeles to seek a better life. My father was a gardener and laborer; my mother, a homemaker raising six children who also worked. As a young immigrant arriving in 1956, I was struck by how big it was, and wondered how I would fit in. I took care of my brothers and sisters while my parents worked, and earned money selling my mother’s homemade tamales. My first job was working in a fruit and vegetable store, where Jewish families owned the neighboring shops. It was there that I learned to value diversity. I spent summers picking peaches and tomatoes in the farmlands of Central California, dreaming about someday going to college. It was all a young immigrant Chicana living in the ‘60s was allowed to do. And like you, I pulled up my bootstraps and made that dream a reality. I had to because my parents sacrificed everything they could to help me with school. The same was true of my brothers and sisters, and we became the first generation in our family to graduate from college.
This institution has and continues to represent the dreams, goals and aspirations of working class immigrant communities. It is in places like UTEP that the American dream is realized every day. So what can I share with you, in a few minutes, that will resonate with your reality and be of some use as you move on?
First, we are living through challenging and exciting times. The world is shrinking. We come from every part of the world, different in culture, language and religion, but sharing our common humanity. Whether native or immigrant, we all are seeking the American dream living and working side by side trying to find common ground. This year’s presidential race has been the most diverse in history and is drawing tremendous interest from 18-29 year old voters. That thrills me to no end because I have three children in that age group, a group that represents our future leaders. So no matter where you stand politically, you must exercise your right to vote.
Second, technology is accelerating the pace of change so fast that the only constant variable in our lives is change. Today, learning is a life-long endeavor. Your education and degree will allow you to earn a living, but even more important will be your ability to adapt to change and constantly reinvent yourself throughout your life. Embrace change – it is only through change that things improve.
Equally important are the life skills that you have learned at UTEP. The more complicated the world gets, the more you will need to rely on the fundamental and shared values that enabled you to get here and succeed. You worked hard, but you did not do it alone; it was the sacrifices and encouragement of your family, friends and teachers that helped you along the way. As we travel the vagaries of life’s journey, we all know that the only real certainty in life is the love of family and friends.
Another essential is respect for differences in this diverse and varied society. Differences must never be used as an excuse to avoid working to strengthen our common humanity.
America is at an important juncture in its history. Many perceive us as a deeply divided nation, alienated and estranged from the world. It is your responsibility to show this nation and the world that is not the case.
You must show the world that, to be an American, one does not have to look, speak or practice in one particular way. To be an American means that we are a tolerant people, hard working, innovative, entrepreneurial and have a deep commitment to democracy and equality. To be an American is to have a common set of values and to believe in an ideal.
Today, we are fighting in foreign lands in the name of bringing democracy to the world. However we feel about our foreign policy, we must be committed to the American ideals of justice, equality, fair play, self-government and all the responsibilities that come with them.
You are well prepared for this challenge. While attending UTEP you had to navigate in a complex, diverse and multiethnic environment. Your president and all those associated with this school have devoted themselves to creating an environment where differences are acknowledged and respected. But they have not for a moment forgotten the common purpose that unites you — a thirst for knowledge, a determination to become better educated and an understanding of the benefits of an education. You learned not just from books but also from your fellow students, people whose origins and cultures are different. Those lessons also prepared you for what lies ahead.
Apply those lessons in your work place and in your personal life. Embrace and enlarge your circle of friends to include people who are different, not only in ethnicity, religion, culture and lifestyle, but also in political philosophy. We are a country of immigrants. This country has succeeded for over 200 years by remaking itself, by constantly weaving a new tapestry, at times reluctant to include newcomers and those perceived to be different. I challenge you to be the generation that shows the world tolerance and how to live in peace.
And finally, work at combining your passion for your work and sharing your skills and talents with others. That is the magic of life. I have been blessed with a career that combines my passion for serving the public good with practicing my craft. And my rewards have been bountiful.
Your destiny awaits you too. Have fun, live every day surrounded by family and friends, working at a job that you love, participating in the civic life of your community and sharing your many gifts with those less fortunate. So go forth and celebrate your accomplishments, class of ’08.
Congratulations! |
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