Business

The Baltimore Hispanic Chamber of Commerce hosts a Christmas party

In 25 years, chamber's prestige has grown with Hispanic population
By JILIAN MINCER, The Kansas City Star

Manny Lopez is a successful entrepreneur with two popular restaurants and a 12-acre site in Johnson County, but he never will forget the obstacles he faced early in his career.

Thirty years ago, Hispanic business owners got little respect, faced lots of prejudice and had little access to capital. In 1977, some of them established the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City to help address these and other issues.

"We wanted to be recognized as professional men and women," said Lopez, who was one of the original 25 members and has served on the organization's board. "We were capable of running businesses, we were capable of education."

The chamber, which celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this month, has seen its membership, programming and prestige rise, especially in recent years as the local Hispanic population has soared.

"The Hispanic chamber is all about teaching young entrepreneurs," said Lopez. "There is a lot of education, mentoring and networking."

The original members wanted to establish an organization that would represent the interests of Hispanic business owners because many were not getting the general contracts they were eligible for, said Henri Watson. Others also needed additional training because they knew their industries but needed more business knowledge.

"I think it has made a tremendous difference," said Watson, a lawyer who was involved with the chamber in its early years. "It's made individuals more aware of their rights and also brought the Hispanic business community together, which is an important goal."

The Kansas City chamber now has about 270 members and continues to grow. Some members are small-business owners seeking basic business training. Many are professionals with private practices. Others are large corporations that work with the chamber because they want to attract and retain Hispanic employees and clients.

"It's an exciting time for business development," said CiCi Rojas, president of the chamber.
When Rojas became president two years ago, the organization had two employees -- Rojas and a part-time administrator. It has since added two staff members and a satellite office in Kansas City, Kan.

"If I could have a staff of 10, it would probably not be enough," she said.
Rojas said the metropolitan area now has about 1,000 Hispanic-owned businesses, including about 280 in Kansas City, Kan.

The chamber has a good reputation nationwide and has produced national leaders, including Michael Barrera and founding member Hector Barreto Sr.

Barrera was chairman of the organization before becoming ombudsman of the U.S. Small Business Administration's Regulatory Enforcement Program in 2001. Barreto established the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which moved its headquarters from Kansas City to Washington. His son, Hector V. Barreto Jr., is administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

There were 1.2 million Hispanic-owned firms in the United States in 1997, according to a report released in 2001 by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. These businesses employed more than 1.3 million people and generated $186.3 billion in revenue.

Much of the growth locally has come in the last decade, as the Hispanic population in the area has climbed. The local Hispanic population more than doubled in the last 10 years, climbing from 41,577 in 1990 to 87,179 in 2000.

While Kansas City long has had a vibrant Hispanic population, many newcomers have come to the community in recent years seeking jobs that pay $8 to $9 an hour. Others are professionals from either coast, who have come to the Kansas City area because it is less expensive to launch a business.

As a result, dozens of mom-and-pop markets, restaurants, tailors, translators and other service businesses have sprung up in the last two or three years to serve the growing Hispanic populations in Olathe; Kansas City, Kan.; and along Independence Avenue in Kansas City, in addition to the city's traditionally Hispanic West Side.

At the same time, the city has seen a significant increase in the number of Hispanic professionals. Some decided to open businesses because they identified an unmet need, especially in the Spanish-speaking community. Others have decided to go out on their own after getting frustrated by the glass ceiling.

"Even though there are a lot of mom-and-pop stores, a lot more Latinos are going to college and becoming professionals," said Stephanie De La Torre, who is a member of the chamber's board of directors and owns a chiropractic practice in Kansas City, Kan.

Like De La Torre, these individuals are everything from doctors and lawyers to Web designers and engineers.
De La Torre said her chiropractic practice has flourished, especially since she moved it from Overland Park to Kansas City, Kan., to be closer to many of her Hispanic clients.

"The chamber has really helped me get my name out there," she said. "It has enabled me to talk to other Hispanic and Latino professionals."

Being bilingual is a real plus, De La Torre said, because many of her patients are Hispanic. The female patients like going to a woman, and the male patients "don't think that I'll hurt them."

Manuel David launched Global Control Systems, an Overland Park custom engineering company, 21/2 years ago. He also said the chamber had been extremely helpful for networking.

"I've met a lot of people through the chamber," he said. "It's also made me a little prouder of being Hispanic and a business owner."

Carlos Ledesma, who this month received the chamber's Jessie Flores Businessperson of the Year Award, joined the chamber because he wanted to get more involved in the community.

Ledesma, who now owns Cable Dahmer Chevrolet, wanted to help other Hispanic youths because a teacher had changed his life.

The chamber hooked him up with the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute, which works to prepare Hispanic high school students for the work force.

Enrique Chavez, chairman of the chamber's board, said one of the biggest obstacles for the organization is getting "corporate America to see that we are more than restaurants and service businesses. We're not just a labor force."

The chamber, he said, needs to help corporations recognize that Hispanics are potential employees, consumers and business partners.

The organization also needs to mentor small-business owners and work to help young people get the education and skills they need for the work force.

Manny Lopez recalled what a difference the chamber made for him and other Hispanic business owners.
"It was very competitive, very tough," he said, referring to his early years as a restaurant owner. "Corporate America wasn't quite ready for Hispanic men and women to develop themselves."

He and other Hispanics often experienced racism and bigotry. He recalled one incident that occurred when he was a young man. He ordered a hamburger at a downtown restaurant and was forced "to get his to go" because he was Hispanic.

In 1979, Lopez borrowed $50,000 at 22.5 percent interest and bought that 35-seat restaurant. Today he owns half the block, four parking lots and the restaurant, which now seats 500.

"The local chamber was a crutch for me," said Lopez, who has also served eight years on the board of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "I knew if I was going to fall, it would help me."