ONE BADILLO, ONE UPROAR
In his “controversial manifesto,” titled “One Nation, One Standard,” Herman Badillo has managed to create a unified voice of discontent within the Latino community in New York City. Was this part of his plan to market the book? This image was taken during an interview in November of 2005 for Producciones Entre Nos’ Emmy-Award winning program, “En La Punta de la Lengua,” broadcasted in Puerto Rico. Mr. Badillo commented on the efforts of Bronx Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo, as well as his own, in creating special opportunities for immigrants to help them with English language skills.
Image: grupoHuracán Click here to view the clip in Spanish (requires QuickTime).


n Tuesday, excerpts of Herman Badillo's upcoming book, "One Nation, One Standard," “leaked” into a New York City tabloid, where, among other things, Badillo criticizes Latino parents for not taking the education of their children seriously. In some of the passages, he states that "Hispanics have failed to assume responsibility for their children's welfare...Hispanic parents rarely get involved with their children's schools. They seldom attend parent-teacher conferences, ensure that children do their homework or inspire their children to dream of attending college."

Playing to the theme of his book, he goes on by saying that “Hispanic immigrants would be better served by embracing the American ideal of one nation, one standard.

Even before the book has hit the stores, Badillo, the former borough president of the Bronx, Congressman and chancellor of the City University of New York, has managed to shake and rattle the community with just a few excerpts, apparently building a mob of anticipation. Was this a brilliant marketing ploy? What if the rest of the book is devoted to praise for the many people and struggles within the Latino experience? What if he has a hidden agenda behind this book?

While the knee-jerk reaction to the excerpts have been mostly negative, it is likely that people will buy the book to see how far he goes.

Of course, with only a few promotional copies of the book floating around, it is difficult to gauge the full picture Mr. Badillo paints and it is just as hard to see how the community will react. But we are talking about Latinos in New York, a hardened bunch who occasionally wait for the smoke to clear before coming out swinging. This is not one of those occasions. As the Latino community continues to struggle against discrimination, disenfranchisement, soaring costs of living and obtuse immigration policies, having “one of our own” talking negatively about our conduct and resolve in an environment of economic apartheid, waiting for the smoke to clear is an option that, as we see, few are exercising.

Although the Penguin Group, his publisher, calls it a “controversial manifesto,” “One Nation, One Standard” is not a call for communist reform in America. Instead, the book is billed as Badillo’s observation and solution to the various problems that plague the Latino community in New York and the United States.

Bronx Democratic leader José Rivera was one of the early members of the community to chime in. Rivera sees Badillo as being responsible for a good part of the educational policies that were established during his numerous elected posts from 1965, when he became Bronx Borough President, to 2001, when he stepped down as education special counsel and CUNY Chairman to run for Mayor. "He was part of the system that miseducated our children for many years. We are constantly being shortchanged," stated Rivera.

So with a few excerpts and a few copies, Mr. Badillo has bounced back into the Latino consciousness after his failed bid for Mayor back in 2001. Some early critics have stated that he’s lashing back at the community for not supporting him enough during that mayoral run (after switching to the Republican Party) and his prior failed bid for City Comptroller, where he lost to Alan Hevesi. 

Late last year I interviewed Mr. Badillo regarding the career and impact of Bronx Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo. Badillo recalled the positive efforts made between them in establishing bi-lingual education (something he is now opposed to) and other pedagogical efforts in the Bronx, including the establishment of the Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College.

Badillo did not mention his book at the time. Instead, he painted an inspiring portrait of himself and Assemblywoman Arroyo regarding their experience in building a more specialized educational system to help Latinos who recently migrated to the city with little or no grasp of the English language. At no point did he ever blame parents or the community for not being more active in their children’s education. Instead, he acknowledged that recent migrants should be afforded special opportunities to build their English language capacity so they can better cope with their new environment.

“[Arroyo] and I recognized the importance of bi-lingual education because if a child comes to this country, to New York, like I did at the age of about 12, without knowing English, it’s difficult to acclimate to a culture you’re not familiar with. That’s why you need special help. And that’s why we developed the bi-lingual educational programs -- to make sure an individual can use their ability to speak in Spanish to progress and learn English. [Carmen Arroyo] developed this perspective through her relationship with the students and parents in our neighborhood of the South Bronx.”

Listening to Badillo at the time I immediately thought of the legacies of Antonia Pantoja, Richie Perez and others who’ve struggled to improve education and political awareness for Latinos in New York. Could we continue to (or did we ever) see Herman Badillo in the same sphere as these leaders?

“I doubt if our political, social and economic growth would be where it is today without the achievements of Herman Badillo,” wrote Congressman José Serrano in a statement released Tuesday. Serrano framed his reaction to Badillo’s excerpts in two parts; the ascension of a trailblazing Democratic politician who later turns to the Dark Side -- coincidently, around the time he switches political parties in the late 1990s. “The Herman Badillo of the last 10 years is a bitter and angry person who seems highly hurt by his inability to become mayor of our city. He lashes out at the very people who are part of the community that launched his career...[he] seems to have lost respect for our community,” Serrano continued.

Angelo Falcón, executive director of the National Institute for Latino Policy, said, "His message can be positive, but the problem is that he writes as if all the people that fail in education are Hispanics, when this happens in all communities."

Some members of the community appreciated Badillo’s candor. Henry Calderón, President of the East Harlem Chamber of Commerce, sided with Badillo’s take on the responsibility of parents. “It does not matter if there is a majority chorus wailing that the educational system is under funded and overcrowded.  It is the involvement of the parent(s) or legal guardians in their child's education which is the tipping point in achieving academic success.”

Gerson Borrero, the columnist of “Bajo Fuego” in el diario/LA PRENSA, attempted to reach Mr. Badillo. When he didn’t return his calls, Mr. Borrero assumed that “He’s probably busy with Lou Dobbs, preparing a program in some state along the Mexican border so that ‘one of our own’ can justify his xenophobia.”

Of course, after millions of people go out and buy the book out of anger, we’ll probably see a new wave of reactions and maybe even talk show segments devoted to this. Can you think of a better marketing strategy? Badillo managed to get the immidiate attention of a lot of people. And as history would prove, people are at their most devoted, unified and strongest when there is great tragedy (9/11) or when they’re pissed off (WTO, immigration, etc.).

But what if soon after the book becomes an international best-seller, he comes on "El Show de Cristina" and announces that “I was just kidding! I love and admire my Puerto Rican and Latino community. And to demonstrate the depth of my appreciation, I am taking the proceeds of the book and, with the help of my friends at Sullivan, Papain, Block, McGrath & Cannavo, I will build a progressive, bi-lingual college for the study of politics, business and education -- with free tuition for poor Latinos and immigrants in New York City.”

Yea...right...

From the little that can be assessed thus far, Mr. Badillo seems to shift responsibility away from the bureaucracy of our ill-conceived educational system and into the hands of our community and families. I’ve always thought the consensus was that both, government and the “village” played an almost equal important role in the development of our children. So if “One Nation, One Standard,” is an admission to how government has floundered, why stop at education? Our military policies overseas can use a major overhaul. And we can argue that law enforcement at home hasn’t panned out too well either. So we should take on more responsibility in policing ourselves. But in order to enhance our personal development and security at home we’ll need a budget. And now that our own Congressman Charles Rangel will be heading the House Ways and Means Committee, we can fast-track a shift in our tax policies to compliment Mr. Badillo’s perspectives on the ills of our community. In a free-market society, money is always the answer to everything. By redistributing a sliver off the departments of Education, Justice and Defense budgets directly into our bank accounts and local development corporations, the natives may become more inspired to nurture their posterity. Aren’t Republicans always clamoring about having a smaller government? Perhaps Mr. Badillo is really on to something here.