By Luis Granados, MEDA CEO
This week I came to the end of a journey in one of the most transformational and meaningful experiences of my personal and professional life- my three- year tenure as the Chair of the Board of Directors of UnidosUS.
When I joined the UnidosUS Board of Directors in 2017, I brought to this role values grounded in my own experience growing up as a Border kid in Juarez, Mexico, and immigrating to the United States at the age of 13. My parents worked tirelessly to build our future, eventually purchasing a home and sending me to college as a first generation college student. Their hard work paved the way for my own career, and the success of my family and generations to come.
Joining UnidosUS has been a way for me to help ensure Latinos all over the United States have opportunities like I did, and that we are doing everything within our power to dismantle structural barriers that keep Latinos from achieving their dreams.
MEDA’s CEO Luis Granados in 2023 while moderating the panel Cultivating Health Equity Through Homeownership.
Reflecting back to 2017, the status of Latinos in the United States was also exceptionally challenging. We were wholesale being labeled as criminals. Our people were being held in cages. And, two years later we were gunned down in El Paso– solely for being Latino.
At that time, I was contributing to make things better through our good work at MEDA in San Francisco, but it was clear some of the challenges and solutions went far beyond our City. They had to be addressed at the national level.
For me, joining the UnidosUS Board was a way to contribute to the national strategy to build a better future for Latinos in the US. It has been an inspiration to be surrounded by thousands of people in the UnidosUS network who are working to do the same. UnidosUs gave a new dimension to my work, and another reason for being.
Luis Granados at UnidosUS Conference in 2023.
I am glad to say that today UnidosUS is as strong as it has ever been, and has a clear vision for this country, and for our Latino community
As I transition out of the Board Chair role, I want to thank the following people:
The UnidosUS staff is brilliant, talented and committed and I thank you for your support.
The UnidosUS Board of accomplished, dedicated and passionate professionals share my own lived experience, and many have been the first in their family to graduate college, or the first doctor, the first lawyer. I have learned so much from each of you, and am proud that you have become my friends and extended family.
Working closely with the iconic and inspirational leader, Janet Murgía has been a most meaningful experience for me. Thank you Janet for trusting me with this great responsibility to serve as Board Chair and to work alongside you in our shared mission. Your energy and drive to affect positive change is second to none.
Luis Granados and Janet Murguia at ¡VIVA MEDA! 50 in 2023.
It has truly been a privilege to serve UnidosUS and its 300+ affiliates. Collectively, we understand the gravity of the challenges ahead facing Latinos. But we draw strength and a shared vision from one another. When I am in the company of the UnidosUS affiliate network, I know for certain that our future is bright.
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