Letters - Letter to the Editor

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino, August-Sept, 2003

Dear Editor,

Thank you for listening to your readers. I believe you are doing important work highlighting the accomplishments of Latinos from all walks of life. There is no shortage of admirable leaders in our communities. Here in Sacramento I admired our deceased mayor, Joe Serna, who tackled the issue of our public schools, and our out-going police chief, Arturo Venegas, who created a more diverse police force and improved community relations.

However, one of the most inspiring and creative leaders I have known is Sylvia Villalobos, co-founder of the International World Peace Rose Gardens (IWPRG).

Her list of accomplishments is long:

* Single mom whose children have obviously been inspired by her example and hard work.

* Past director of Centro Guadalupe Social Service Agency. Under her leadership the agency blossomed. She successfully developed a team of volunteers and inspired a small staff to create and maintain an impressive array of services for Latino families, migrant workers, and youth.

* Co-founder of IWPRG, creating beautiful rose gardens in California and around the world. The latest accomplishment was creating a World Peace Rose Garden on the state Capitol grounds in Sacramento--no small feat! It took about seven years to sell the idea to the powers that be and to acquire one of the most valuable pieces of land in California for this project.

IWPRG has been invited to establish rose gardens in Vietnam and Rio de Janeiro.

And when has Sylvia found time to co-ordinate this international project? For the most part in her "spare time" with donations and paying out of her pocket!

Diana Martinez

Sacramento, CA

Gentlemen,

First let me congratulate you on your excellent magazine, focusing on our Latino leaders in the USA. I anxiously await each issue!

However, the last two issues of Latino Leaders have stated that Uruguayan Luis Rossi's newspaper La Raza, which has been published since 1983, is the oldest Spanish-language newspaper in the United States. That claim is not true. That honor belongs to the Los Angeles La Opinion, which has been published daily since 1926, several decades before our Uruguayan gentleman was born!

I would like to suggest that Monica Lozano, who runs it, is an ideal candidate for a Latino Leaders' article.

Robert Orona

Pico Rivera, CA,