One of every three Hispanic students does not complete high school and only 10 percent of Hispanics graduate from four-year colleges and universities, according to White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. In an effort to increase college participation rates among Hispanic students, the Hispanic community is taking measures into their own hands through programs like the Hispanic Youth Symposium. The Hispanic College Fund sponsors intensive 3 night, four day workshops around the country that allows students to network among peers, hear from inspiring motivational speakers and speak with professionals in various career fields. The valuable information students recieve could potentially change the direction of their futures.

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Cultural Bridges Under Construction

 

The President and CEO of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has a vision and a plan for bringing Hispanic and American communities together.

From classrooms to workrooms, Michael Zajur, is working to help bridge cultural gaps in Virginia. As a restaurateur and president and CEO of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, he helps Hispanics adapt to the American culture, while introducing Americans to Hispanic culture.

Zajur and his family migrated from Mexico to Richmond when he was just a young child. After arriving to the U.S, Zajur’s parents opened one of the first local Mexican restaurants to introduce the community to the Hispanic culture.

Looking back on his childhood, he finds it hard to believe this is the same city he grew up in.

“Richmond is more diverse now, it has lots of different cultures, and I think that’s important for a city of this size to resemble and showcase the diverse populations you have,” Zajur said.

In recent years the Hispanic population has increased dramatically. According to estimates from the U.S Census Bureau, as of 2006, Hispanics made up 44.3 million of the U.S Population, making Hispanics the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority. In Richmond, Hispanics account for 3.2 percent of the population.

Zajur recalls when he and his family first arrived in Virginia, locals weren’t familiar with the Hispanic culture.

“I always thought I had to prove myself or help people understand that it’s a really neat culture,” Zajur said. “And I think that’s what really gravitated me to the restaurant because I love sharing my culture with other people.”

Zajur is now owner of the families’ restaurant, La Siesta, located off of Midlothian turnpike, and has been for more than 30 years. He and his wife Lisa began hosting cultural programs called Siesta Town at the restaurant for school-aged children to help educate them on the Hispanic culture.

Lisa Zajur, a Richmond native, has a degree in education. After marrying into the Zajur family she said it became important for her to learn Spanish so she could interact with her new family. She recounts the challenges she faced in learning a new language.

“I didn’t take Spanish as a language, and I felt very Spanish challenged a lot of times,” Lisa Zajur said.

To assist her in learning Spanish, Lisa Zajur developed her own fun and engaging way of learning the language. After becoming fluent in Spanish, she wanted to share her discovery with others who may have been facing similar challenges and she founded The Spanish Academy and Cultural Institute.

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As the Hispanic population continues to grow, so does the need for interpretation. Employers in Virginia have begun seeking employees that are bilingual in both English and Spanish to help serve the growing Hispanic community. In an effort to help employers meet their demand, The Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Comcast hosted “Feria de La Opportunidad,” meaning job fair. Bilingual candidates attended the fair hoping to placed in careers that would allow them to use both thier languages.  

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Since Michel and Lisa Zajur started Siesta Town, it has become a community favorite and has reached over 100,000 children. From the time the children enter the restaurant, they are magically whisked away to Mexico, where they participate in engaging activities teaching them about the Hispanic culture and tradition.

“I’ve had kids who are teachers now, who said that they came there when they were in kindergarten,” Michel Zajur said.  
When the cultural programs began, there were few Mexican restaurants in the Richmond area. People began migrating to the restaurant because they knew it was a place where Spanish was spoken.

Those new to the area came seeking advice about employment, housing, and business opportunities. Michel Zajur watched his family business change from merely a place to enjoy Mexican cuisine and culture to a networking establishment. This later inspired him to establish the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

“I figured we really need to help the Hispanic community learn about the American culture and how to do business here. So I just started it,” Michel Zajur said.

The VAHCC was founded in 2000 to connect the Virginia Hispanic business community and the community at large. It hosts various development activities every month to assist Hispanics with various services from legal concerns to financial and entrepreneurial advice.

One of the services offered by the Chamber is a legal clinic, for people seeking expert advice on legal issues and concerns. It has become one of the most popular services.

“They come to the chamber because they trust in it, and they’re going to get good information,” Michel Zajur said.

Jorge Haddock serves on the VAHCC’s Board of Directors. He is dean and professor of the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond and originally from Puerto Rico.

As a member, Haddock said he found the chamber’s services to be very beneficial in helping him acclimate himself with the Richmond community.

“It’s helped me in a lot of ways, networking opportunities and getting to know the business community in Richmond,” Haddock said. “Their agenda goes from social all the way to professional and business.”     

Haddock said he and Michel Zajur first met at an activity offered through the VAHCC.

“He really does great service not only for Richmond but for the commonwealth of Virginia.” Haddock said.

In addition to being a restaurant owner and President and CEO of the VAHCC, Michel Zajur is involved in more than 10 state and local programs, including the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, where he serves as a member of the State Advisory Board.

The overall mission of the organization is to improve the quality of political leadership in Virginia.

According to the Institute’s Assistant Director R. Marc Johnson, Michel Zajur’s role involves expanding the institute’s reach into the Hispanic community and that he brings a thoughtful perspective to the group.

“I think he’s a visionary in a lot of ways and has done a good job of getting the community he’s working with invested in things that he’s trying to do,” Johnson said.

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Facts about Hispanic Culture

 

Hispanics are the largest minority in the United States, with an estimated population of 40 million. They are estimated to grow by more than 1.7 million in a year.

In Virginia the population separated by counties include::

Richmond        5074 residents
Henrico            5946 residents
Hanover           847 residents
Chesterfield     7617 residents

The Hispanic community contibutes greatly to the U.S economy. Because of their extremely high work ethic, the number of prosperous Hispanic Households, those with incomes of at least $100,000, rose 137 percent between 1990 and 2000.

There are approximately 2 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the country that generate almost $300 billion in annual gross receipts. With the assistance of organizations like the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, more Hispanic owend restatuarants and businesses are being started. The VAHCC work to assist Hispnaics in learning the American way of operating businesses.

An IRS report predicts that 1 out of every 10 small businesses will be Hispanic by the year 2007. Today the proportion stands at 1 in 13 and rising.

Facts provided by the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce website

(Reported in July 2008)