It was in 1974 when Bidal Aguero, the publisher of this newspaper began to go from business to business, most of which were small businesses, to begin to talk to them about the idea of forming a new organization that would serve to help their business by providing educational workshops.
The proposed organization would at the same time provide an opportunity for them to talk to other business owners. After several meetings an organization called COMA, Comerciantes Organizados Mexico Americanos, was born.
The organization was soon to grow and become well respected in the community and in the eighties would evolve into a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber soon grew to state-wide recognition and became one of the founding members of the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce.
Recent news has revealed that a merger between the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has been completed and a new board of directors has been seated to supposedly continue the program of work the Hispanic Chamber followed for many years.
Those seated on the Board are Velma Medina with Coldwell Banker; Victor Salazar with American State Bank; Rudy Rosales; general manager of Montelongo's Mexican Restaurant; and Noe Valles of Glasheen, Valles & Dehoyos.
Since negotiations began for the merger, many of the older members of the Chamber remained adamant that a merger would simply mean that
1. That there would be a loss of identity,
2. That the small Hispanic business will lose all type of representation and services and
3. That the Hispanic chamber would be taken over or absorbed by the majority chamber.
In a statement written and sent to a few of the Chamber members Aguero wrote: “It is my opinion that the LHC has really nothing to lose with ‘merging’ with the majority Chamber because in this instance, we have much to gain and little to lose.
As some say we must commit to progress when the opportunity to advance is available. In other words although our accounting has been done by hand by a trusted friend for many years, why continue with the old ways when a computer is available and can do the work more efficiently.
The proposal offered by the Chamber, that I hope all of you have received by now, gives us the opportunity to essentially “start over” with the main advantage being that we can maintain our identity, maybe not as a “Chamber”, but as an organization or a definite identifiable division of the main Chamber and can work for the progress and needs of Hispanic businesses. We can also count as a main advantage the opportunity for us to really start providing the services needed and deserved by our members by a competent and fully compensated staff.
But we must bear in mind, that all of these advantages and the future of the organization are dependent on the fact that we must assure and must elect a viable and working Board of Directors that will take matters in hand and will not permit that the Lubbock Hispanic Chamber be absorbed. It is up to us.
We publish Aguero statement at this time when the new board of the Hispanic Division is being named in order for the new Board to consider because it is a fact that the survival of a Hispanic business organization that will have adequate resources and will continue to serve our community will be UP TO US.


Editorials are strictly the opinions of El Editor’s editorial board and do not represent the views or opinions of our advertisers or anyone else associated with El Editor.