ECONOMICS
When I started with the Barrio I knew little of economics, … With time it became obvious to me that for a culture to survive economics and survival were integral to each other. P. 169
Now I concur with what Booker T. Washington said: “At the bottom of education, at the bottom of politics, even at the bottom of religion, there must be for our race economic independence.” When connecting the dots with history, culture, politics, family … here is where our emphasis should be. P. 227
HISTORY. From the beginning- Half the colonists in the new continent left England to obtain the free exercise of religion, from been imposed or banned, and began to experiment with self-government. The other half came under work contracts to make a life tempered, adapted, and refined by the pioneer spirit based on the individual as “self-reliant”, independent, and entrepreneur, with strong work ethics. By fortune, the Founding Fathers mixed the best parts of homogenous elements working together for faith, freedom and self-government. It could have been different! Extraordinary how they foresaw the need to overcome old country weakness in the new country, prevent control of the many by the few – balance of power – and found a nation based on the ultimate eradication of racism and slavery. For America was founded intending to eradicate both, “All men are created equal” which means just that, no matter how much anyone try to distort it. P. 480
FAMILY. Strengths can become our weakness. Weakness can become our strength, – and change back to weakness. E.g. democracy. Let us prove adobe to be a superior technological building material for the climate of Arizona. Let’s make it economically strong and protect its use with legal means, and keep it at the understandable sophistication level of hands for now. Bring the youth back home with rehab. Show families can build their own homes. Bring outside private money in, and circulate it internally. Promote self-determination, motivation, plus…. P. 509. Worldwide good things takes work.
POLITICS. For us, the CDBG Funding had served its purpose as a catalytic booster by using economics, law, and technology effectively. To continue with federal funding, easy money, could easily have led to dependency and a corruption of all the principles we believed in. P. 516 (more of connecting the dots. This effect takes place everywhere.)
CULTURE. For a culture to survive for years to come, it became obvious to me that economics and survival were integral to each other. Because we are in America, a Hispanic, or anyone, needs to learn to produce not just for Hispanics, but for Italians, Arabs, Indians, and all others, partaking while retaining the values of their own culture.
In other words, if you don’t learn economics, you lose. P. 169
POVERTY. Things are not always what they seemed, and what is a good move to some, not so to other. Creative knowledge in legalities, economics, and technology will dictate who survives… That’s connecting the dots. 248 …”But they need poor people to stay poor or they lose their base….” Survival of a Culture is Directly Related to Economic Sustainability. P. 169
American culture allows for equal cultural representation when you grasp Economics, Law and Technology. P. 455. And physical poverty can only be remedy with economics. P. 468
If innovating finances changed the course of history, then innovating finances can change the course of the Barrio. P. 489