Does Lou Dobbs Really Believe that Hispanic Business Is Not An Appropriate Audience for Education Reform in America?
A Retraction of Defamatory, Misleading Statements is Necessary
Washington, DC—
The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), the national advocate for America’s nearly three million Hispanic-owned businesses, issued the following statement questioning the logic behind the statement and inferences made by Mr. Lou Dobbs on CNN in reaction to President Obama’s speech on education reform during the organization’s annual legislative conference:
On March 10th, President Barack Obama addressed the members of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at its 19th Annual Legislative Conference. During his speech, he announced key policy initiatives concerning education reform in America. Later, Mr. Dobbs criticized the President for discussing education before the United States Hispanic Chamber and slandered the USHCC by suggesting it is engaged in illegal drug trafficking.
“Frankly, we are baffled and disappointed by these comments and demand that Mr. Dobbs, CNN and Turner Broadcasting issue an immediate retraction,” said David C. Lizárraga, Chairman of the Board of the USHCC.
“The Hispanic community values issues like education as much as anyone in the nation. Our members, as with the rest of the country, are concerned about economic growth, job creation, access to credit, education, health care, and the many other policy areas that impact the country.”
“To suggest that it is out of place for President Obama to speak on a national issue before our organization, or any Hispanic group, is just absurd. We are all Americans, and in these troubling economic times face the same challenges. The USHCC represents individuals who live with and demonstrate every day the entrepreneurial spirit that regularly reenergizes the American Dream. It was completely misleading and inappropriate for Mr. Lou Dobbs to infer that Hispanics should not play a role on the American stage, and both he and his employer should publicly retract this uninformed and misleading attack on a proud American community,” Mr. Lizarraga concluded.
About the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Founded in 1979, the USHCC actively promotes the economic growth and development of Hispanic entrepreneurs and represents the interests of almost 3 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States that generate nearly $400 billion annually. It also serves as the umbrella organization for 200 local Hispanic chambers in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Bolivia and Uruguay.
