Dr. Juan Andrade, USHLI President, was the commencement speaker at MacCormac College in Chicago on May  12.  He asked the graduates to use their education to fight for real institutional change, but to be patient and discerning in the process because we have become accustomed to accepting improvement and progress as a substitute for real change.

Dr. Andrade gave two examples of real institutional change.  He shared with the graduates his own experience when, on the 3rd day of his brief teaching career he was arrested for speaking Spanish in his classroom and became the first Latino teacher in the   nation arrested for doing so. Latino legislators eventually changed the law and today teachers are paid a bonus for doing the same thing that got him arrested.

He also reminded the audience that there was a time when, for Census purposes, five blacks were counted as equal to three whites (the three-fifths rule) until Congress changed the law and today the President of the United States is black.  The graduates and audience responded with a standing ovation.

Dr. Andrade has earned five college degrees, received five honorary doctorate and two honorary associate degrees, and has been recognized as a distinguished alumnus by three universities.  He is also the 4th Latino in history to be decorated by both the government of the United States and the government of Mexico.  He is the President and a Co-founder of USHLI.