As an immigrant born in Guatemala and raised in Los Angeles, California, after forty plus years in the states, I—like many others with a similar background—have had an ambivalent attitude toward Latin America. By the time my mother arrived to Los Angeles in the early 70’s, we no longer had close relatives living there. When I was in my early twenties, we visited Guatemala and there was nothing left without me touching or buying, from typical clothing to the regular frijoles negros, arroz and tortillas.
But my lasting memories in Guatemala were of a poor kid selling newspapers and shining shoes. Later, in Los Angeles, I went from apprenticing in auto repair, to carpentry, to helping my brother—though only three years senior in age—in his bakery..

As a young adult, I had friends who visited Latin America regularly, and they raved about its charm and beauty. But I did not return there after my 1983 university graduation. Little by little my connection to my native country was fading, as was my image of Latin America. For the next decade of my life, I was hooked on Saturday Night Fever and Credence Clearwater Revival; while Guatemala, El Salvador, Peru and many other Latin American countries were embroiled in political turmoil. Hundreds of thousands of people died either as victims of the East-West power struggle, dictators or militaries regimes.

Despite having my English mocked by a teacher because of a heredity handicap when I was learning the basic language, that did not stop me from going to school and on the university, and finally getting into business. Handicapped or not, that did not stop me from being an outspoken Latino, defending the ethnic group that I am proud to be part of, from the social and economic discrimination they were suffering.

Then, one day early in 1990, I received a call from the Consulate of Guatemala in Los Angeles asking me to organize the Guatemala Chamber of Commerce. Five years later the Central American Chamber of Commerce was founded by a group of community chambers of commerce, including the Guatemalan.

For ten years and with no major economic support—contrary to chambers of commerce outside of the US—we worked hard to assist and promote business and trade between California and Central America. The Hispanic chambers are underfunded and with no support from any government agency except for small business members.

In 2001, I joined LA METRO and since its inception, the Chamber has survived and supported small businesses in Los Angeles; along with working to promote export, and supporting business initiatives. Most significantly, however, the Chamber has provided ongoing assistance to the communities in enhancing and promoting the rich heritage of their Hispanic identities and value—to their benefit and to the benefit of all of this country.
We will continue the assistance and the support of the Latino businesses in the nation and the improvement of the social and economic imbalance existing today.                           Hugo. W. Merida
Chairman of The Board