Search“America is All of Us!” – Grace Huerta, President of Exceptional Family Center and Member of The Arc California
Members of the Justice & Equity Coalition Share Their Stories of Racial Bias with Attendees From Around the Country at The Arc National Convention
Grace Huerta has a son and daughter on the autism spectrum and with developmental disabilities, and she is the President of the Exceptional Family Center in Kern County which serves Latino families. Grace was just one of over 20 family members from Southern California that shared their concerns about the amount of services that families of color receive compared to Caucasian families. The amount is as much as 52% less in California. The families were part of a workshop in San Diego at The Arc US Convention. The workshop was organized by The Arc’s Committee On Diversity and led by Mary Gonzales, Board Member of The Arc US and co-founder of Gamaliel.
Some families weren’t able to come at the last minute, fearing the I.C.E. checkpoints between Los Angeles and San Diego. But others did attend from the Latino, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Pacific Islander and Black communities in the LA area. The Arc California’s Executive Director, Jordan Lindsey, along with Mary Gonzales and Professor Barbara Wheeler gave an introduction to the racial disparity problem, and suggested that it is most likely a problem in every state in our country. The families themselves then went into the audience and personally shared their own stories of disparity with 4-5 attendees. Some of their comments included: “I feel worrisome, less educated, and less respected at my son’s IPP meeting.”
Attendees at the workshop included families, self-advocates, providers, and professionals, and represented several states from around the country. During discussion many conveyed a new understanding of the challenges, especially for families with English as their second language. Many were also motivated to uncover the challenges in their own state and committed to finding solutions. Mary Gonzales challenged organizations to bring people of color on their board of directors! “We didn’t come to talk but to take action and to organize!”
Betty Clarke, Board Chairperson for The Arc of Alameda County and Board Member of The Arc California, emphasized that we only have one race, the human race. “We might have come over on different ships, but we’re all in the same boat now.”
Grace Huerta suggested partnering with your Regional Center and your provider to get more data and to take action, starting with the families, because “America is All of Us!”