Third Reality: Latinos at the Crossroads

Inspired by true stories, Third Reality - Latinos at the Crossroads, completes Ernesto Nieto’s book trilogy, a collection of his life’s defining moments, cultural upbringing, and the harsh social and economic realities that persisted in his disenfranchised Mexican-American community, despite regulatory changes and social protests. This prompted him to say “basta!” (enough!), and embark on a journey to ideate a new vision for himself and the Latino community.Nieto tells stories that he and his family endured in the 1950s-1970s as Mexican-Americans living in a Houston, Texas, barrio. He recounts his engagement in the Chicano movement, his career in state and federal government, injustice for American citizens of Latin-American descent, and the influence of his wife and business partner, Gloria de Leon, who joined him to define a new pathway forward. An epiphany made him realize once and for all that he could no longer rely on tools and strategies from the Chicano movement, social justice, or reform to change things; nor did he want to pass these tools on to his children or future generations. Instead, he leaned on his previous life experience with his parents, who successfully formed winning athletic leagues and community giving and sharing activities in Houston’s Mexican-American barrios. Backed with this knowledge and the addition of Gloria’s common life experiences, Nieto tells the story of crafting a new, galvanizing call for Latino youth to discover their value and see themselves as crafters of new realities. Nieto and de Leon institutionalized these concepts through evolving the National Hispanic Institute. NHI offers a new vehicle for social change, providing Latino youth with spaces to dream, express themselves, and test their ideas. Read more