David Garcia's Goals

In the field of Public Relations, we have the founding fathers of the field. We have individuals like Edward Bernays and Ivy Lee that have changed how communication was approached. These men changed how organizations, businesses, and even individuals communicated and created relationships all through various forms of communication. As the field of public relations developed, more and more individuals were being recognized as influencers to the field. However, it was becoming apparent all the individuals being seen as a PR mover and grower were while males. Minorities were not being represented in this field. David Garcia helped found the first Public Relations Association designed for Latinos in 1984 during a time there was a severe lack

of representation for the minority group.
To fully understand the influence this creation of the association has, I will first explain the under-representation of Hispanics/Latinos in the Public Relations field. In the United States, 17% of the population is made up of Hispanic individuals. In the PR field, only 8% are of Hispanic/Latino descent. Being that Hispanics are the largest minority in the United States, it would be expected to have a larger presence in the PR field. (Radanovich 1) However, PR professionals are finding it difficult to attract these individuals to join the field. Those who did make it into the field shared their thoughts on why it is so difficult to enter the field of PR by listing three barriers.
First, PR has a negative connotation related to the field. It is seen as a field where everyone is required to lie and spin stories for a living. These individuals don't seem to know or understand what really makes up PR as a career and since it's not well understood, these individuals go with their first negative impression of the field making the profession less respected the Latino/Hispanic community.
Second, since there is already an overwhelming lack of diversity in the field, many Hispanics see that a warning sign. They believe since the field is primarily made up of white males, they are not welcomed into this profession.
Third, the language barrier comes into play. Many Hispanics in the United States speak Spanish as their primary language. PR is a field that is writing and language heavy. Having an emphasis on needing an immaculate writing and language ability in the field is intimidating and a deterrent to many individuals considering the field. (Radanovich 3.2.2) While English was my first language, this barrier, in particular, was what intimidated me the most when entering the field. I felt since I grew up bilingual, I immediately thought I would struggle in the field when it came to writing.
Now due to these barriers, many Hispanics shied away from entering the PR field, making it difficult for Hispanics/Latinos to thrive in the profession. We lacked support and a network to develop, hone our skills and grow in the field.
Mexican-American David Garcia saw the challenges we faced as a minority and experienced them as he moved forward with a career in PR.

Born in Los Angeles County in the mid-1950s, David Garcia, started looking into the PR field in high school, where he became the editor of the yearbook. He realized how much he enjoyed writing and publication designed and started to lean towards a career in journalism. However, after "All the President's Men" came out in 1976, Garcia anticipated the field of journalism would be over flooded by students and switched to a profession that was related and he could still take advantage of his passion for writing. Garcia then earned a bachelor's degree in Public Relations from University of Southern California School of Journalism. (D. Garcia, personal communication September 14,

2017)
After school, Garcia took various positions that built him to where he is today. In 1978, the same year he graduated from USC, he took a position as a Senior Public Relations Officer for Bank of America. After working there for 6 years, Garcia moved to become the Director of Fleishman Hillard. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmgarcia/)
It was during these 6 years, he realized the perception of Latino practitioners in the PR field. Garcia recalls two experiences that helped him realize Latinos needed a trade association.
“Before helping launch HPRA in 1984, I served on PRSA-LA’s Minority Affairs Task Force whose mission was to increase the number of minority PRSA members. Our committee
identified more than 100 practitioners of color and invited them to an informal networking reception hosted by the chapter. At the end of what was a very successful event, a chapter board member asked something along the lines of ‘That was great. Now how can we get them to join PRSA?’ For many attendees, the reception was the first and only contact they’d had with PRSA. We had not earned the right to ask for the sale. The question should have been: ‘What else can we do to prove the value of PRSA to minority practitioners?’
At another LA chapter event shortly after that reception, a PRSA veteran and I went
through the standard networking self-introductions. At the time, I was an account
executive in Fleishman-Hillard’s Hispanic Communications division. After I explained my
role and the services we provided clients like Anheuser-Busch, he asked ‘But can you do
regular PR?’”
These two experience put things into perspective to Garcia. He realized others in the field don't know how to approach and appreciate the culture associated with the minority group. He saw Latinos needed an Association that would take that culture these individuals have to offer and appreciate and understand where they come from. This thought is as drove Garcia to form a committee and serve as the founding president of the Hispanic Public Relations Association(HPRA). While there were other Hispanic/ Latino organizations and associations being formed in the 1980s, HPRA was the first to be dedicated for Latino PR professionals.
HPRA is a massive resource for Latino PR professionals and is extremely relevant in developing more individuals to pursue the field of PR.

HPRA offers professional development, networking, peer recognition, scholarship programs, and community service. (D.Garcia, personal communication September 14, 2017) This trade association was created by Latinos dedicated to serving the needs of the Latino community. This association understands that Latinos bring an element of multiculturalism to PR and have a very different set of needs to flourish in the PR field. HPRA has the mission to advance and grow the Hispanic presence in public relations. It serves to be a voice for this community while empowering them through endless support, education, resources, and networking.

(http://www.hpra-usa.org/about-us/)
As a Peruvian-American, seeing someone work to make a change in the Hispanic community really means a lot to me. Public Relations is a difficult field, to begin with, and it's even more difficult being a woman and a minority. Garcia recognized there was a lack of representation for the Hispanic/Latino community and worked to change that. He built an association that is there to support and help Hispanics/Latinos to succeed and grow in the field. Without him realizing there was a lack of support, there wouldn't be this trade association providing constant resources to its members. HPRA empowers its members to push forward in the Public Relations field and give them the tools to reach their goals and succeed.