Bryant Garcia’s journey to Acting Executive Director of La Esperanza is a testament to his deep commitment to Delaware’s Latino and immigrant communities. After 11 years with the organization and nearly two as co-executive director, Bryant has developed a profound understanding of La Esperanza’s mission and operations. Assuming this new role feels like a natural step, one he has carefully prepared for with help from the organization’s team. With personal ties to the immigrant experience, Bryant brings enthusiasm and vision to La Esperanza’s critical work, ensuring its legacy of support and empowerment continues to thrive in Sussex County and beyond.
Tell us about moving into your new role at La Esperanza.
As La Esperanza’s Acting Executive Director, I have gained experience and understanding of how La Esperanza functions and operates, and the nature of this leadership model was to ensure that La Esperanza continues to have a capable leader present. Stepping into the role of Acting Executive Director is what we prepared for, and I am more than happy to help continue the legacy of La Esperanza alongside our great team.
Explain what motivates you to continue La Esperanza’s mission, and why you believe it’s crucial for Delaware’s Latino and immigrant communities.
I am the child of immigrants and know firsthand the impact of overcoming the barriers that many newcomers face in the United States. My family and I were able to thrive because of the opportunities afforded to us to overcome those barriers. My hope is to see all immigrant families have similar opportunities to thrive, and that is what keeps me committed to La Esperanza’s mission. La Esperanza’s mission is crucial to Delaware’s Latino and immigrant communities because it helps many in these communities overcome some of the barriers they face. Latinos and immigrants play a vital role throughout Delaware and, if they thrive, Delaware thrives.
Share an experience or project you’ve worked on at La Esperanza that has significantly impacted the community.
When I started at La Esperanza, I had the privilege of working with one of our founders, Sister Ascension, who led me to work in La Esperanza’s immigration legal services. At the time, she was the only person who was counseling immigrants on their immigration cases, and she needed help continuing this important service. She taught me to do the work and mentored me, eventually retiring from the work and leaving me to be responsible for it. For many years I continued that work on my own, understanding the necessity of it and wanting to honor Sister Ascension’s legacy, dreaming of what it could become. Today, the Immigration Department at La Esperanza has four employees and has expanded the services and representation we can offer to the community. It brings me great joy and satisfaction to have played a part in its growth and continuation, and to envision where it will go next.
Tell us how your work at La Esperanza shaped your understanding and interaction with the local Latino and immigrant communities.
I am not a Delaware or Sussex County native, yet through the work of La Esperanza, I have developed a great love and connection to the communities here. The Latino and immigrant community are a vital part of Sussex County and Delaware and have brought a richness to both. Their resilience, creativity and hard work are inspirations to us all and make me proud to be a Delaware Latino.
Share what makes La Esperanza unique, and why is it an important resource for the Latino and immigrant communities in Delaware.
Like Delaware, La Esperanza is small but mighty. Even though we have existed as a small, community-based organization for many years, the work we have done has had a lasting impact on the Latino and immigrant communities, including birthing bigger community organizations. La Esperanza has also dedicated its existence to helping navigate one of the most critical issues in (our) … community: immigration. We continue to be one of the only nonprofit organizations that can help immigrants in Delaware navigate the difficult and everchanging landscape of immigration law and, in this uncertain political climate, this work has continued to be vital to the Latino and immigrant communities.