Resolution
 

Supporting the Minority Participation within Daimler Chrysler Operations
 

WHEREAS, the League of United Latin American Citizens is dedicated to the principles of equality, and justice; and 

WHEREAS, this quest for equality involves political and economic empowerment, the likes of which are pursued by Latinos and minorities across this great country on a daily basis; and 

WHEREAS, the quest for economic empowerment is in line with the American dream, this dream often encounters barriers to participation that corporate America erects; and 

WHEREAS, the Daimler Chrysler Corporation is yet another corporation that continues to resist minority participation in the search for the American dream of economic prosperity; and 

WHEREAS, it has been noted across the country that the Daimler Chrysler Corporation has engaged in such tactics as resisting the right of minorities to gain a dealership/franchise, as making unexplainable demands of showing operating capital along with constant audits that they do not undertake with other dealerships, as credit redlining and discriminating in its lending practices in minority areas as was reported in the Detroit Free Press. This virtually guarantees that minorities cannot purchase vehicles, and particularly the Chrysler Finance Company as generally being hostile to the notion that minorities can operate a successful dealership. They have even gone to extreme measures such as disabling objective credit software at dealerships thereby prohibiting minorities and the poor from getting fair financing; and 

WHEREAS, a case in point is the example of what happened to Rick Perez and his attempts to operate a dealership in Galveston, Texas. Mr. Perez was under constant harassment from both the Chrysler Corporation and its finance company. Pressure that was not put upon other area dealerships. Mr. Perez was not the only dealership that experienced this, as examples have occurred in Illinois, and more may surface throughout the country. Presently, a case in Illinois as reported by TV Channel 7 in Chicago reports that Political leaders, Clergy and local activists are now calling for a nation-wide boycott of Daimler Chrysler for its discriminatory practices; 

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that LULAC opposes such corporate barriers to participation and urges Daimler Chrysler to reconsider their treatment of minorities seeking to partner with them in providing all Americans with the opportunity to purchase their quality vehicles; and 

FURTHERMORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the delegates to the National Conference of LULAC do not support such discriminatory practices that the Daimler Chrysler Corporation appears to be engaged in and requests that the Corporation begin discussions with the Executive Board of LULAC to discuss remedies and to speak of opportunities to generate greater minority participation in all aspects of their operations. 

Submitted by Henry Rodriguez, Director for Community Affairs, Zapatista Council #4383.

Adopted this 10th day of July 2004.

Hector M. Flores
LULAC National President