Ernesto Nieto
Encyclopedia
Ernesto Nieto is the founder of the National Hispanic Institute
and has served as President since the organization's inception in 1979. Born in Houston, Texas
, Mr. Nieto attended Jefferson Davis High School and entered the University of Houston
on an athletic scholarship. Nieto later transferred to Southwestern University
in Georgetown, Texas
, where he received his Bachelor of Arts
degree in Education in 1964 with a specialization in special education. After working on his graduate degree at the University of Houston, he served in various management positions in both the state and federal government.
In 1979, Mr. Nieto left government to pursue his vision of creating a leadership institute for Latino youth. Twenty eight years later, under his leadership, the National Hispanic Institute has worked with over 120 institutions of higher education and 70,000 high-ability youth from across the nation. In addition to his duties as chief executive officer of the National Hispanic Institute
, Mr. Nieto serves on the Board of Trustees of Southwestern University
as well as on the Board of Visitors. In 2001, he authored the book Third Reality: Crafting a 21st Century Latino Agenda.
City Council, the Meritorious Service Award by Southwestern University, and honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Texas Wesleyan University
in Fort Worth, Texas
. Mr. Nieto also has been honored as a "Distinguished Alumnus" of both Southwestern University and Jefferson Davis High School. Other awards include the Southwestern University's Citation of Merit Award for Community Service and the Human Relations Award from the National Association for College Admissions Counseling.
regarding the future leadership need of the Latino community both in the United States
as well as globally. His two most noted works are his creative non-fiction book Third Reality: Crafting a 21st Century Latino Agenda & In the Midst of a Latino Leadership Crisis published in Volume 19 2006- 2007 of the Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy
Each chapter tells of how Ernesto, and Gloria de Leon, his life-long friend, and wife, were forced to re-organize and discover their beliefs in order to create what we know today as NHI. How they went from struggling new non-profit to a nationally (internationally) recognized Institute; from 90 high school students per year to over 4,000 high school and college students a year.
The last chapter of the book, Ernesto discuss the process in which one begins to see one's community as a resource of immense equity, a place full of opportunity, what he calls the "Third Reality". He gives in detail his personal struggles to begin to re-construct his manner of thinking in order to begin the plan the principle the National Hispanic Institute has in the shaping of the Latino community.
, Chicago Tribune
, Houston Chronicle
, Austin-American Statesman, ABC "World News Tonight," Austin Community College Spotlight, Univision
, and Telemundo
.
National Hispanic Institute
The National Hispanic Institute is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the future leadership needs of the global Hispanic community...
and has served as President since the organization's inception in 1979. Born in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Mr. Nieto attended Jefferson Davis High School and entered the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
on an athletic scholarship. Nieto later transferred to Southwestern University
Southwestern University
Southwestern University is a private, four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Texas, USA. Founded in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest university in Texas. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church although the curriculum is nonsectarian...
in Georgetown, Texas
Georgetown, Texas
Georgetown is a city and also the county seat of Williamson County, Texas, United States with a population of 47,400 at the 2010 census. Southwestern University, founded in 1840, is the oldest university in Texas and is located in Georgetown, about 1/2 mile east of the historic square...
, where he received his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Education in 1964 with a specialization in special education. After working on his graduate degree at the University of Houston, he served in various management positions in both the state and federal government.
In 1979, Mr. Nieto left government to pursue his vision of creating a leadership institute for Latino youth. Twenty eight years later, under his leadership, the National Hispanic Institute has worked with over 120 institutions of higher education and 70,000 high-ability youth from across the nation. In addition to his duties as chief executive officer of the National Hispanic Institute
National Hispanic Institute
The National Hispanic Institute is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the future leadership needs of the global Hispanic community...
, Mr. Nieto serves on the Board of Trustees of Southwestern University
Southwestern University
Southwestern University is a private, four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Texas, USA. Founded in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest university in Texas. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church although the curriculum is nonsectarian...
as well as on the Board of Visitors. In 2001, he authored the book Third Reality: Crafting a 21st Century Latino Agenda.
Awards & recognitions
Among his numerous recognitions, Ernesto Nieto has received the Eagle Leadership Award by the El Paso, TexasEl Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
City Council, the Meritorious Service Award by Southwestern University, and honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university founded by the United Methodist Church in 1890. The main campus is located in the Polytechnic Heights Neighborhood of Fort Worth, Texas, with branch campuses in Burleson and downtown Fort Worth.-History:Texas Wesleyan...
in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. Mr. Nieto also has been honored as a "Distinguished Alumnus" of both Southwestern University and Jefferson Davis High School. Other awards include the Southwestern University's Citation of Merit Award for Community Service and the Human Relations Award from the National Association for College Admissions Counseling.
Noted Published Works
Ernesto Nieto has written extensively, via the NHINational Hispanic Institute
The National Hispanic Institute is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the future leadership needs of the global Hispanic community...
regarding the future leadership need of the Latino community both in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as well as globally. His two most noted works are his creative non-fiction book Third Reality: Crafting a 21st Century Latino Agenda & In the Midst of a Latino Leadership Crisis published in Volume 19 2006- 2007 of the Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy
Third Reality: Crafting a 21st Century Latino Agenda
In Third Reality: Crafting a 21st Century Latino Agenda, Ernesto Nieto chronicles the long and faith testing trials that he experienced during the early creation days of the National Hispanic Institute (NHI). Although the incorporation of NHI took place in 1979, Nieto refers to the true birth to have taken place sometime between 1903, the year of his father's birth, and 1940, the year Ernesto was born. He states in his book, "Third Reality is partly a confession to my father and mother, my way of admitting that the counsel they gave me as a young man growing up in Houston was correct in the final analysis. It's an account that's not unfamiliar to many of us as young Latinos growing up in the barrios back then thinking that having the opportunity to gain a little more education than our parents made us smarter, better prepared for life. Nothing could be farther from the truth," states Nieto (Third Reality Press). In essence, the National Hispanic Institute is the manifestation of the work laid out and lessons taught by his parents starting in the early 1940s, lessons which would not be fully realized and understood until later in his life.Each chapter tells of how Ernesto, and Gloria de Leon, his life-long friend, and wife, were forced to re-organize and discover their beliefs in order to create what we know today as NHI. How they went from struggling new non-profit to a nationally (internationally) recognized Institute; from 90 high school students per year to over 4,000 high school and college students a year.
The last chapter of the book, Ernesto discuss the process in which one begins to see one's community as a resource of immense equity, a place full of opportunity, what he calls the "Third Reality". He gives in detail his personal struggles to begin to re-construct his manner of thinking in order to begin the plan the principle the National Hispanic Institute has in the shaping of the Latino community.
In the Midst of a Latino Leadership Crisis
In his article, Nieto outlines how all healthy, growing, and robust communities and organizations require ready access to a plentiful supply of skilled and educated leaders on whose shoulders invariably rest the future of others. He argues that the organized sectors that comprise U.S. Latino life, the availability of these individuals is not only in critically short supply, but is occurring during a modern, information-age that demands high accessibility to multidimensional talent in order to remain competitive.TV, News, and Publication Appearances
Nieto has appeared in publications and television broadcasts nationwide that include: The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
, Austin-American Statesman, ABC "World News Tonight," Austin Community College Spotlight, Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
, and Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
.