ABC newsman discusses Hispanic heritage in talk

The annual celebration of Latino Heritage Month at Colgate University often brings to campus speakers who are prominent figures in the Hispanic community.

The Latin American Student Organization (LASO) and several academic departments co-sponsored Thursday’s appearance by John Quiñones, the Emmy-award winning co-anchor of ABC’s Primetime and host of the show What Would You Do?

Quiñones spoke about his career and the obstacles he faced while living as a seventh-generation Hispanic in San Antonio, Texas.

Though his family had lived in the United States for many years, he grew up speaking Spanish as his primary language. He remembered that he would be reprimanded at school for using his native tongue.

He told the audience that he had always wanted to be a journalist. “I wanted to give a voice to those who did not have a voice,” he said.

His counselors at school, however, would guide Hispanics only to vocational career opportunities.

Despite this discouragement, Quiñones was able to get an internship with a radio station where he worked on perfecting his delivery. Eventually, Quiñones would graduate from St. Mary’s University with a bachelor’s degree in speech communications and later attend Columbia University’s School of Journalism, where he received his master’s.

Quiñones took a job as a broadcast journalist in Chicago and, in 1982, began his career with ABC, working first as a general assignment correspondent in Miami.

His advice to students was to persevere through all challenges: “Never take no for an answer. Never.”

The seriousness of his talk was interlaced with jokes and witty comments. Several times he mentioned Colgate psychology professor Carrie Keating, who was in the audience and who has worked with Quiñones numerous times on “What Would You Do.”

Time and time again he reminded his captive audience to take pride in their heritage and their background.

“He was a perfect fit for campus because he spoke to issues that don’t just affect Hispanics,” said Saliha Moore ’14.

Certainly, the themes Quiñones touched upon are universal: perseverance, determination, and pride in oneself and one’s background, whatever it is.

The ALANA Cultural Center hosted a Latino Heritage Month dinner after the speech, where Quiñones met and spoke with students and staff.