Maria was planning her dream trip to Europe. She had two options: use an online platform that promised “guaranteed best prices” or go to Carlos, her friend who had opened a small travel agency and known member of the Hispanic community. The difference was clear: $780 versus $800. Just twenty dollars.
“It’s only twenty dollars,” she thought as she dialed Carlos’s number.
That decision would change everything.
A Fact That Multinational Corporations Don’t Want You to Know
When Carlos received Maria’s call, he didn’t just take note of her destination. He asked about her culinary preferences, whether she preferred museums or nature, if she traveled better in the early morning or afternoon. He had known Maria for years, knew she was allergic to shellfish and adored architectural photography.
The online platform would have never known this.
Two weeks before the trip, a pilot strike canceled her original flight. Maria received a call from Carlos at 7 AM: “I already got you another flight, same airline, just three hours later. I even negotiated for them to upgrade you to business class at no extra cost because you’re a frequent client of the agency.”
What would have happened with the multinational platform? Maria would have spent 4 hours on an automated phone line, talking to representatives reading scripts from other continents, unable to do anything more than offer a partial refund.
The Invisible Cage We’re Building
Every time we choose the “cheapest” option from a multinational over our Hispanic neighbor, we’re voting. We vote for a world where only five gigantic options exist, controlled by shareholders who will never set foot in our neighborhood.
Imagine your city in 10 years if all the small Hispanic businesses disappear. Who will know your name? Who will remember that your child is allergic to gluten? Who will adapt the service to your work schedule because they understand you work double shifts?
Multinational corporations have convinced us that efficiency lies in depersonalization. They’ve sold us the idea that it’s “smart” to save $20 by buying from a corporation that bills millions per day, instead of giving it to José, who with those extra $20 can take his daughter to the dentist.
Beyond Ethnic Solidarity: It’s About Freedom
This isn’t just about supporting the Hispanic community (though that matters too). It’s about preserving our ability to choose. When only corporate giants remain, they set prices, schedules, policies, and conditions. There’s no negotiation, no flexibility, no humanity.
The small Hispanic entrepreneur you know doesn’t just sell you a product or service. They sell you personalized attention, flexibility, and the possibility that your money stays in your community, generating jobs for people you know, who shop in the same places you do.
The True Cost of Those $20
Maria returned from Europe with incredible photos and a story to tell. But the most valuable thing was discovering that Carlos had included in her itinerary two architectural photography galleries that didn’t appear in any tourist guide. He had researched them specifically for her.
Those extra $20 weren’t an expense. They were an investment in a world where you still matter as a person, not as a transaction number.
The next time you have to choose between saving $20 with a multinational or giving it to your Hispanic entrepreneur friend, remember: you’re not just buying a product. You’re voting for the type of world you want to live in.
How much is preserving your freedom to choose worth to you?
