Where were you born and raised?
Born & raised in Chihuahua, Mexico.
What is your family heritage?
Both my parents were born in Mexico. My mother's side of the family is from the USA.
What is your occupation?
Attorney - Immigration, Family, Criminal & traffic. I own my own law firm. LeBaron-Ramos Law Firm, LLC.
How have you supported or contributed to the local Hispanic/Latinx community?
We are extremely active in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. We participate and donate to most of the local Hispanic/Latino events, such as Children's Day, "Dia de los Muertos" parade, Christmas and Easter events put on by the local Latino businesses. We are also involved with the Mexican Consulate in Kansas City where we provide free consultations and legal informational sessions. We also have the opportunity to participate with the Mexican Consulate with a reduced fee/free legal services program - PALE is the name of the program. We have held many legal information sessions with the Hispanic churches around the Metro Area to help the community understand their legal rights & responsibilities. We also participate with all the local Hispanic/Latino media outlets such as Reyes Media, Univision KC & Telemundo.
How do you connect with your Hispanic/Latinx culture?
My connections are daily. My staff are all bilingual, 95% of my clients are Hispanic/Latinos. My family is Latino. My parents, siblings & grandparents still live in Chihuahua Mexico, so the connection is extremely present in my life and in my business.
What is your favorite childhood memory?
I have many. However one of my favorites: My father asking me to decide which language I wanted to use - English or Spanish - when I spoke. To not mix them. And me not having any idea what he was trying to say to me. I had no idea I was speaking two languages. I believe I was around 4-5 years old.
What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
It is an opportunity its to highlight the difference that Latino's have made, and continue to make every single day, here in the United States. The contributions are huge, unmeasurable, and important. Latino's come from many different backgrounds, traditions & belief systems that are worth highlighting. It is a beautiful cultural mix.
In your opinion, what is the most important issue facing the Hispanic/Latinx community?
As an immigration attorney it is my opinion that one of the most difficult thing the Latino community goes through is family separation due to immigration laws. Our immigration system doesn't work. It needs to be recreated & made much more clear. Family separation is traumatic, hurtful, extremely damaging on families & communities.
