Detroit City Wire

Raymond Lozano has always believed in serving others, his community, and his country. The native Detroiter was born and raised in southwest Detroit and served his country in Vietnam as part of the 1st Air Cavalry Unit and 173rd Airborne Brigade. He earned a degree in Special Education from Wayne State University in 1974, which has helped him serve others in many ways. As for his community, that’s where he’s served the most.

Lozano, 77, has served as the Executive Director of Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development, Inc. (LA SED), Executive Director of the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Director of Race Relations for New Detroit. But his current role as the Executive Director of the Mexicantown Community Development Corporation (MexicantownCDC) is the highlight of his community activism.

“About six years ago, [MexicantownCDC] asked me if I would come on board to help them with some things,” Lozano said. “I said I would be happy to; I knew the community really well and I wanted to do three things. I wanted to revive the area, fill the tenant spaces and make the nonprofit fully functional again with its cultural activities.”

MexicantownCDC was founded in 1989 with a goal to bring and preserve Latino culture, history, and art to southwest Detroit. In 2007, the organization received $17.5 million to build its Welcome Center, Mercado buildings, and an outdoor plaza. Four thousand individuals come through the MexicantownCDC campus each month conducting business with the State of Michigan’s Welcome Center, the Secretary of State offices, the Detroit Works Career Center, and Southwest Economic Solutions’ offices.

Lozano is the first 2024 Hispanic Heritage Month honoree of the Game Changers series, which celebrates community members making a profound difference in metro Detroit. In partnership with Comerica Bank, the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers are recognizing one Game Changers honoree per week during select months throughout the year to receive a $1,000 grant dedicated to the charity of their choice.

“Ray Lozano’s dedication to the Detroit Hispanic community and his lifelong commitment to service are nothing short of extraordinary,” said Tiffany Harrington, VP Corporate Partnership Activations at Ilitch Sports + Entertainment. “His leadership at the Mexicantown Community Development Corporation has made a lasting impact by preserving the rich cultural heritage of southwest Detroit and fostering opportunities for growth and unity within the community. We are honored to celebrate Ray as a Game Changers honoree during Hispanic Heritage Month and recognize the profound difference he continues to make in so many lives.”

Lozano said he’s just one small part of these nonprofits that have been functioning in southwest Detroit since the early 1970s.

“These nonprofits and organizations make things possible for everyone; all folks, all immigrants—anyone who comes in for their services—but especially for the Latino community,” Lozano said. “Principally thanks to the automotive industry, people came to Michigan to work in those factories while some also worked picking food in fields. You see people trying to make a better life; so I want to make sure we’re uplifting everybody.”

Being honored in an athletic arena is special for Lozano.

“To be honored by an athletic team is so important because we pay so much homage to them for being great athletes—especially for Tigers players that have been from Latino countries,” Lozano said. “It’s so wonderful to be selected and honored with this award; I never would have imagined it. It’s a great honor for me.”

A focus for Lozano and MexicantownCDC is encouraging people—especially young people with Latin American backgrounds—to embrace their culture.

“With many ethnic communities, you spend more time in the U.S., you become acculturated and kind of lose your original culture,” Lozano said. “What we’ve tried to focus on is culture; for example with our art gallery exhibits there—we’ve tried recognizing creativity among young artists as well as established ones—giving them a place where they can showcase their work while embracing their culture.”

For Lozano supporting other local Hispanic organizations is vital—and he’s glad doing what he does even if it means not yet retiring—as he supports both Latino studies programs at Wayne State along with organizations fellow Game Changers honorees belong too.

“It takes a village doing all this work everyone does,” Lozano said.“No individual or group alone represents Hispanic/Latin American cultures entirely—it requires continued collaboration."

To learn more about MexicantownCDC visit their website.