José Fernández is a New York businessman. He is a visionary, wise and charismatic.

It was in 1983 that Fernández immigrated to New York City from Santiago, Dominican Republic. He didn't bring anything much with him but his big ideas. He knew that in order to succeed he had to be prepared, so he graduated from college in New York with a degree

in Preventive Medicine. However, his first passion would lead him to another realm – business.

He decided to buy a bodega in the beginning of the 1990s in the Bronx. It took him two years to learn the intricacies of being a bodega owner, after suffering long hours – sometimes over 12 hours at a time – at the counter. During that time, Fernández was assaulted several times, once even coming to blows with thieves, whom he took down with hard left hooks in the style of Mike Tyson.

Currently serving as the president of the American Association of Bodega Owners, Fernandez doesn't rule out a future in politics.

He started a large community project with the support of only three friends. He has never given up. He is a community leader with principals and goals, a fighter who sees his position as president of the American Association of Bodega Owners as his first priority. Although he has been called upon by different political parties, so far he has refused, understanding that the moment has not yet arrived.

At the Association of Bodega Owners, Fernández has made history. He was able to get Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other city authorities to pay attention to this sector that had been largely forgotten until recently.

Fernández also worked with the police to install high-security infrared cameras to reduce the high incidence of crime affecting the bodegas.

Before Fernández' arrival, thieves and scoundrels did not take the bodega owners seriously. Thieves would go into the bodegas and demand money straight out. Even commercial banks didn't take the bodega owners seriously, which led these hard-working men to take out loans with high interest rates.

"It wasn't an easy task," says this young and outstanding businessman. "There were two terrible years. I wanted to help my colleagues, the bodega owners, who didn't have anyone to defend them."

One day Fernández decided that his place was not behind the counter, but in front of it. He invited three fellow bodega owners, his friends, to meet with him in a van in front of his business. That is how the Bodega Owners Association emerged.

"I remember that meeting went on for several hours. My fellow bodega owners supported the idea. We began to work and that is how we began expanding little by little," he says.

Will you own a bodega again?

Yes.

In your position in the Bodega Owners Association, what has given you the most satisfaction?

Being able to help my sector grow.

Do you have a dream you still want to realize?

To bring together all of the bodega owners in the Unites States.

As President of the Association, what do you like the most?

Sharing with the different ethnic groups we work with.

What do you like the least?

Apathy and resistance to education.

What do have left to do?

To have bodega owners produce their own products in order to reap greater benefits.

As a child did you always want to be a businessman?

I always dreamed about working in business because it's in my family's blood.

At what age did you know you wanted to be someone in business?

From six years old I began to help my family in their business.

Can you change a country through its government?

Of course.

Would you like to get involved in politics?

Yes.

What bothers you the most?

Slander.

After the Bodega Owners Association, what's next for you?

To keep working for my community.

To be a politician in this country, you need...

To be born with a calling for service.

To be president of the country you need...

To have the calling to serve.

Are politicians born or made?

They are born, and they are cultivated.

An exemplary politician is...

One who helps without expecting anything to change.

Would you leave the business world?

Never.

If you enter into the world of politics, what would you do?

I would earn the respect of my fellow citizens and serve with honor and honesty.

What does the Hispanic community in New York need?

Unity.

How much do your adversaries' attacks affect you?

They teach me to do things better.

What did you find in business?

Stability for the future of my family.

What would you advise young politicians?

To prepare themselves academically to be able to serve their community.

What has been the biggest obstacle in your life?

The language barrier, which I have overcome.

Do you consider the women's vote to be a determining factor for coming to power?

Absolutely.

What is the worst slander that has been said of you?

That I'm a womanizer.

What sacrifices have you had to make for you career in business?

Dedicating less time to my family.

What political party do you belong to?

None of them.

In your position with the bodega owners, what has been missing?

More funds to undertake the programs we envision.

What have you concentrated on during your presidency?

Providing free assistance to the members.

Has your organization weakened in the last few years?

No, it's getting stronger all the time.

Is it bad for politicians to be sensitive?

No, that's a virtue for a politician.

What is the most important quality for a leader?

The ability to bring people together.

Are you more of a politician than father?

Never.

Who is the person you most admire?

John F. Kennedy.

Who is your favorite writer?

Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

What partners would you like to work with through your business?

With organizations working to defend Human Rights.

What is a word that defines you?

Humanitarian.

What dream has come true for you?

To finish my university studies in this country.

Who is the person who most influenced your life?

My mother.

What risks would you not take?

To promise something and not deliver it.

What mistakes have you had to learn from?

Losing my first business.

How would you like to be remembered?

As a person concerned about the community.

What do you regret?

Not learning other languages.

What values do you consider most important to pass on to your children?

Christian values.

What is your dream?

To see my country in better condition.

What do you hate?

Hypocrisy.

The best prize for you would be...

To give my children a good education.

In the future you would like to...

Support solutions to the problems in my country.

To achieve what you want, what would you dare to do?

Work harder.

What would you not dare to do, because of your age?

Join the army.

What is the first thing you think about when you get up every day?

God.

What is your biggest vice?

Work.