Activists working on solidifying Latino bloc - Focus on voting shifts to census

San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | 12/15/08 | Hiram Soto

[NormsRevenge]

In the past two years, community organizations across the United States mobilized like never before to help Latinos become citizens, register to vote and go to the polls.

Now, many of these organizations plan to use that structure to advance the interests of Latinos on issues such as the economy, education and immigration.

“The work has just begun,” said David Valladolid, who headed regional efforts to establish Viva Obama clubs and form a coalition with San Diego County's African-American population.

The National Association of Latino Elected Officials worked with Spanish-language media and community groups in a get-out-the-vote effort, and it is shifting its focus to the 2010 U.S. census and a more accurate count of the Latino population.

The association plans to convert the telephone hotline it used to help immigrants become citizens and then register to vote to answer questions about the census.

Many Latinos mistrust the government and don't accurately answer census questions for fear the information will be used against them, said Erica Bernal, a spokeswoman for the association.

“If we don't know how many Latinos there are, then we can't know how many resources are needed for schools, highways, health care and state and federal benefits,” Bernal said.

Valladolid said President-elect Barack Obama “needed us during his campaign, and he's going to need us even more as the new administration begins to tackle the important issues.”

The national We Are America organization, made up of hundreds of community groups, estimates it helped half a million Latinos register to vote since the pro-immigrant marches of 2006 and that it drove 1 million Latino voters to the polls in November's presidential election.

“Now we need to keep Latinos involved in the political process not just at a national level, but also locally, in elections for school boards, city councils and Congress,” said Paco Fabián, the organization's spokesman.

[Welcome2thejungle]

Viva Obama clubs?

Gag me with a tortilla.

[ScottinVA]

“advance the interests of Latinos on issues such as the economy, education and immigration”

In short, throw open the borders and naturalize all illegals.

It’s only going to grow, folks.

[BobbyT]

Think of all the anchor babies whose entire life outlook consists of school, Myspace, and politicians falling all over themselves to tell them how entitled they are and how they should make no attempt to integrate into society like every other successful immigrant group in every other country has done.

Then think about what happens when they start voting.

[sageb1]

Rush:

“
“General Powell says we need to reach out to Hispanic, blacks, and Asians. Well, how do we do that? What kind of message does he suggest? I never hear the how to do it. I just hear we need to do it. And in my mind, we already have the blueprint for how to do it. We have done it successfully. We abandoned the blueprint. It’s called individual freedom, liberty, and not seeing them as Hispanics and not seeing them as Asians and not seeing them as blacks or minorities but rather seeing them as Americans, human beings. Liberals look at people and groupify them and then think of them with contempt. I mean are all black people identical thinkers, if we understand what one of them thinks we know how to get to all of them, is that true? Same thing with Asians? Same thing with Hispanics?”