National Latino Congreso Issues Call to Action – Action Plans Will be Launched on Justice for Immigrants, Climate Change, Saving Homes, and Creating Jobs during Jan. 2010 National Latino Congreso in El Paso, Texas

Building on the past three enormously successful gatherings of the National Latino Congreso, Latino leaders today announced that organizations, elected officials and community leaders from throughout the country will once again convene for the fourth National Latino Congreso, to be held at the historic Camino Real Hotel, January 29-31, 2010.  The comprehensive gathering of thousands of organizations represents one of the largest gatherings of Latino leaders from throughout the country.

Since 2006, the National Latino Congreso has brought together Latinos from all walks of life- from grassroots community members to national elected officials- to create a united Latino agenda on a variety of issues.

“The next nine months are the final chance that Latinos have to win federal policy changes in all our most important issues. The Latino Congreso will launch our community’s advocacy on those issues,” said WCVI President Antonio Gonzalez.

“The National Latino Congreso brings leaders, elected officials, members of the community from across the nation to define their needs, then move the unified agenda to the halls of Congress and White House,” said Rosa Rosales, LULAC President.

“The major issues of climate change, green jobs, environmental justice, and diversifying the environmental movement are all vital to Latinos, and will be part of the agenda for the National Latino Congreso.  The NLC organizations and attendees will be developing action strategies to present to Congress, the Administration, and our community in 2010″, said Roger Rivera, President of the National Hispanic Environmental Council (NHEC).

For 2010, the Congreso intends to develop plans for public policy, advocacy and legislative strategies, blending historic Latino priorities with a broader set of issues associated with the future generation of an ever-increasing Latino community on issues such as Housing, the Environment as well as Immigration Reform.

“Our nation cannot continue to move forward without a just and fair immigration reform policy, El Paso provides a mirror to the nation to view a broken immigration policy, a wall that should not go any where and community waits,” said Oscar Chacon, NALACC Executive Director.

“The Congreso is focused on developing plans for public policy, advocacy, legislative and electoral strategies, blending historic Latino priorities with a broader set of issues that are critically important to ever-increasing Latino community,” stated Lillian Rodriguez Lopez, Hispanic Federation President.

“We marched, we voted. Promises were made. Now we want action, said Nativo Lopez, President of the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA).

Resolutions on these issues will be brought forward by Delegates to be voted on by Congreso participants.

The National Latino Congreso is convened by the Hispanic Federation (HF), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA), the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC), the National Day Labor Organizing Network (NDLON), the National Hispanic Environmental Council (NHEC), Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP), and the William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI).

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