Hispanic Heritage Month to Culminate in OLAA Statewide Summit in Salem, Oregon : One United Voice – Una Voz Unida

Salem, Oregon – “One United Voice – Una Voz Unida” is the theme for an historic two day Summit slated for Sunday, Oct. 17, and Monday, 18, 2010, at the Salem Conference Center convening Latino leadership from throughout the state to catalyze and coordinate statewide efforts promoting the social and economic well-being, political capacity, and civic leadership of the Latino community in Oregon. Early registration deadline is Oct. 1.

Organized by the Oregon Latino Agenda for Action (OLAA), the Summit will culminate a calendar of activities for Hispanic Heritage Month celebrating Oregon’s fastest growing ethnic community whose leaders and community representatives from Astoria to Klamath, Coos Bay to Nyssa will gather to give voice to the state’s 12% Latino population. An on-line bilingual survey on the key issues of economic conditions, health, immigration, employment, and social and cultural development is currently collecting responses at www.olaaction.org. A nationally proclaimed observance, Hispanic Heritage Month runs from mid-September to mid-October.

“Our Latino community in Oregon is at the tipping point with a new, collaborative ethos for presenting a united front for effective strategies for change, and that is why we are organizing this historic statewide Summit, explains Consuelo Saragoza, MPA, OLAA Co-Chair and spokesperson.

“We believe this event will be catalytic for the positive presence and forward movement our community deserves in a climate of increasing challenges; and we expect new relationships and networks will be forged at the Summit that will strengthen our social, economic, and political capital and be of benefit not only to Latinos but also to the community at large,” adds Saragoza.

With support from the Northwest Health Foundation, the Oregon Community Foundation, the Ford Family Foundation, among other funders, the event is being lauded for the issues that will be presented. For example, the topic of education will be focused in a keynote speech by Juan Sepulveda, executive director of the White House Initiative for Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, followed by response from Oregon’s leading educators. The Summit will also highlight community input from the on-line survey and research papers on the first day. On the second day, participants will prioritize findings into a strategic agenda for action in an open, non-partisan, and participatory model of regional engagement. The event will also host a community fair with organizations, Latino businesses, sponsors, plus an art exhibit and cultural presentations to showcase Latino artists.

One unique feature of this event is that Summit organizers hope to stream event proceedings live to sites throughout the state of Oregon to maximize the participation of Latinos, especially in counties where their population is proportionately higher. Summit details, registration info, and survey can be found on www.olaaction.org

Initially enabled by a grant by Oregon Consensus and facilitated by the Non-Profit Association of Oregon/TACS, the planning and implementation for the Summit has been in the hands of the OLAA executive committee, comprised of Ms. Saragoza, Senior Adviser for Public Health and Community Initiatives for the Multnomah County Department of Health, Dr. Carlos Crespo, Director of Portland State University’s School for Community Health, and Alberto Moreno, MSW, Director of Migrant Health for the State of Oregon Department of Multicultural Health, and various working groups for the last 18 months. The Latino Network in Portland is the fiscal sponsor. ###

Contact: Andrea Cano, Summit Director, 503 804 2785, acano@olaaction.org

OLAA P.O. Box 5456 Portland, Oregon 97228 www.olaaction.org

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