News (Noticias) Tagged ‘NCLR’

In the midst of the nation’s dismal financial crisis, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S.— and one of its Affiliates—Del Norte Neighborhood Development Corporation—today launched Mas a Ti, an Economic Mobility Center designed to create a path to wealth-building for Denver’s most vulnerable communities. The Mas a Ti (more for you) storefront will provide low- and moderate-income families with much-needed access to check cashing, money transfers, money orders, bill payment, and case management services for homeownership, Individual Development Accounts, and housing counseling.

The program, financially supported by NCLR, JPMorgan Chase, and the City of Denver’s Office of Development is especially important for Latino families, who make up a large percentage of the unbanked. “More than 30% of Latinos do not have bank accounts, leaving them vulnerable to predatory check cashers and lenders,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “Mas a Ti will bridge Latino families into the financial mainstream through credit-building tools and financial education.”

The Denver storefront will serve as a pilot program for future Economic Mobility Centers in the more than 50 nonprofit housing counseling agencies in the NCLR Homeownership Network. Homeownership is the greatest wealth-building vehicle for low-income families, but predatory financial practices and a lack of quality homeownership programs prevent many of these families from achieving this stake in the American dream. Mas a Ti will help families overcome the barriers to homeownership, creating financial stability and providing a path to wealth-building. Mas a Ti will also provide foreclosure prevention programs that are particularly vital for the Denver community in light of the nation’s foreclosure crisis.

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Related
Topic: Community and Family Wealth-Building
Programs: Mas a Ti, NCLR Community Development Programs
Policy: Homeownership
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Janet Murguía, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, congratulates Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) on being named Chief of Staff to President-elect Barack Obama. “I worked with Rahm in President Clinton’s Administration,” Murguía says, “and I can say from experience that he has an extraordinarily strategic mind and a gift for moving difficult issues forward. He will serve President-elect Obama well.”

“Rahm is unmatched as an analyst of the political climate and a legislative strategist. I didn’t always agree with him when we worked at the White House, but I always respected his ability to get the job done,” Murguía continues. “The country deserves to have the best minds and the most able hands at work to meet the challenges ahead; I look forward to working with the President-elect and his Chief of Staff to move the country forward.”

Murguía points out that the economic and political climate will present the Obama Administration with major challenges and opportunities to accomplish key domestic policy goals. “These are challenging times. It is vital for the President-elect to surround himself with strong advisors representing a diversity of backgrounds, individuals with the capacity to take action to meet the country’s most critical needs,” she says.

“The Latino community demonstrated in this election that we are deeply engaged in the democratic process; more than ten million Latino voters mobilized throughout the country to vote. This demonstrates our eagerness to work in partnership with this Administration to address key concerns like the economy, health care, and immigration reform.””

Calling it, “an outrageous and horrifying crime,” Janet Murguía, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, condemned the beating death of a Long Island man on Saturday night. Marcello Lucero a 37 year-old man from Patchogue, Long Island, was the apparent victim of a hate crime by seven teenagers who were arraigned today for his murder. According to Newsday, Suffolk County police say that the defendants “simply wanted to beat up someone who looked Hispanic.”

“While we are grateful that the authorities have taken swift action,” said Murguía, “it is important for all Americans to understand that this is part of an alarming trend taking place nationwide.” FBI hate crimes statistics show attacks against Latinos are on the rise over the past four years. Similarly, the Southern Poverty Law Center has reported that the number of hate groups targeting Latinos and immigrants has also increased over the same period.

Murguia was particularly upset over the age of the alleged attackers. “That hate has trickled down to a new generation is very disturbing,” she said. Murguia blamed the growing climate of hate surrounding the immigration debate as part of the cause. “Words have consequences,” she said. “And hateful words have hateful consequences. For too long hate groups and hate speech have dominated the national debate on immigrants, mischaracterizing all Latinos and the institutions that serve them in the process. Lives are literally in the balance.”

Over the past year, NCLR that has vigorously sought to expose the growing presence of hate groups and hate speech in the immigration debate, and their relationship to rises in hate crimes; early this year the organization launched www.WeCanStopTheHate.org, as part of its campaign to counter this alarming trend.

Murguia said she and NCLR extend their condolences to Mr. Lucero’s family and community, and call on all Americans to stand up to the presence of hate groups and extremists on the airwaves and in our communities. “

WHAT: Telephonic briefing on the record with a question and answer session
WHEN: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. EST/10:00 a.m. PST
HOW: RSVP at scotton@nclr.org by 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 21 to receive a confirmation code. Dial (866) 244-4576 to join the call.
WHO: Clarissa Martinez De Castro, Director, Immigration and National Campaigns, National Council of La Raza (NCLR)
Janis Bowdler, Associate Director, Wealth-Building Policy Project, NCLR
Miriam Calderón, Associate Director, Education and Children’s Policy Project, NCLR
Jennifer Ng’andu, Associate Director, Health Policy Project, NCLR
WHY: The economy has become the most important issue for American voters. Housing, health care, and education hinge on the nation’s financial well-being. This briefing will provide an analysis of how these hot-button issues affect the immigration debate.
With just two weeks until the 2008 presidential election, the second briefing of this three-part telephonic series will take place at 1:00 p.m. on October 22 and will be presented by NCLR, the National Association of Black Journalists Media Institute, and New America Media. This segment will feature dialogue and presentations by chief actors in the immigration debate to provide members of the media with the resources and information necessary to accurately and fairly cover immigration. The symposium will also discuss how immigration intersects with other top voter concerns such as the economy, the housing crisis, and health care.”

State Farm Insurance ® is empowering Latino students, teachers and administrators today to help solve the dropout rate. Through a $3 million education grant to the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), State Farm will help NCLR in their goals to promote excellence in students, increase Latino graduation rates, and close the achievement gap nationwide. Approximately 2.9 million Latinos are enrolled in U.S. high schools—representing 17% of all secondary public school students—and are less likely than their non-Hispanic peers to complete high school.

The grant, paid over a three-year period, marks the first major contribution to NCLR’s Campaign for Stronger American Communities intended to strengthen the organization’s Affiliates, improve its programmatic outreach, and enhance its effectiveness and impact by strategically focusing financial, human and technical resources in the field on issues of strategic importance to Latino communities across the U.S., such as education. To support this work, NCLR is raising $15 million over the next three years.

“State Farm is a long-time partner of NCLR and has worked with us to strengthen Latino communities by supporting our education programs,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “This latest commitment takes that work to a new level and supports our outreach efforts through our nearly 300 Affiliates. We’re excited by the prospective impact these grants will have on decreasing school dropout rates and building future leaders.” NCLR’s Affiliates reach throughout 41 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

“It’s vital that young members of this growing part of the American community attain the knowledge and skills that will allow them to be full and equal participants in the economy,” said Ed Rust Jr., State Farm Chairman & CEO. “NCLR and State Farm share a vision that begins with making sure our children stay in school and ends with all children achieving their greatest potential.”

The announcement of the grant was made today at a partnership luncheon hosted by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) for State Farm to recognize the long-standing support and contributions made to NCLR, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S. At the event, held at NCLR Headquarters in Washington, Ms. Murguía recognized Mr. Rust for his corporation’s support of NCLR’s initiatives.

State Farm’s commitment to NCLR spans over a decade, including NCLR’s community efforts, Annual Conference, Capital Awards, the Raul Yzaguirre Building Capital Campaign, and the NCLR ALMA Awards. Barbara Cowden, executive vice president at State Farm, sits on NCLR’s Corporate Board of Advisors and is the Chair of NCLR’s Education Task Force. As an early contributor to NCLR’s “Empowering an American Community” campaign when it was launched in 2002, State Farm’s commitment was a cornerstone in NCLR’s efforts to strengthen its long-term institutional abilities. “Latinos have a growing role in our nation’s future prosperity and well-being. At NCLR, we appreciate having such a dedicated and supportive partner as State Farm in our work to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans,” said Ms. Murguía.

The grant to NCLR is one of State Farm’s major commitments under its “State Farm Es Para Mí™” campaign, which focuses on citizenship, civic engagement and education in the Latino community. Other education elements include a directory of scholarships, internships and fellowships for Latino students and grant applications to non-profit organizations and public schools for 200 grants of $1,000 each (due November 4, 2008). For more information, please call 1-877-564-3119 to find a participating State Farm agent.”

Citi and the Citi Foundation presented a $1,000,000 grant to the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) in support of its efforts to build the capacity of its almost 300 affiliates across the country working at the state and local level. These affiliates help advance opportunities for individuals and families through the asset building, housing and community development programs.

“Citi and NCLR continue to be successful partners in transforming the lives of Latino families and communities across the country. Our support of the Raza Development fund in previous years to fund the growth of their community development facility and our current support of their capacity building efforts and pre-development grants to build housing, charter schools and community health centers is at the center of our partnership to build and support healthy communities across the country,” said Salvador Villar, Chairman & CEO, Citibank (Banamex USA). “Our strong partnership with NCLR, the leading Latino civil rights organization in the country, is based on mutual trust and a deep commitment to making communities better.” Through the Citi Foundation’s support, NCLR has assisted over 8,000 low- to moderate-income individuals in the first half of 2008.

“The Citi grant helps NCLR and its affiliates increase the impact of education, health, and housing initiatives throughout the nation. Citi’s investment also allowed NCLR to develop innovative ways to leverage other resources at its disposal to increase the impact of local projects. We firmly believe that by working together with Citi we can improve the quality and quantity of asset-building programs as well as deepen the impact of strategic community development initiatives targeted to the Hispanic community,” said Janet Murguia, President & CEO, NCLR.

The grant will support NCLR initiatives, including:

* Expansion of NCLR’s Latino Social Venture Fund which provides pre-development support for affordable housing, community facilities, health care clinics, charter schools, and homeownership counseling.
* Provide training courses to more than 130 new homeownership counselors in: HUD certification for housing counseling providers; mortgage default and delinquency counseling; predatory lending; financial counseling; and online client tracking.

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The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., improving opportunities for millions of Latino Americans in 41 states, Wash, DC and Puerto Rico through its network of 300 nonprofit community-based affiliates. To achieve its mission, NCLR provides a Latino perspective in five key areas: assets/investments, civil rights/immigration, education, employment and economic status, and health.

Citi, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Citi’s major brand names include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney, Banamex and Nikko. Additional information may be found at www.citi.com“

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., was honored today by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) at the 2008 CBC Health Braintrust for its work to eliminate racial health disparities. Jennifer Ng’andu, Associate Director of the NCLR’s Health Policy Project, received the 2008 CBC Health Braintrust Leadership in Advocacy Award for her work on the “Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2007.

The “Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2007” is the strongest health disparities legislation before Congress, with the backing of members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Among making many important improvements to the health care system, this legislation would drastically improve health care access and quality for Latinos and other minority communities, diversify the health care workforce, increase funding for language assistance services and community-based health promotion activities, and enhance the enforcement of civil rights in health care settings.

Over the past year, NCLR has worked to build support among our nation’s leaders for this legislation. As part of its National Advocacy Day, NCLR, its Affiliates, and other community-based partners worked to educate Congress about the impact of health inequities at the local level. Approximately 75 advocates traveled to Capitol Hill, calling on Congress to make critical health services more accessible to minority communities. Hundreds of groups from throughout the country joined the effort, helping to increase congressional support and resulting in the first two congressional hearings in 2007. This marked the first time in eight years that hearings were held on the subject. NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía testified for the second hearing before the Subcommittee on Health of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Under Ng’andu’s leadership, NCLR will continue to urge Congress to support health equity legislation in the upcoming year.

About Jennifer Ng’andu
As Associate Director of NCLR’s Health Policy Project, Ng’andu oversees the development and advancement of policies aimed at improving the health status of Latinos and creating parity for immigrants in the health care system. She is a board member of the National Physicians Alliance and the Herndon Alliance.

Ng’andu earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Duke University.”

Building on the tremendous success of the citizenship campaign, ya es hora ¡Ciudadanía! (It’s Time: Citizenship!), the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, today launched Yo Votaré, an online multimedia campaign to complement the ya es hora efforts and those of multiple other partners. The new website, www.YoVotare.org, will serve as a one-stop portal to connect Latinos with various unprecedented efforts to register new voters, provide voter information and education tools, and increase voter turnout in November. There are 17 million eligible Hispanic voters in the United States who can make a difference in this election.

In addition to featuring public service announcements, downloadable music videos, and MP3s, www.YoVotare.org will promote the ya es hora toll-free bilingual hotline, 1-888-Ve-Y-Vota. It will also provide links to websites like www.veyvota.org, which provides voter registration tools and vital information such as where to find your local polling location on Election Day.

The Yo Votaré campaign will also soon launch a video contest to encourage Latinos to express the importance of voting through their creativity. The videos will be set to the campaign’s song, now available for download from the website.
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Ya es hora ¡Ciudadanía! has succeeded in generating more than one million citizenship applications and represents the largest and most comprehensive effort to incorporate Hispanics as full participants in the American political process. The national effort is led by Entravision Communications, ImpreMedia, Mi Familia Vota Educational Fund, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, NCLR, and Univision Communications Inc.”

Today, the ya es hora, ¡Ve Y Vota! (It’s Time, Go Vote!) campaign, which includes Entravision Communications, impreMedia, Mi Familia Vota Educational Fund, NALEO Educational Fund, National Council of La Raza and Univision Communications Inc., announced its plan to distribute nearly 1 million voter registration cards in communities across the country, making this the largest Latino voter registration effort of its kind in the nation’s history.

Between Friday, September 26th and Sunday, September 29th, impreMedia, the campaign’s print media partner, will insert voter registration cards into the company’s high-circulation Spanish-language newspapers in seven states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas.  In all, about 990,500 voter registration cards will be inserted and distributed across the country.

“Inserting voter registration cards into community newspapers will help us reach the 17 million Latinos eligible to vote this November by making the process more accessible,” said Monica Lozano, Senior Vice President of Newspapers for impreMedia.  “This is a service we are willing to provide to our readers knowing that they trust us to deliver the news and information they need to participate and make informed decisions related to this year’s critical election,” she concluded.

The voter registration card effort is being launched at the same time the campaign’s other media partners, Entravision and Univision Communications, are both aggressively promoting voter registration to their audiences on radio and television.

“During the first phase of the campaign we saw the significant impact that a multi-platform campaign can have in mobilizing the Hispanic community,” said Cesar Conde, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for Univision Communications Inc.  “For Univision this effort is part of our more than 40 year legacy of working with organizations such as NALEO, NCLR and the other corporate partners to inform our audiences on the issues of most importance to our viewers. We know that because of Ya Es Hora Hispanics will be a deciding factor in electing the next president of the United States.”

Providing voter registration cards is the latest phase in a multi-faceted strategy being deployed to engage Latinos in the electoral process as part of the ya es hora, ¡Ve y Vota! (It’s Time, Go Vote!) campaign.  The campaign is a non-partisan national voter mobilization effort targeting millions of Latinos in 2008.  The effort seeks to significantly increase Latino voter registration turnout in the 2008 general election through an unprecedented multi-media campaign that encompasses grassroots, print and broadcast outreach.

The new campaign builds on the success of the ya es hora ¡Ciudadanía! campaign of 2007 in which 1.2 million Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) became U.S. citizens.  The ya es hora, ¡Ve Y Vota! campaign seeks to mobilize these new citizen voters and the Latino community to become full participants in the American political process.

Throughout the fall, there will be continuous election-related promotional activities and information from the campaign’s media partners as well as grassroots efforts with local partner organizations across the country led by Mi Familia Vota Educational Fund and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). Additionally, voters needing assistance with any aspect of the electoral process will have access to resources from the NALEO Educational Fund that not only provide voters with news and information through the www.veyvota.org website.  The organization has also launched a toll-free 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA bilingual hotline to connect voters with trained volunteers who can help answer questions, from registering to vote, to finding polling place locations, to assistance with Election Day problems and more.

“With its success in helping over 1.2 million legal permanent residents apply for citizenship, the ya es hora campaign is playing an important role in weaving these new citizens into the fabric of American society,” said Arturo Vargas, Executive Director of the NALEO Educational Fund.  “Through our combined efforts again this fall, the ya es hora campaign partners are ensuring that these new citizens and the Latino community will be full participants in the American political process,” he concluded.

About the Ya Es Hora Campaign

The ya es hora campaign is an historic non-partisan campaign that was launched as the Latino community’s action-oriented follow-up to the mobilizations of 2006.  It is the largest and most comprehensive effort to incorporate Latinos as full participants in the American political process.”

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—will host a recognition ceremony and celebration for the graduates of the Carreras en Salud program, a health care career pathways initiative. Over 100 students will be honored at the event, which will take place on September 19, 2008 at Humboldt Park Vocational Educational Center of Wilbur Wright College, 1645 N. California Avenue, Chicago, IL, beginning at 3:00 p.m.

As the flagship site of NCLR’s Health Care Career Pathways Initiative, Carreras en Salud was developed and implemented by NCLR in partnership with its Chicago Affiliates, Instituto del Progreso Latino and Association House of Chicago, as well as Humboldt Park Vocational Education Center of Wilbur Wright College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. The program trains Latinos to become certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and registered nurses in an effort to remedy the shortage of bilingual health care professionals in the Chicago area.

To date, the program has achieved a 95% retention rate and has graduated 98% of its participants. Former participants who have graduated as certified nursing assistants have been placed at an average wage of $10 per hour and those graduating as LPNs have been placed at an average wage of $25 per hour, which represents an average 150% wage increase from previous employment.

The Carreras en Salud program received the U.S. Department of Labor’s Recognition of Excellence Award last month for “tapping talents of special populations in the workforce” at the 2008 Workforce Innovations Conference. The award honors programs, projects, or initiatives that provide effective career-enhancement services to populations facing barriers to employment.

MEDIA ADVISORY
WHO: Carreras en Salud graduates, partner organizations, state and local representatives
WHERE: NCLR Carreras en Salud recognition ceremony and celebration
WHAT: NCLR Carreras en Salud recognition ceremony and celebration
WHEN: September 19, 2008, 3:00 p.m.
WHERE: Humboldt Park Vocational Educational Center of Wilbur Wright College
1645 N. California Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647″

A revamped website launched today by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) documents how hate groups in the U.S. have been reenergized by the immigration debate and how the growing intolerance fanned by these groups is leading to a record increase in hate crimes against Latinos. The acclaimed website, www.WeCanStopTheHate.org spotlights hate in the immigration debate with analyses of the leading groups, spokespeople, and media allies of the anti-immigrant movement.

“Given that dozens of anti-immigrant talk show hosts and organizations have descended on Capitol Hill this week, it is especially important that information on what these entities are really all about is readily available to those interested in combating intolerance,” noted Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “Regardless of how one feels about immigration policy, we can all agree that a hate-filled debate is not acceptable.”

The website, originally launched in January of this year, has been redesigned to make it easier for visitors and users to find information, obtain the latest updates, and learn how to get involved. Its features include an extensive library of videos on the links between anti-immigrant and extremist organizations throughout the country; fact sheets on, among other topics, the code words of hate used in the debate and the most prominent media spokespeople from these anti-immigrant and extremist groups; and frequently updated posts, called “The Latest,” on incidents of hate in the media, perpetrated by policymakers and others.

The new website can be found at www.WeCanStopTheHate.org“

Janet Murguía, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), will participate in a summit with a panel of Spanish language media company representatives to discuss the power of the Latino vote in the 2008 presidential election. The summit, titled Spanish Language Media Companies: A New Source of Latino Empowerment During the 2008 Presidential Elections, will convene at the 2008 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s (CHCI) Public Policy Conference on Monday, September 8, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The panelists will also discuss the coverage of Latinos in the news and entertainment industry.

Following the summit, Murguía will speak at the CHCI’s opening luncheon, Immigration: A Call to Action, which will address comprehensive immigration reform in the next Congress. Representative Luis Gutierrez (D–IL) and Ray Suarez, Senior Correspondent for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, will join Murguía to discuss what needs to happen to realize comprehensive immigration reform.

Media Alert
WHEN: Monday, September 8, 2008, 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
WHERE: Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Summit: Room 147A
Opening Luncheon: Room 146 A/B/C
WHAT: Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO, to participate in the 2008 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Public Policy Conference”

A new publication detailing the major workplace disparities that Latinos face, Labor Day 2008: A Snapshot of the Latino Workforce, was released today by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. The fact sheet highlights the strength and diversity of the Latino workforce, the effects of the national economic downturn on Hispanic workers, and the impact of eroding job quality on benefits and fatal workplace injuries among Latino workers.

There are more than 20 million Latino workers in the U.S., accounting for more than 14% of the labor force. Despite strong participation in the labor force, Latinos are concentrated in occupations that frequently fall short on critical indicators of job quality, including employer-based health and retirement plans. Limited economic mobility bars many Hispanics from achieving the American Dream, leaving them financially insecure during these times of economic crisis.

Workplace disparities are most apparent in the health and safety of Latino workers. Among other factors, the increasing violations of basic labor laws have contributed to the highest recorded number of fatal occupational injuries to Hispanic workers. Nearly 1,000 Latinos were killed on the job in 2006—the highest fatality rate of all racial and ethnic groups.

Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of the labor force, making the state of Hispanic workers a national priority. In addition to Labor Day 2008: A Snapshot of the Latino Workforce, NCLR will release an issue brief to provide further analysis of the decline in basic labor protections and recommendations to reverse the rise in fatal injuries among Latino workers.

To download Labor Day 2008: A Snapshot of the Latino Workforce, visit www.nclr.org.”

To start off day two I realized that for the next two days I would have trudge about 2 miles across Denver to get my media credentials. (Lots of 2s in that sentence) For some crazy reason the DNC has made all bloggers and some other segments of the media do this everyday. Strange.

So I made it there, waited in line, got my credentials and then hoofed it back to the Colorado Convention Center where I had to go in to just cool off. I haven’t mentioned this before but I am hauling a good-sized backpack with me everywhere I go with my laptop and assorted blog-worthy gear.

Once I had cooled off I was determined to get to the Pepsi Center and blog away but by some happy circumstance as I was strolling down the street I look up and see a big marque for the Latino Leaders Network Luncheon. Now I had known about this event but didn’t know where it was going to be held. I had called and e-mailed to find out and no one had ever responded.

I don’t look a gift horse in the mouth so I went right in and flashed my press pass and my best smile and got in. (not that my smile had anything to do with it) It turned out to be a good event honoring Federico Peña the co-chair of Obama’s national campaign and former mayor of Denver. Lots of politician were there as well as Eva Longoria-Parker.

Others that spoke include: Senator Kenneth McClintock from Puerto Rico, Senator Leticia Van de Putte from Texas, Janet Murguia from NCLR, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Governor Bill Richardson, Senator Ken Salazar and then Federico Peña. I was most impressed by Bill Richardson and Federico Peña.

Right before the event I met a woman who worked with the "Hispanic Media Assistance Team" and I was so happy that someone was there to help organize and coordinate things because truthfully communication and information are so hard to come by that you get used to it here fast. All the same, I really was happy to see someone, anyone trying to do something afterall I am all about easy access to organized information.

Afterwards, I hung around watching the media frenzy and while not wanting to be part of it, I felt the pull to met some of these leaders. I did make a few contacts etc., so it was fine.

After that I had lunch as I had been watching everyone else eat their lunches and had developed a mighty fine appetite by then. Finally made it to the Pepsi Center and setup camp and somehow managed to post 80+ stories in between chatting with other bloggers, journalist etc. I have to admit that it was a good day and I thought Hillary’s speech was very good.

So take a look at HispanicTips.com’s homepage for the latest.

Now I am headed to see Pancho Sanchez and if for some reason I can’t get in there is another event/party put on by the National Latino Institute but that is a good stretch of the legs. (edit: didn’t make it to either) I guess it is good that I am getting so much exercise but my feet are hurting. Tomorrow is another big day and I finally got an invite to the big Voto Latino party.

Lesson for the day :: Again levels of access - but maybe if you are in the right place at the right time and either know someone or have a big blog and a great smile some barriers can melt away.

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States— in collaboration with Instituto del Progreso Latino will convene more than 150 high school and college youth leaders for its Líderes Congreso, cosponsored by Sodexo and the MetLife Foundation. The event will kick off on August 22 featuring Representative Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) as the keynote speaker at the National Museum of Mexican Art and continue on August 23 at U.S. Cellular Field, courtesy of the Chicago White Sox.

The Líderes Congreso is a two-day conference that will bring together exemplary youth who have taken important leadership roles in their high schools, colleges, universities, or communities. The students will attend peer-led workshops that feature guest speakers including community leaders and NCLR policy staff. The workshops will focus on voter registration in the Latino community and the role that young Hispanic Americans have played in the 2008 presidential elections. Participants will also receive free tickets to attend a White Sox game and Festival Orgullo Sox, a pre-game concert featuring emerging Latino artists Xtreme, The D.E.Y., and others.

The NCLR Líderes Initiative is designed to create opportunities for Latino youth which will elevate their influence as leaders in the United States. Through a national network of high school and college students and young professionals, Líderes identifies, supports, and develops new leadership in the Latino community. During the past three years, the Líderes Initiative has had a presence at more than 30 college campuses and youth conferences, directly reaching nearly 4,000 young Latino leaders. For more information on the initiative, visit lideres.nclr.org.

MEDIA ADVISORY
WHAT: NCLR hosts the Líderes Congreso, cosponsored by Sodexo and MetLife.
WHO: Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Líderes students, NCLR policy staff, Xtreme, and The D.E.Y.
WHEN: August 22, 4:00 – 7:00 p.m., reception to follow program
August 23, 8:30 a.m. – Noon, pre-game concert and game to follow program
WHERE: August 22:
National Museum of Mexican Art
1825 W 19th St.
Chicago, IL 60608

August 23:
U.S. Cellular Field
333 W 35th St.
Chicago, IL 60616″

The Carreras en Salud program of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—received the U.S. Department of Labor’s Recognition of Excellence Award last week for “tapping talents of special populations in the workforce” at the 2008 Workforce Innovations Conference. The award honors programs, projects, or initiatives that provide effective career-enhancement services to populations facing barriers to employment.

As the flagship site of its Health Care Career Pathways Initiative, Carreras en Salud was developed and implemented by NCLR in partnership with its Chicago Affiliates, Instituto del Progreso Latino and Association House of Chicago, as well as Humboldt Park Vocational Education Center of Wilbur Wright College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. The program trains Latinos to become certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and registered nurses in an effort to remedy the shortage of bilingual health care professionals in the Chicago area. To date, the program has achieved a 95% retention rate and has graduated 98% of its participants.

“Latinos are far underrepresented in the health care workforce, which undercuts the quality of care they receive,” said NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía. “Programs like Carreras en Salud provide Latinos with not only upward economic mobility through advanced education and training, but also access to a culturally and linguistically competent health care workforce.”

Since its inception, Carreras en Salud has graduated 100 LPNs, all of whom have been placed in jobs. “Carreras en Salud has successfully created flexible career pathways for Hispanics to alleviate shortages of bilingual health care workers,” said Brent R. Orrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training. “This program provides multiple entry and exit points and offers resources such as on-site child care to those seeking to advance their careers in the health professions. Programs like these are critical to meeting high-growth industry needs now and in the future.”

As a result of the initiative, employers such as Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre, and Woodbridge Nursing Pavilion have been able to hire more local Chicago residents. Visit www.nclr.org for more information on Carreras en Salud.”

A little Mexico detour, because I’m wondering: Do news media outlets refer to the NAACP as “The Colored People” or the AJC as “The Jewish Committee”? No, they don’t. Yet while covering this month’s NCLR conference in San Diego many outlets including the L.A. Times, Washington Post, and other generally reputable sources like RealClearPolitics felt it okay to refer to NCLR as “La Raza.” This means that the mainstream press has adopted the semantics tricks of the right-wing propaganda machine to conflate together two very different things: NCLR — the largest and most middle-of-the-road, big-money-backed, non-partisan Hispanic (their word) advocacy organization in the United States, and the codeword for reconquista hallucinations advocated only by an extremely small, extremely fringe, and extremely irrelevant batch of Chicano nationalists.”*

Janet Murguia, national steering committee member of Strong American Schools and President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza, will call on more than ten thousand journalists and media executives to support education reform during UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc.’s 2008 annual conference.

Recent polls show that as Americans focus on the critical issues that face this country, education continues to be a top priority. A poll conducted by The Pew Hispanic Center recently found that 94 percent of Latino voters said that education is extremely or very important to them, coming in above health care, the economy, and education. Another recent poll by Rasmussen’s found that nearly 90 percent of Americans believe education is important in the next congressional election.

These issues will be at the forefront of Murguia’s discussion during the panel “What’s Next for Generation Next in Education.”

Date: Thursday, July 24, 2008

Time: 2:00 p.m. CST

Location: McCormick Place West

Room W-196

2301 S. Lake Shore Drive

Chicago, IL 60616″

Universal City, CA – This morning on Wisteria Lane located on the Universal Studios back lot, NCLR
President and CEO Janet Murguía, Eva Longoria Parker (Desperate Housewives), and Cristián de la
Fuente (USA Network’s In Plain Sight and ABC’s Dancing with the Stars) announced nominees,
performers, and special honorees for the 2008 NCLR ALMA Awards.

The 2008 NCLR ALMA Awards will tape August 17 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. The all-star
event, which celebrates the outstanding artistic achievements of Latinos in motion pictures, television and
music, will air Friday, September 12 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

Television and film actress, Eva Longoria Parker, returns once again as executive producer and host of
the telecast. To date, confirmed performers and presenters include Black Eyed Peas, America Ferrera,
Carlos Mencia, Jessica Alba, Adam Rodriguez, Enrique Murciano, Sofia Vergara, Cristián de la Fuente,
Kate del Castillo, Pitbull, and Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano. Special honors will be presented to
Linda Ronstadt, Shakira, and Narciso Rodriguez whose work has impacted the entertainment industry and
influenced American culture.

The two-hour special is presented by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) – the largest national
Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S. The annual ALMA (American Latino Media
Arts) Awards recognizes and celebrates the outstanding artistic achievement of Latinos in film, television,
and music. The ALMA Awards was created by NCLR in 1995 as part of its strategy to promote the
diverse, accurate, and balanced portrayals of Latinos in the media and the enhancement of the Latino
image in the entertainment industry. The show is an example of how inclusion strengthens the
entertainment industry, just as diversity strengthens our country.

The show is presented with the support of sponsors and advertisers. Confirmed Presenting Sponsors for
2008 include Chevy and Target. Gold Sponsors are AT&T, Johnson & Johnson, Frito-Lay/PepsiCo, and
Prudential. Silver Sponsors include American Airlines, Bank of America, Bud Light, ConAgra Foods,
M&M’s, McDonald’s, State Farm Insurance Companies, Verizon, and Wachovia. Key media partners for
the 2008 ALMA Awards include our Gold Level partners AOL Latino and MTV3, and our Silver Level
partner Latina Magazine.

This year, the executive producers are Michael Levitt, Janet Murguía, Eva Longoria Parker, and David
Chavez. For more information on the 2008 NCLR ALMA Awards®, please visit www.almaawards.com.

ONE of the dilemmas facing those who spoke at the National Council of La Raza this week was how to pronounce the Hispanic activist group’s name. The first syllable of the word raza (race, or people) requires a tricky, un-English tongue movement. Some of the anglophone speakers who tried it sounded as though they were about to choke. John McCain made no attempt at all, pronouncing the “R” like the last letter of “Budweiser”. Barack Obama, by contrast, breezed through the word as if he had grown up eating sopaipillas. Then, to show off, he did it again. “*

The National Council of LaRaza, one of the oldest civil rights organizations in the country, held its annual conference this week. Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain both made appearances, as they continue to heavily pursue the Latino vote. Janet Murguia, the organization’s president, shares how the candidates were received.”*

As the presidential candidates stumped their way across the country from LULAC to NCLR, delivering a slightly altered version of a speech they gave the week before, Latino voters, as all voters, are faced with an interesting dilemma.”*