The Myth of the Latino Monolith

Posted on 03/14/2016 @ 07:45 PM

Tags: blog

Source: Cagle Cartoons

By: Stephanie Vela, LULAC National Education and Youth Programs Intern

The Latino voter in the United States has long been described as a “sleeping giant,” a potential voting bloc with the power to sway the election. Ever since this realization, politicians on both sides of the aisle have attempted to persuade the Latino community that their platform is the one that benefits the Latino community. With such a large amount of votes at stake, it is not uncommon to see politicians attempting to appeal to the Latino demographic in political ads, articles, and interviews. Some of these efforts include–but are not limited to–speaking Spanish (badly), claiming to be an “abuela,” making appearances at Mexican restaurants, and of course, celebrating Cinco de Mayo. Unfortunately, their attempts only come off as a form of pandering, or as some have coined it, “hispandering.” Instead of connecting with the Latino voter, their pandering just highlights their lack of understanding of who the average Latino voter is, often ignoring the nuances within the community.

However misguided their efforts may be to cater to Latinos, their outreach efforts make sense. It would be unwise to ignore such a large part of the electorate, and in this election, it’s projected that there are 27.3 million eligible Latino voters. This is a significant number, but up until now Latinos have largely been considered one monolithic group. Reducing them as such does not benefit anyone and has the capability of taking away the responsibility of candidates to understand the complexity of the community. One crucial characteristic of the Latino vote is the composition of who is voting. Forty four percent, almost half, of the Latino electorate are millennials. This is at a much higher percentage than any race or ethnicity. Similar to Latinos, It has also been clear that candidates have been vying for the millennial voter, and it seems that the Latino voter and the millennial voter may not be that different from one another.

It's important to note that millennials and Latinos alike prefer to talk about the issues rather than a candidate. They care about the issues that affect their friends, families, and neighborhoods. Yet, if we look at the way media, politicians, and the general public portrays Latinos, you would think that the only thing Latinos care about is immigration reform. This is simply not true. Like any other demographic in America, Latinos are deeply concerned with other issues. In fact, when determining their presidential candidate, 33% of Latino chose “jobs and the economy” as the top issue to consider. Only 17% believed immigration was the most important issue. Education and healthcare were also two other major issues. Of course immigration is still important to Latinos, as the immigrant and Latino experience, at some level, are tied to one another. However, the problem of simply focusing in on this one issue is that it polarizes immigration to be, almost exclusively, a Latino issue. It is time that politicians recognize that Latinos are not single-issue voters. We are diverse in the problems we care about just as we are diverse in our cultures, backgrounds, and stories.

You cannot show you care about Latinos by dropping a few words in Spanish, or claiming your parents come from an immigrant background as well. If candidates really want to engage with us, they must sit down and listen. We are more than just immigration. Our issues, Latino issues, are American issues. There is no separation between the two. By mischaracterizing the Latino voter, candidates are preventing themselves from truly engaging with the community, and awakening the burgeoning power of this “sleeping giant.”

Stephanie Vela is the Education and Youth Programs Intern at the LULAC National Office in Washington, D.C. She is a senior at American University and is majoring in Sociology with a minor in Education and will be graduating in the Spring of 2016.

Los nuevos estándares educacionales comunes

Posted on 03/11/2016 @ 06:45 PM

Tags: Health

By: Brent Wilkes, LULAC National Executive Director

This article was originally published on Univision Digital. Click here to view the article on its original webpage.

En los últimos años, las escuelas en toda la nación han estado cambiando la manera en que enseñan y evalúan a nuestros niños, mediante la creación de los Estándares Estatales Comunes desarrollados por la Asociación Nacional de Gobernadores y adoptados voluntariamente por 40 Estados a lo largo de la nación. Este es un cambio decisivo en la enseñanza porque promete modernizar la manera en que preparamos a los estudiantes para la universidad y las carreras profesionales.

Los nuevos estándares son:
1. Basados en investigación y evidencia.
2. Claros, comprensibles y consistentes.
3. Conformes con la universidad y las expectativas profesionales.
4. Basados en un contenido riguroso y con la aplicación de conocimientos en habilidades de razonamiento más altos.
5. Construidos con base en fortalezas y lecciones de estándares estatales actuales.
6. Basados en informes de países que han presentado mejores resultados en la preparación de todos los estudiantes para el éxito en la sociedad y la economía global.

La llegada de estándares nuevos y más altos trae pruebas nuevas y más inteligentes. Dos asociaciones multiestatales conformadas por profesores, administradores y evaluadores expertos, desarrollaron estas nuevas e inteligentes pruebas para que coincidieran con los estándares más altos como: Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) y Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC).

Estas nuevas evaluaciones tienen el fin de medir destrezas que serán aplicadas en el mundo real como: pensamiento crítico, razonamiento, escritura y solución de problemas. De la misma manera, estas evaluaciones están desarrolladas de un modo que permiten a los estudiantes mostrar su trabajo. En la materia de Inglés, los estudiantes explicarán y justificarán su razonamiento, y responderán de una manera abierta a preguntas basadas en escenarios reales. En el área de Matemáticas, los estudiantes resolverán problemas y crearán presentaciones visuales de conceptos.

Quizás el aspecto más importante de estas nuevas evaluaciones es que proveerán información nueva y valiosa que puede ayudar a padres, profesores y estudiantes a tomar decisiones inteligentes acerca de lo aprendido en clase. Las evaluaciones son desarrolladas de una manera que ayudará a identificar las destrezas que cada estudiante ha dominado y en que necesita trabajar más.

El panorama de tener estándares más altos y mejores evaluaciones es alentador, pero el éxito –como cualquier otra reforma escolar– depende del apoyo, recursos, entrenamiento, desarrollo y guía disponible para los padres, profesores y estudiantes. Es aquí donde LULAC interviene.

Mientras LULAC continúe trabajando a nivel local, estatal, y nacional para promover políticas que abarquen estos puntos críticos, nos comprometemos también a continuar con nuestra campaña educacional para asegurarnos que la información precisa esté llegando a las personas que la necesitan.

Como parte del trabajo de LULAC en expandir el nivel educativo de los Latinos, nosotros estamos comprometidos con una campaña agresiva para educar, comprometer y fortalecer las familias Latinas con información, recursos y herramientas que necesitan para estar preparados a los cambios que están ocurriendo en los salones de clase como resultado de los nuevos estándares y nuevas pruebas.

LULAC continuará con estos esfuerzos a través de su iniciativa Ready! Set! Go! (¡Preparados! ¡Listos! ¡Vamos!), donde llevaremos a cabo sesiones comunitarias en estados claves para brindarles a las familias información sobre cómo prepararse para estas nuevas evaluaciones, cómo leer y cómo hacer uso de los reportes de resultados y hacer a las familias partícipes de una campaña de compromiso para que participen plenamente en la transformación de la enseñanza. Comités de LULAC que quieran participar en esta campaña, organizando una sesión comunitaria, los invitamos a que se pongan en contacto con LULAC al número (202) 833-6130. Disponemos de algunos fondos para asistir a los comités en la ejecución de reuniones informativas para la comunidad. Para mayor información de la iniciativa de LULAC: “¡Preparados! ¡Listos! ¡Vamos!” y los Estándares Estatales Comunes visite esta página web.

Brent Wilkes is the Executive Director of LULAC National.

Knowing Your Status: LULAC Addresses High HIV Infection Rates in the Latino Community

Posted on 01/27/2016 @ 06:45 PM

Tags: Health

By: David Perez, LULAC National Director of Development

Although the overall rates of new HIV infections are steadily decreasing, the same cannot be said for the Latino community. In 2013, Latinos accounted for almost one quarter of all estimated new diagnoses of HIV infections despite representing about 17% of the total U.S. population. According to a report released by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the number of HIV diagnoses among gay Latino and black youth in the United States has seen a dramatic increase of 87%. Men who have sex with men accounted for 67% of new cases of HIV in 2014, and for Latino men in this group, the rate rose almost 25 percent. In an effort to understand the problem and find solutions that properly address the needs of vulnerable populations, LULAC will be spearheading a series of sessions and conferences with help from the CDC.

On January 21, 2016, LULAC participated in the 4th Annual Unión = Fuerza Latino Institute, a component of the Creating Change Conference held in Chicago, Illinois. The conference included a plenary session with David Ernesto Munar, President and CEO of Howard Brown Health, who discussed the need for mobilizing LGBTQ Latinos around raising awareness about HIV issues in the Latino community. In addition, the conference included a workshop led by LULAC partner, Oscar Raúl López of Valley AIDS Council to address homophobia in the United States–Mexico border region.

At the conference, panelists discussed the root causes for the increase of HIV infections among the Latino LGBTQ community; how to ensure that LGBTQ Latinos be involved in the solutions; and how to ensure that the needs of particularly vulnerable groups such as transgender, youth, and immigrants be addressed in the solutions. Other topics covered at the conference included the importance of seeking treatment, preventive methods, and anti-stigma efforts. The sessions provided opportunities to meet the challenges we face as LGBTQ Latinos and to work together to take action.

As part of the Creating Change Conference, LULAC hosted the LGBTQ Latin@ HIV Caucus on January 22, 2016. Participants gathered to discuss their HIV prevention and treatment work and the specific barriers or challenges faced by the LGBTQ community regarding access to prevention and treatment services. The session identified opportunities for collaboration, and encouraged Latino-led LGBTQ organizations to take advantage of HIV funding opportunities provided by LULAC and the CDC.

The LGBTQ Latin@ HIV Caucus included issue experts Jesus Barrios, sexual and behavioral health coordinator at the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center; Alex Garner, program coordinator from the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC); Arianna Lint, from the TransLatin@ Coalition; David M. Pérez, from the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and Lillian Rivera, from the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI).

It is critical that the Latino community become aware of the increasing HIV infection rates in our community and has the proper resources and information in order to fight against stereotypes and other challenges that may prevent people from seeking treatment. Conferences like these are important because they encourage community leaders to highlight important issues facing the LGBTQ Latino community and take action. Through participation in this conference, LULAC hopes to bring HIV issues in the Latino community to the forefront of our national dialogue. We hope that open discussions will encourage leaders to raise awareness about HIV in their own communities and educate their friends, family members, and coworkers on HIV prevention strategies and testing.

David M. Pérez is the Director of Development for League of United Latin American Citizens and a founding co-chair of the Unión = Fuerza Latino Institute at Creating Change, now in its 4th year. You may contact David at dperez@LULAC.org.

Clock is Ticking- Will You Take Action to Get Health Insurance Before January 31st?

Posted on 01/20/2016 @ 06:45 PM

Tags: Health, Advocacy

By: Luis Torres, LULAC National Director of Policy and Legislation

As a nationally recognized Champion for Coverage by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), LULAC National has played a critical role in addressing the health care needs of the Latino community. With the support of private and public sector partners, LULAC National has hosted health festivals in key states to bring health screenings to thousands of people and provide the community with information on the open enrollment process and health marketplaces.

As the closing deadline for the current enrollment period on January 31st quickly approaches, LULAC National is working to support all health care enrollment activities in Latino communities across the country. Enrollment events are enrollment opportunities in local communities where uninsured individuals can get help to sign up for coverage, explore their options, and/or talk to health experts about health resources in their communities.

Below are some enrollment events occurring in various communities across the country. For additional events happening throughout the month of January, please visit Enroll America’s website to find an enrollment site close to you. Visit: https://www.getcoveredamerica.org/connector/

Remember, you can sign-up for coverage before January 31st! Financial assistance is available to families who qualify. Enroll today!

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

FLORIDA
National Youth Enrollment Event: Blanchard Park YMCA
Wednesday, January 20 -3- 8:00 p.m.
10501 Jay Blanchard Trail, Orlando, FL 32817

National Youth Enrollment Day Event: Osceola County YMCA
Wednesday, January 20 -3- 8:00 p.m.
2117 W. Mabbette St., Kissimmee, FL 34741

TEXAS
Young Invincible Enrollment-Mountain View College
Wednesday, January 20 at 11 AM - 6 PM in CST
Mountain View College (4849 W Illinois Ave, Dallas, Texas 75211)

Young Invincible Enrollment-Eastfield College
Wednesday, January 20 at 11 AM - 6 PM in CST
Eastfield College (3737 Motley Dr., Mesquite, Texas 75150)

Dallas Community College District Health Insurance Enrollment Event
Wednesday, January 20 at 11 AM - 5 PM in CST
Richland College (12800 Abrams Rd, Dallas, Texas 75243)

CentroMed Southside Medical Clinic Health Insurance Enrollment Event - Se habla espanol
Wednesday, January 20 at 10 AM - 7 PM in CST
CentroMed Southside Med Clinic (3750 Commercial Ave, San Antonio, Texas 78221)

Thursday, January 21, 2016 is National Youth Enrollment Day! Be sure to post pictures on Facebook and Twitter to promote these great enrollment events in your community. #NYED2016 #LULAC16 #Asegurate

FLORIDA
National Youth Enrollment Day Event: Osceola County YMCA
Thursday, January 21 - 3- 8:00 p.m.
2117 W. Mabbette St., Kissimmee, FL 34741

National Youth Enrollment Day Event: South Orlando YMCA
Thursday, January 21 - 3- 8:00 p.m.
814 W. Oak Ridge Rd., Orlando, FL 32809

National Youth Enrollment Day Event: Wayne Densch YMCA
Thursday, January 21 - 3- 8:00 p.m.
870 N. Hastings St., Orlando, FL 32808

TEXAS
National Youth Enrollment Day Event: Lakewest YMCA
Thursday, January 21 - 3- 8:00 p.m.
3737 Goldman Ave, Dallas, TX 75212

National Youth Enrollment Event: Cassaboom YMCA
Thursday, January 21 - 3- 8:00 p.m.
7903 Loop East, Houston, Texas, 77012

Enrollment assistance at the Creating Change conference, Chicago, IL.
Thursday, January 21: 2pm to 5pm (Friday, January 22: 10am to 5pm and Saturday, January 23: 10am to 5pm, (open to attendees)
720 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605

Young Invincible Enrollment-Eastfield College
Thursday, January 21 at 11 AM - 6 PM in CST
Eastfield College (3737 Motley Dr., Mesquite, Texas 75150)

Young Invincible Enrollment-North Lake College
Thursday, January 21 at 11 AM - 6 PM in CST
North Lake College (5001 N MacArthur Blvd, Irving, Texas 75038)

Young Invincible Enrollment-Mountain View College
Thursday, January 21 at 11 AM - 6 PM in CST
Mountain View College (4849 W Illinois Ave, Dallas, Texas 75211)

Dallas Community College District Health Insurance Enrollment Event
Thursday, January 21 at 1 PM - 7 PM in CST
Richland College (12800 Abrams Rd, Dallas, Texas 75243)

Young Invincible Enrollment-Brookhaven College
Thursday, January 21at 2 PM - 7 PM in CST
Brookhaven College (3939 Valley View Ln, Dallas, Texas 75244)

CentroMed Southside Medical Clinic Health Insurance Enrollment Event - Se habla espanol
Thursday, January 21at 10 AM - 7 PM in CST
CentroMed Southside Med Clinic (3750 Commercial Ave, San Antonio, Texas 78221)

U.S. Congressman Filemon Vela ACA Enrollment Fair - Se habla espanol
Thursday, January 21 at 10 AM - 2 PM in CST
Weslaco Economic Development (275 S Kansas Ave, Weslaco, Texas 78596)

CentroMed Health Insurance Enrollment Event - Se habla espanol
Thursday, January 21 at 10 AM - 7 PM in CST
Centro Med Walzem Clinic (5542 Walzem Rd, San Antonio, Texas 78218)

Friday, January 22, 2016

ILLINOIS
Enrollment assistance at the Creating Change conference, Chicago, IL.
720 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605, 10am to 5pm (and Saturday, January 23: 10am to 5pm, (open to attendees)

TEXAS
The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health Marketplace Enrollment Event - Se habla espanol
Friday, January 22 at 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM in CST
St. Ignatius Parish, 24380 US Hwy 281, San Benito, TX, 78586

Saturday, January 23, 2016

ARIZONA
Pre-Retirement Forum: What You Don't Know May Surprise You
Saturday, January 23at 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM in MST
Pyle Adult Recreation Center (655 E Southern Ave, Tempe, Arizona 85282)

GEORGIA
Clark Atlanta University WH HBCU Challenge Phone Bank,
Saturday, January 23 – 10am-6pm
223 James P Brawley Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30313, Right-Young Hall Rm 235

ILLINOIS
Enrollment assistance at the Creating Change conference, Chicago, IL.
Saturday, January 23 – 10am-5pm
720 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605

KANSAS
Wichita - Health Insurance Marketplace Information and Enrollment Event
Saturday, January 23 at 10 AM - 4 PM in CST
Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center (225 W Douglas Ave, Wichita, Kansas 67202)

NEBRASKA
Creighton University Health Insurance Enrollment Event
Saturday, January 23at 11 AM - 4 PM in CST
Creighton University Medical Center (601 N 30th St, Omaha, Nebraska 68131)

TEXAS
Pridgeon Community Center Health Insurance Enrollment Event
Saturday, January 23 at 10 AM - 12 PM in CST
Pridgeon Center (351 Cooks Ln, Franklin, Texas 77856)

U.S. Congressman Filemon Vela ACA Enrollment Fair - Se habla espanol
Saturday, January 23 at 10 AM - 2 PM in CST
La Union del Pueblo Entero – LUPE (1601 E Business 83, San Juan, Texas 78589)

CentroMed Health Insurance Enrollment Event - Se habla espanol
Saturday, January 23at 10 AM - 5 PM in CST
Centro Med Walzem Clinic (5542 Walzem Rd, San Antonio, Texas 78218)

CentroMed Southside Medical Clinic Health Insurance Enrollment Event - Se habla espanol
Saturday, January 23at 10 AM - 5 PM in CST
CentroMed Southside Med Clinic (3750 Commercial Ave, San Antonio, Texas 78221)

VIRGINIA
Celebrate Healthcare Enrollfest
Saturday, January 23 – 11am-5pm
Southside Boys & Girls Club, Norfolk 701 Berkley Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23523

RVA Mega Enrollfest
Saturday, January 23 – 11am-3pm
Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center, Richmond 2401 W Leigh St., Richmond, VA 23220

Phone Bank and Enrollment at Family Health Centers of Georgia with Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Saturday, January 23 – 3pm-6pm
868 York Avenue SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

Sunday, January 24, 2016

GEORGIA
Faith Weekend of Action Community Enrollment Event
Sunday, January 24at 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta (460 Rockbridge Rd., NW Lilburn, GA 30047)

For additional events happening throughout the month of January, please visit Enroll America’s website to find an enrollment site close to you. Visit: https://www.getcoveredamerica.org/connector/. Remember, you can sign-up for coverage before January 31st! Financial assistance is available to families who qualify. Enroll today!

Luis Torres is the Director of Policy and Legislation for the League of United Latin American Citizens. Prior to LULAC, he served as Legislative Director for Congressman Silvestre Reyes, former-Chairman of the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and was one of a handful of Latino Legislative Directors in the U.S. House of Representatives. Additionally, Torres also served as a high school teacher in Washington, D.C. as part of Teach for America. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Sociology from Georgetown University, and a Master of Arts in Teaching from American University.