Democracy in Action: Protesting Donald Trump

Posted on 01/11/2016 @ 06:45 PM

Tags: Civic Participation

By: Mariana Alvarenga, LULAC Democracy and Civic Engagement Intern

“¡El pueblo unido, jamás será vencido!” was one of the many chants shouted during the New York rally on November 4, 2015 in our efforts to protest Donald Trump hosting Saturday Night Live (SNL). A day before, the LULAC interns had been asked if we would like to participate in the rally, and without hesitation, I said yes. We prepared chants and posters and embarked on the four hour drive to New York from the LULAC National Office in Washington, D.C. This became one of the most memorable experiences at LULAC because it was my first time going to New York, and I was determined to let others know the problems with allowing Donald Trump on SNL after his disparaging comments about the Mexican community.

Last summer, Donald Trump had the audacity to describe Mexicans as criminals, drug dealers, and rapists. This is a grave misrepresentation of the Mexican community because the majority are hard-working people who immigrate to the United States in hopes of improving their lives. In addition, the undocumented community contributes immensely to the economy of the United States. Donald Trump has proposed building a wall that will stop immigrants from entering the United States and deport the 11 million undocumented immigrants that already reside in the country. However, deporting immigrants will result in adverse impacts on the economy. Instead of moving forward with immigration reform, Trump wants to dismantle all the work that has arduously been fought for to ensure immigrants have rights in this country.

Although we were a small group, it was truly beautiful to see all the interns passionately chanting the night of the rally. Our energy was enough to let others know that we will not tolerate the comments of people like Donald Trump, and much less his presence on a show that so many Americans watch. It is unacceptable to give airtime to someone who makes derogatory comments about the Latino community, especially now that we are one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in the United States. Because of our rapidly-growing numbers, it is imperative that we register Latinos to vote in the 2016 presidential election so we can voice our opinions. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of voting and actively participating in elections, where we the people have the opportunity to elect our representatives.

As a Democracy intern, I had the opportunity to directly work with the community through voter registration efforts. I was happy to partake in these efforts because for me, it is important to ensure that the Latino community registers to vote. As a first generation Latina who immigrated to the United States from El Salvador at a young age, I acknowledge the privilege I have to be able to participate in elections. Unfortunately, most of my family cannot vote in the United States, so the burden falls on me to represent them, and participate in elections. Attending the rally in New York hit home for me because I was not only representing LULAC and myself, but also my family and the Latino community. I believe that it is vital to organize, protest, rally, and vote to ensure that our voices are never silenced.

Although Donald Trump was still the host on SNL, the interns and I highlighted how insensitive it was for SNL to invite Trump as a host. I learned that it is not always about winning, but accomplishing something small that can ultimately lead to bigger things. Through my participation in the protest, I hope to have encouraged more Latinos to take action and go out and vote in the 2016 presidential election.

Living the American Dream: Helping Immigrants Succeed in America

Posted on 01/05/2016 @ 06:45 PM

Tags: Take Action, Advocacy

By: Jessica Velasquez, LULAC Community Programs Intern

Last month, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the “Living the American Dream” Gala, in Sacramento, CA. The event was presented by LULAC’s Lorenzo Patiño Council #2862 of Sacramento and Hermandad Mexicana Transnacional (locally known as Hermandad). Hermandad is a local nonprofit organization that has a decades-long history of serving the community of Sacramento. The gala celebrated and recognized newly naturalized U.S. citizens, scholarship recipients, and distinguished community leaders. Individuals from many different backgrounds attended the event, including key government, business, and media leaders from the Sacramento area.

As a volunteer at the event, I learned more about the great work of these two leading organizations. The LULAC Lorenzo Patiño Council has served the community of Sacramento for over thirty-two years by promoting higher education opportunities and defending the civil rights of the local community. The council partners with local charities and Latino organizations in the Sacramento area. In addition, the council awards annual scholarships to local college-bound students.

Similarly, Hermandad provides low-cost legal services to immigrant communities as well as education, economic, and community development programs. For the past two years, Hermandad has also been a grant recipient of the Hispanic Immigrant Integration Project (HIIP), which was created through a partnership between LULAC, the Hispanic Federation, and the Walmart Foundation with the purpose of providing immigrant integration services to communities across the United States.

A highlight for me was observing how LULAC’s Sacramento Council and Hermandad Mexicana Transnacional are helping Latinos live the American dream by providing them with scholarships, immigration services, and many other opportunities. Coming from an immigrant family, I witnessed my undocumented family members struggle as they navigated through the broken U.S. immigration system. It took my family ten years of sweat and tears to become U.S. residents. Immigration is an issue that I am deeply passionate about, and I was very happy to see how LULAC’s Lorenzo Patiño Council and Hermandad are making a difference in the lives of immigrant families through their services.

As an intern, I have helped redesign the Hispanic Immigrant Integration Project (HIIP) Handbook. This program is helping hardworking Latinos gain access to the American dream by providing free access to U.S. history and civics classes along with application assistance for naturalization, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and family- based petitions. In 2014, the program helped more than 1,881 individuals successfully complete civics classes or the application process for naturalization, DACA, and family petitions.

Observing the gala, and witnessing the direct impact of Hermandad’s work on my surrounding community through the testimonies of HIIP participants was truly an honor. HIIP has helped countless individuals attain U.S. citizenship, work authorizations, and social security numbers. Through their newly acquired statuses, individuals have access to higher education and occupations which ultimately provide better lives for them and their families. I now see how the work that I undertake as an intern can help a community that I deeply care about. I am energized to work harder than ever to ensure that LULAC is offering the most effective programs to ensure better lives for the immigrant community.

Jessica Velasquez is the Community Programs Intern at the LULAC Regional Office in Sacramento, California. Jessica is a fourth year student at the University of California, Los Angeles majoring in Chican@ Studies and Political Science and will be graduating in Spring of 2016.

Taking Advocacy to Capitol Hill: ACTober Advocacy Day

Posted on 12/22/2015 @ 06:45 PM

Tags: Take Action, Advocacy

By: Karla Angula, LULAC National Federal Affairs Intern

When I first decided that I wanted to intern for the League of United Latin American Citizens, I knew that this was the largest and oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the country. I was also aware of its work to advance the lives of Latinos throughout the United States; however, I did not know just how extensive their reach was. During the first week of my internship with LULAC, I was able to observe first-hand how LULAC advances the economic condition, political influence, and education of the Latino community in the halls of Capitol Hill.

Throughout the year, LULAC has many national events, but one of its most unique events is ACTober: Fall Advocacy Day. ACTober occurs every October and allows LULAC members from councils across the country to meet with members of Congress and leaders from President Obama’s administration to discuss LULAC’s policy priorities. LULAC members from dozens of states across the country held meetings with congressional leaders from both political parties because bills often need bipartisan support. In addition to taking the time and effort to travel to Washington, D.C. and speak with their representatives, many of these council members are leaders in their local communities, giving them specialized knowledge on what needs to be changed at the federal level to affect change locally.

Amongst the various meetings held throughout the entire day, I was fortunate enough to attend a meeting with the legislative correspondents of Congressman Thomas Rooney of Florida and Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee. I accompanied LULAC members who wanted to discuss federal legislation that would address educational inequities in the classroom. We looked specifically at the Senate's “Every Child Achieves Act” and the House’s “Student Success Act”, and advocated for a provision which would hold states, schools, and districts accountable when they fail to meet educational target goals for Latino students and English Language Learners (ELL). Subgroup accountability is critical to ensuring that schools will do everything in their power to ensure the educational success of vulnerable student populations, including minority students, students with disabilities, and English Language Learners. In addition to a subgroup accountability amendment, we also spoke on the need to use annual assessments to track the progress that students make. While there is a danger that students are often over-tested, especially in elementary school, LULAC supports administering one test so that results can be used as evidence of any achievement gaps for Latino students. If a disparity exists, the state and/or federal government can take action to give these students resources and additional support to close the gap.

Whether focusing on immigration detention issues, equal rights for the LGBT community, or Latino health issues, LULAC not only speaks on the importance of these issues, but they actually go to Congress and speak to their representatives. By telling them what the Latino community needs, they are ensuring that elected officials can make the necessary public policy changes to address these needs. Even though they might not necessarily agree with all the congressional members they are meeting with, LULAC members can still have a proactive discussion on addressing the needs of the Latino community and ensuring that what is going on in local communities across the country is heard by those charged with creating the laws.

Preparing Students for Success: The Common Core State Standards and Civil Rights

Posted on 12/11/2015 @ 06:45 PM

Tags: Education, Advocacy

By: Xiomara Santos, Policy and Legislation Intern, LULAC National

As a civil rights organization, we recognize the importance of all students having equal access to a quality education. Throughout its 86-year history, LULAC has recognized that education is the bedrock of civil rights, and resolving educational disparities is essential to furthering the advancement of the Latino people. The Common Core State Standards are one of the latest initiatives aimed at ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality education that adequately prepares them for higher education opportunities and the workforce.

Common Core forms a set of consistent guidelines of what students should know at each grade level in Mathematics and English Language Arts, ensuring that all students are prepared for success after high school. LULAC has been advocating for access to equitable and high-quality education for Latino students, and Common Core is helping achieve just that. Having high and consistent standards for students throughout the country means that more students can receive a quality education and have an equal chance at pursuing higher education opportunities. Thus, the adoption of the Common Core State Standards is a civil rights issue because the standards can be used as a tool for constructing an equitable education for all.

Just before the Fall 2014 school term, the Pew Research Center projected that the majority of enrolled students in public schools would be minority students. In that projection, 12.9 million Latino students were enrolled in public schools in the United States. According to this particular piece of research, Latinos make up a sizeable portion of the public school student population, thus; it is absolutely necessary that we provide quality education to all students. A zip code, family income, or one’s race or ethnicity should not determine the quality of a child’s education or their ability to succeed in college and in future careers.

For example, in Montgomery County, Maryland; if you live in a zip code with a high poverty rate, you will most likely attend a low performing school with limited resources compared to a school in Potomac, Maryland where the average income is significantly higher. According to Ed Trust, school districts found in high poverty areas receive 10% less per student in state and local funding than districts with low poverty rates. The difference is even larger in school districts where the student populations are majority minority.

In the past, the fight for an equal and a quality education has varied from state to state. However, times are changing, and for the first time, Latino parents do not have to worry about different educational standards if they move their child from a school in Illinois to a school in Kentucky. The state standards are now standardized across states, meaning that a high school diploma from Kentucky is equivalent to one from Illinois. We can now guarantee that no matter what state you are from, you are receiving the same quality education as others students across the United States.

As a civil rights organization, our priority should not solely be getting Latinos into college, but ensuring that they are adequately prepared to be successful. Across the country, Latino students have been graduating high school unprepared for college. Students who are not prepared for college end up taking remedial courses that cost more money and additional time. Due to this and other factors, only 30% of Latino college students graduate college in four years. By having higher standards, we raise the bar for students, and help them become college-ready by the time they graduate high school.

The Common Core State Standards are the new foundation in education, and we can only continue to build upon them. Common Core is not the magical solution to the flaws in our education system, but it is a step forward in the right direction. It is helping lower the likelihood of disparities between states by having the same standards across the board. Although some states will have more work to do than others, the Common Core State Standards provide the level of learning that will help states to get there.

There will be challenges, but the Latino community is ready to face them. In fact, the NBC poll sponsored by Pearson found that 50% of parents and over 70% of Latino parents were in favor of Common Core.

LULAC is currently working on its “Ready, Set, Go” Initiative aimed at educating Latino parents and students about college and career readiness through Common Core. LULAC plans on doing community sessions in Illinois, Colorado, and New Mexico. These sessions will bring families information on how to prepare for new assessments and how to read score reports. In addition, the session will engage them in pledge campaigns to fully participate in the transformation of their school instruction.

By informing Latino parents of these new changes, LULAC is living up to its civil rights history, ensuring that all students are adequately prepared to succeed in the classroom and beyond.