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VA Latino Community To Politicians: Ignore Us At Your Own Peril

February 18, 2010 - By Jonathan Wilson

Leaders and advocates for northern Virginia's Latino community are sending a message to political candidates before the 2010 election season heats up.

From a conference of Latino community leaders in Arlington, the message to elected officials and candidates is a simple one: ignore us at your own peril.

Juan Marcos Vilar is the Board Chairman of Virginia New Majority, a non-partisan group focusing on issues concerning immigrants and the working class. He says Virginia's handling of its immigrant community will have a national impact.

"As we've seen in the last few years, Virginia has become the new battleground state, and it's a mistake, an outright mistake for people to take the Latino vote for granted," says Vilar.

The U.S. Census Bureau says 74,000 Latinos cast votes in Virginia in 2008: that's nearly a 6 percent jump from four years earlier.

But much of the debate centers on immigrants who can't vote because they're here illegally. Arlington County Board Member Walter Tejada says elected officials need to remember that could change with immigration reform.

"Who might be an undocumented immigrant today, might be a U.S. citizen tomorrow, and they're going to remember who treated them with dignity and respect, and wanted to include them, and who wanted to exclude them from the community," says Tejada.

There's one more reason this is a big year for the Latino community in Virginia and elsewhere: the 2010 U.S. Census. The number of Latinos taking part in the census will effect how congressional districts are redrawn, helping to decide elections for years to come.

VA Latino Community To Politicians: Ignore Us At Your Own Peril

Latino leaders and advocates say elected officials and candidates would be foolish to ignore the growing Latino influence in Northern Virginia.

Courtesy of: Jonathan Wilson

Original link: http://wamu.org/news/10/02/18.php#32427

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Latino Leaders Press for Expedited Reform Efforts

by SCOTT McCAFFREY, Staff Writer

(Created: Friday, February 19, 2010 8:17 AM EST)

A coalition of Latino leaders and organizations used a Feb. 18 event in Arlington to press for congressional consideration of comprehensive immigration reform before the fall election season freezes proposals in place.

And those participating said Latino voters, and those who will become voters, are paying attention to the action, or inaction, of politicians of all political stripes.

Immigration reform “is a litmus test for a vast majority of Latinos,” County Board member Walter Tejada said after the event, held at Courthouse Plaza.

“A growing voting population is rising, and [political leaders] had better pay attention to the priorities of that community,” said Tejada, one of Virginia’s few elected Latino leaders.

The event also included participation by the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations, Virginia New Majority, the Virginia Latino Complete Count Committee and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

“Those who will benefit from the passage of comprehensive immigration reform will not forget who fought for them,” said Jaime Contreras, an official with SEIU.

Both Democrats and Republicans took heat from participants, who expressed concern that the Obama administration has not pushed immigration reform as among its highest priorities.

By comprehensive reform, advocates say they are looking for everything from increased border security (favored by many conservatives) to a clearer path to citizenship (favored by liberals and others).

Tejada acknowledged that the clock is ticking on getting any action out of Congress before election season arrives. And he admitted that, as long as economic conditions remain weak, political eyes will be on solving that problem first.

“The economy and jobs is No. 1 for everybody,” he said.

Proponents of immigration reform plan a rally in Washington on March 21.

The Feb. 18 event also was an opportunity for Latino leaders to encourage all local residents to participate in the federal census.

Leni Gonzalez, co-chairman of the Virginia Latino Complete Count Committee (as well as Arlington’s Complete Count Committee), noted that states with rising Hispanic populations will see both increased representation in Congress, and a bigger share of federal tax dollars.

“We are doing our very best in Virginia to make sure that all Latinos get counted,” she said.

Original link: http://www.sungazette.net/articles/2010/02/19/arlington/news/nw240b.txt