Organizing for America | Latinas for Obama

Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas was so inspired by Barack Obama's speech in New Hampshire that he and a whole bunch of stars and singers raced off to the recording studio and shot this video.

It was just released today. They're not sure that the Obama campaign even knows it's out there yet. I sat watching it with tears rolling down my face at the power of one voice to move many and at the power of many voices to move a nation. This sort of thing, you're lucky if it happens once in your lifetime. We can be sure it will probably never happen again in ours. Whatever you're doing, please take five minutes and go watch.

http://yeswecansong.com/

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Obama Supporters Add Your Name

By Roseville City School Board Member - Sep 17th, 2007 at 10:40 pm EDT

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Obama's Supporters

Please add your name and state to the link below for supporting Senator Barack Obama. Please join in this effort by passing on this link to friends, families and etc. It normally takes 2 to 3 days before it is post.

Thanks,
Rene Aguilera
Administrator for Chicanos / Latinos

http://www.obamanh.com/wall.htm

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It Makes Sense To Hold Political Debates en Español

By Roseville City School Board Member - Sep 12th, 2007 at 12:38 am EDT

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It just makes sense these days to hold political debates en Español
by Maria Elena Salinas - UNIVISION National Anchor
Published: 09.11.2007

Why Spanish? That was the question posed by many skeptics when Univision Network, the leading Spanish-language television network in the country, proposed to hold political debates among both Democrat and Republican presidential hopefuls. The mere idea of addressing political issues in the United States in a language other than English made some critics cringe, and the thought of it being in Spanish made others feel threatened.

The candidates themselves were sort of put between a rock and a hard place, some of them fearful of the unfamiliar territory yet not wanting to snub Latino voters, others concerned about a possible backlash from the "English-only" movement, and all weighing the risk factors. Fortunately, the voice of reason prevailed. Democrats accepted. Republicans are still working out the issues and their schedules.

Again, for disclosure purposes, let me state on the record that I work for Univision Network. My co-anchor Jorge Ramos and I who did the questioning Sunday, so I am not writing this as an independent observer but rather as one of the protagonists.
For me it is a natural progression to have political candidates participate in a debate or forum in Spanish. I've been covering political campaigns for more than a quarter-century and have interviewed my fair share of candidates at the local, state and national level in English whose responses have been broadcast en Español. By agreeing to be interviewed by Spanish-language media, politicians know they have their best shot at reaching Latino voters.

So again we pose the question: Why Spanish? Maybe we can find the answer in the numbers. There are 44.3 million Latinos living in the United States, an increase of 1.4 million from July 2005 to July 2006. That, of course, does not include the almost 4 million Puerto Ricans who live on the island. According to recent data released by the Census Bureau in anticipation of Hispanic Heritage Month, three out of four Latinos speak Spanish at home. That is 32.2 million people. Overall, one of eight residents in this country speaks Spanish.

Of those who speak Spanish, almost half say they speak English very well. So most Latinos have a choice when it comes to getting their news and information in English or Spanish, and many choose Spanish because the language is possibly the strongest symbol of Latino cultural identity.

It is very difficult for some people to accept it, but the reality is that the United States is a bilingual country. Not officially, of course, but there is no denying that in spite of the fact that English is our primary language and there are dozens of other languages spoken across the country, Spanish is the second-most-important language of our land. The United States has the second-largest Hispanic population in the world, after Mexico with 106 million inhabitants and before Colombia with 43 million. Latinos are 15 percent of the population in this country, and Census projections indicate that by the year 2050, Hispanics in the U.S. will grow to 102.6 million, making them 25 percent of the population.

There are 15 states in the country with at least half a million Hispanic residents. One-third of the population of California and Texas is of Latino origin. Forty-four percent of the residents in New Mexico are Hispanic, the highest of any state. In 22 states, Hispanics are the largest minority, including the politically important states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

By participating in a forum that would be broadcast in Spanish, the Democratic presidential candidates acknowledged that the Latino vote will be crucial in the electoral process. They acknowledged that Hispanics are the fastest-growing sector of the electorate. They sent the message that they will not take the Hispanic vote for granted and are willing to take political risks in order to address the issues that most affect Latinos in this country and make sure that they get that message en Español.

Contact Maria Elena Salinas through the Guest Book on her Web site, www.mariaesalinas.com

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Obama Announces Iowa Latino Steering Committee

By Roseville City School Board Member - Sep 11th, 2007 at 7:37 pm EDT

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Obama Campaign Announces Iowa Latino Steering Committee

Des Moines, IA -- The Barack Obama Campaign today announced a 26-member Latino Steering Committee that will engage Latinos across Iowa, talk with them about Obama's commitment to changing Washington, and provide input on the direction of the Iowa campaign.

"Senator Obama will bring our country together and make progress on the many issues that have stalled under the current Administration," Dr. Hector Avalos said. "I trust his judgment on tough issues such as the war in Iraq and providing accessible health care coverage for our families, and I know he is the best candidate to work across the aisle to reform our broken immigration system. His courageous decision on the Iraq war proved to me that wisdom is more important than the experience of Washington elites."

Barack Obama has continued to fight for the Latino community by expanding opportunities for Latinos in education, health care, and economic development. Obama has been a leader in the fight for comprehensive immigration reform and is committed to putting politics aside and offering a complete solution that strengthens our security while reaffirming our heritage as a nation of immigrants.

"Real change comes from the bottom up and the Latino community is a vital part of our grassroots movement for change in Iowa," Senator Obama said. "Our campaign is committed to empowering and engaging Latinos across Iowa and I'm proud to have the support of these leaders in the Latino community.

During Latino Heritage Month -- which spans several weeks in September and October -- the Obama Campaign will visit more than 50 Latino festivals, conferences, lunches and dinners across Iowa. The Latino outreach team also will work to register Latinos across the state and organize caucus and citizen education programs. See below for the Latino Steering Committee members:

Julio Rodriguez of Sioux City, Norma De La O of Sioux City, Dr. Hector Avalos of Ames, Jose Cabrales of Ames, Mario Iniguez of Ames, Roy Salcedo of Ames, Mario Rodriguez of Clear Lake, Phil Sanchez of Mason City, Miriam Altunez of Waterloo, Omaira Gibens of Oskaloosa, Guillermo Gibens of Oskaloosa, Henry Vargas of Davenport, Inez Cruz of Iowa City, Sal Alaniz of Mt. Pleasant, Gloria Casas of Muscatine, Jesse Martinez of Cedar Rapids, Dawnelle Gordon of Iowa City, Alba Perez of Des Moines, Chivas Rivas of Des Moines, Evelyn Garrison of Des Moines, Felipe Gallardo of Des Moines, Joe Henry of Des Moines, Lorenzo Jasso of Des Moines, Mitch Henry of Des Moines, Rose Vasquez of Des Moines and Jorge "George" Valencia of Valencia.

Source: Barack Obama Campaign

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