On 50th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act, NCLR Urges Congress to Restore Vital Voting Protections

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act (VRA), landmark legislation which would serve as the single most important tool for eradicating and preventing widespread voting discrimination against minority voters. For decades, the VRA blocked states from establishing discriminatory voting laws and practices until the Supreme Court struck down the act’s federal review provisions two years ago in Shelby County v. Holder. As we reflect on the 50th anniversary of this historic piece of legislation, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) calls on Congress to restore and expand upon vital voting protections for minority communities by passing the “Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015,” legislation that would require federal monitoring of changes to voting practices in states with a history of discriminating against minority voters.

“Fifty years after the VRA was passed, this nation has returned to a dangerous point in the road with regard to voting rights. The decision in Shelby County v. Holder could wipe away five decades of progress that this country has made toward eliminating voter suppression laws and ensuring that voting practices in this country do not prevent minorities from casting a ballot,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR. “In 2015 alone, over 100 bills imposing voter restrictions were introduced in more than 30 states throughout the nation. Although these bills are wholly unnecessary and violate our citizens’ rights, it will be undeniably tougher to strike them down without a fully restored VRA.”

In 2014, there were more than 25 million Hispanic eligible voters in the United States, with another 900,000 U.S.-born Hispanics turning 18 and becoming eligible to vote every year. According to the Census Bureau, nearly one-third of Hispanic eligible voters live in jurisdictions that were required under the VRA to undergo federal review of changes to voting practices.

“If we are to remain a nation that prides itself on ensuring that our citizens have the right to fully participate in the electoral process, then we must strengthen voting protections for groups, such as Latinos, who have historically been disenfranchised,” added Murguía. “Our precious right to vote is the basic foundation upon which our democracy is built; we cannot regress to a time when people were turned away at the ballot box because of the color of their skin.”

NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

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Rep. Linda Sánchez Joins Latino Community Forum to Discuss Expiring Tax Credits for California’s Working Families
Leaders call on Congress to make antipoverty tax credits part of business tax deals this fall

LOS ANGELES—Although the economy is improving, many of California’s working families still aren’t earning enough to meet their basic needs. In fact, more than 40 percent of Latinos nationwide earn poverty-level wages. On Wednesday, August 19, at 10:30 a.m. PDT, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) and the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) will host a community forum to discuss the need for Congress to protect vital refundable tax credits that lift 9.4 million Americans out of poverty each year. This fall, Congress will debate renewing or making permanent tax credits for businesses and has the opportunity to also save key provisions of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC), which collectively benefitted more than 113,000 households in California’s 38th district in 2013. Participants will discuss the impact of tax credits for working families on employment, poverty, education and family.

Media interested in attending the event should RSVP to Joe Rendeiro at jrendeiro@nclr.org or call (202) 776-1566.

MEDIA ADVISORY

NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                          Contact:
April 9, 2015                                                                                                    Camila Gallardo
                                                                                                                         cgallardo@nclr.org
                                                                                                                         (305) 215-4259

WASHINGTON, D.C.—This week Sens. Patty Murray (D–Wash.) and Lamar Alexander (R–Tenn.) unveiled the “Every Child Achieves Act,” a bipartisan bill aimed at overhauling the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Since its passage in 1965, ESEA has played a key role in guiding educational resources and providing support for students in the nation’s most vulnerable communities. The new proposal aims to update the current iteration of ESEA, known as No Child Left Behind, which expired in 2007.

“While many gains have been made as a result of ESEA, including increased graduation rates among minority and lower-income students, we still have not achieved educational parity. That is why we applaud this bipartisan effort to reauthorize ESEA and make much-needed improvements to the law,” said Delia Pompa, Senior Vice President of Programs, NCLR (National Council of La Raza).

NCLR is particularly pleased with the bill’s provisions on English learners (ELs), which strengthen accountability requirements by setting high expectations for these students in statewide plans. Moreover, the “Every Child Achieves Act” emphasizes long-term ELs and ELs with a disability, a much-needed improvement to the law.

While NCLR applauds the improvements in the EL provisions, more needs to be done overall to maintain a robust federal role with funding attached to ambitious demands for higher achievement for all students. Our policies should ensure that all students have the opportunity to obtain an excellent and equitable education and that there are timely interventions to ensure this is happening. NCLR looks forward to working with Congress on the reauthorization of a new ESEA that will help set all of our nation’s children on a smoother path to educational success.

NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

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Rep. Linda Sánchez Se Une a Foro Comunitario Donde se Discutirán los Créditos Tributarios para Familias Trabajadores en California
Líderes instan al Congreso federal para que estos créditos tributarios anti-pobreza sean parte de sus negociaciones sobre los impuestos en otoño

LOS ANGELES—Aun cuando la economía ha mejorado, muchas familias trabajadoras californianas no tienen suficientes ingresos para cumplir sus necesidades básicas. De hecho, más del 40 por ciento de los latinos a nivel nacional devengaron ingresos que apenas los mantienen al nivel de la pobreza. El miércoles, 19 de agosto, a las 10:30am PDT, el NCLR (Consejo Nacional de La Raza por sus siglas en inglés) y el Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) patrocinarán un foro comunitario para pedir que el Congreso proteja créditos tributarios reembolsables que son vitales y ayudan a sacar a más de 9.4 millones de americanos de la pobreza cada año. Este otoño, el Congreso tendrá que decidir si se harán permanentes los créditos tributarios para los negocios, y tendrá además la oportunidad de salvar provisiones claves del Crédito Tributario de Ingreso (Earned Income Tax Credit o EITC) y el Crédito Tributario por Niños (Child Tax Credit o CTC), que colectivamente beneficiaron a más de 113,000 hogares en el distrito número 38 de California en el 2013. Los participantes discutirán el impacto de los créditos tributarios en las familias en torno al empleo, la pobreza y la educación.

La prensa interesada en asistir el evento deben de confirmar su asistencia con Joe Rendeiro a jrendeiro@nclr.org o llamar al (202) 776-1566.

AVISO DE PRENSA

El NCLR (Consejo Nacional de La Raza) es la organización nacional más grande de apoyo y defensa de los derechos civiles de los hispanos en los Estados Unidos y trabaja para mejorar sus oportunidades. Para más información sobre el NCLR, por favor visite www.nclr.org o síganos en Facebook y Twitter.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                   Contact:
April 15, 2015                                                                                            Camila Gallardo
                                                                                                                   (305) 215-4259
                                                                                                                   cgallardo@nclr.org

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Yesterday, the Task Force on New Americans issued its first report to President Obama, recommending ways that the federal government can more effectively support the successful integration of new Americans. As part of the president’s executive actions announced last November to address the nation’s broken immigration system, the Task Force was formed to recommend federal strategies that will strengthen communities and maximize the contributions of immigrants, who today represent nearly one-fifth of the U.S. labor force. The Task Force solicited input from a wide array of stakeholders, including NCLR (National Council of La Raza) and its vast Affiliate Network of nearly 300 community-based organizations throughout the United States. 

“Questions about who, and how many, should be allowed to enter the country will always be controversial, but there should be no debate about our shared interest in rapidly and fully integrating Americans-in-waiting into our country,” said Victoria Benner, Senior Legislative Analyst, NCLR. “Our future economic prosperity, national security and social cohesion rest in part on how well we meet this challenge.”

Among the report’s key recommendations are enhancing the capacity of the AmeriCorps VISTA program to build more welcoming communities, promoting citizenship and naturalization through public awareness campaigns and direct outreach to eligible Lawful Permanent Residents, increasing access to housing, expanding Small Business Administration tools, and increasing access to English-as-a-second-language and early learning resources. The report also commits to launching a Welcoming Communities Challenge to encourage local governments to implement tailored integration strategies for their communities.

“We are pleased with the Task Force’s initial set of recommendations to promote the successful incorporation of millions of new immigrants into the fabric of our society, and we are anxious to see them turned into action. While federal agencies and community-based organizations stand ready to do their part, ultimately we need Congress to pass bipartisan legislation like the New American Success Act and the private sector to step up in helping our nation meet this important challenge,” concluded Benner.

NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

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NCLR, MAOF and Eastmont Community Center Join Rep. Linda Sánchez in Urging Congress Not to Leave Working Families Out of Upcoming Tax Deals

LOS ANGELES—Today, Rep. Linda Sánchez (D–CA) joined NCLR (National Council of La Raza) President and CEO Janet Murguía and NCLR Affiliates Mexican American Opportunity Fund (MAOF) and Eastmont Community Center at a community forum where they called on Congress to include tax credits for workers in upcoming debate on the issue. Congress is expected to resume negotiations on renewing or making permanent business tax credits set to expire this fall. At the forum, Sánchez urged her colleagues in Congress to also protect key provisions of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC), which benefit 50 million Americans and would expire in 2017.

“If lawmakers are willing to help businesses recover in this economy, then they should be able to also support hardworking American families. Businesses, after all, also need consumers able to buy and spend in order to thrive,” said Murguía. “Millions of working families depend on these tax credits to keep them out of poverty; ensuring that American workers keep more of what they earn must take priority in Washington.”

In 2009, Congress strengthened these refundable tax credits, which are only available to working people, in order to reach lower-income earners. Together, they now lift more than 9 million people out of poverty nationwide, including about 5 million children. In fact, in California alone, these tax credits lifted more than a million people out of poverty, while adding an estimated $7.3 billion to the state’s economy in 2012.

“EITC and CTC are two of America’s most powerful proven antipoverty and work support programs in the tax code,” said Sánchez. “Together, they help hardworking American families make ends meet and lift nearly 5 million out of poverty. As Congress takes up expiring tax provisions for large businesses this fall, I will continue to fight to give hardworking families in my district and across the country peace of mind knowing they can count on these programs for support. I am proud to stand with NCLR and the Mexican American Opportunity Fund to demand these policies be made permanent.”

Allowing key provisions of these pro-work tax credits to expire at the end of 2017 would cut off part or all of the EITC and CTC to 50 million Americans, pushing 16 million people in low- and modest-income working families deeper into poverty. Latinos would be hit especially hard. An estimated 4 million Latino working families with 9 million children stand to lose an average of more than $900 each.

“We can see that the economic recovery hasn’t been felt equally by all and it is low-income earners who are still struggling the most,” said Teresa Palacios, Executive Director, Eastmont Community Center. “Many hardworking Americans are holding multiple jobs and still living paycheck to paycheck. The consequences of losing out on these tax credits would be devastating to Latino families in California and across the country.”

“It would be foolish to think that the economic problems that existed in 2009 when these provisions were added to the EITC and CTC have been wiped away in 2015,” added Martin Castro, Executive Director, MAOF. “Congress took the right course of action in 2009. They should renew their commitment to our workforce and continue to support these measures that are keeping working Americans out of poverty.”

NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Latinos. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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NCLR, MAOF y Eastmont Community Center Juntos con la Rep. Linda Sánchez Instan al Congreso que No Dejen a las Familias Trabajadoras Fuera de las Negociaciones Sobre los Créditos Tributarios

LOS ANGELES—Hoy, la Rep. Linda Sánchez (D–CA) se unió a la Presidenta y Gerente General del NCLR (Consejo Nacional de La Raza por sus siglas en ingles), Janet Murguía, y los grupos Afiliados del NCLR, el Mexican American Opportunity Fund (MAOF) y el Eastmont Community Center, en un foro comunitario donde instaron al Congreso que incluyan créditos tributarios para los trabajadores en sus negociaciones sobre el tema. El Congreso continuará las negociaciones este otoño sobre la renovación o permanencia de créditos tributarios para los negocios que cumplen su fecha límite en los próximos meses. Sánchez instó a sus colegas en el Congreso que también protegieran provisiones claves del Crédito Tributario de Sueldo (conocido como EITC) y el Crédito Tributario por Niños (CTC), los cuales benefician a más de 50 millones de americanos y que expiran en el 2017.

“Si los legisladores están dispuestos a ayudar a los negocios en esta economía en recuperación, deben de hacer lo mismo con las familias trabajadoras americanas. Después de todo, los negocios necesitan que los consumidores compren y gasten para tener éxito,” dijo Murguía. “Millones de familias trabajadoras dependen de estos créditos tributarios para no llegar al nivel de la pobreza; asegurar que los trabajadores americanos se lleven más de su sueldo a casa debe ser prioridad en Washington.”

En el 2009, el Congreso fortaleció estos créditos tributarios reembolsables, que solo son disponibles para los trabajadores, para llegar a los trabajadores de bajos ingresos. Juntos, hoy en día ayudan a mantener a más de 9 millones de personas fuera de la pobreza a nivel nacional, incluyendo a alrededor de 5 millones de niños. De hecho, en California, estos créditos han ayudado a más de un millón de personas, que sin ellos caerían en la pobreza, y a la misma vez han contribuido alrededor de $7.3 mil millones a la economía estatal en el 2012.

“EITC y el CTC son dos de los programas anti-pobreza y de apoyo laboral más poderosos en nuestro sistema de impuestos,” dijo Sánchez. “Juntos, ayudan a las familias americanas trabajadoras sobrevivir y sacan a más de 5 millones de la pobreza. Mientras el Congreso discute las provisiones de las leyes de impuestos este otoño, continuaré luchando para darle la seguridad a las familias trabajadoras en mi distrito y en todo el país de que estos programas continuarán. Estoy orgullosa de unirme al NCLR y al Mexican American Opportunity Fund para instar a que estas políticas sean permanentes.”

Si estas provisiones se vencen a finales del 2017, causaría la reducción o eliminación de parte o todo del EITC y el CTC para 50 millones de americanos. Además resultaría en que 16 millones de personas de bajo o moderado ingreso se hundan más profundamente en la pobreza. Los latinos se verían particularmente afectados. Aproximadamente 4 millones de familias trabajadoras latinas con 9 millones de niños perderían más de $900 por familia.

“Vemos que la recuperación económica no ha sido igual para todos y han sido las personas de menos ingresos las que siguen sufriendo,” dijo Teresa Palacios, Directora Ejecutiva, Eastmont Community Center. “Muchos trabajadores americanos tienen múltiples trabajos y siguen viviendo de cheque en cheque. Las consecuencias de no tener estos créditos tributarios serían devastadoras para las familias latinas en California y a través del país.”

“Sería imprudente pensar que los problemas económicos que existían en el 2009, cuando se añadieron estas provisiones a el EITC y la CTC, han desaparecido en el 2015,” añadió Martin Castro, Director Ejecutivo, MAOF. “El Congreso tomó un curso positivo de acción en el 2009. Ellos deben de renovar su compromiso con nuestra fuerza laboral y continuar apoyando estas medidas que ayudan a mantener a los trabajadores americanos fuera de la pobreza.”

El NCLR (Consejo Nacional de La Raza) es la organización nacional más grande de apoyo y defensa de los derechos civiles de los hispanos en los Estados Unidos y trabaja para mejorar sus oportunidades. Para más información sobre el NCLR, por favor visite www.nclr.org o síganos en Facebook y Twitter.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Joseph Rendeiro
(202) 776-1566
jrendeiro@nclr.org

NCLR: Affordable Housing Goals Set by FHFA Do Not Go Far Enough to Help Homebuyers

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Yesterday, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) released a final version of its affordable housing goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, both government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs). The goals are benchmarks to ensure GSE-backed loans and rental housing units remain affordable for underserved markets. Unfortunately, the goals presented will not go far enough to ensure greater access to affordable credit for low-income communities such as Latinos. NCLR (National Council of La Raza) is deeply disappointed that the FHFA has not made a stronger push for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to uphold the principles of fair, equitable and nondiscriminatory access to consumer credit, which could help creditworthy Latino families locked out of the housing market.

“Every day, housing counseling agencies in the NCLR Homeownership Network set families up for success as they seek to purchase their first home,” said Lindsay Daniels, Manager of the Wealth-Building Initiative at NCLR. “Despite their expert advice and support, our housing counselors see extremely low numbers of new homeowners. Latino families simply cannot meet the high down payment, credit score, and interest rate requirements that dominate the mortgage market right now. The GSEs have a mandate to provide access to affordable credit and sustainable lending, but the rules presented yesterday do not go far enough to reach those objectives.”

The GSEs were built in part to help qualified families access safe loans that would otherwise be difficult to find in the private market. Now more than ever, Latino families need a fair system to help them recover the vast amount of wealth that was lost in the housing crisis. Unfortunately, they are still paying more for credit. More than 40 percent of Hispanic households with mortgages report paying interest rates above 5 percent, compared to less than one-third of White households. Both the administration and Congress should seize every opportunity to make homeownership affordable. NCLR is ready to work with lawmakers to reform the housing finance system in a way that works for all Americans.

NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

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PARA DIVULGACIÓN INMEDIATA                                                                Contacto:
21 de abril, 2015                                                                                              Joseph Rendeiro
                                                                                                                         jrendeiro@nclr.org
                                                                                                                         (202) 776-1566

En Celebración del Mes de Capacitación Financiera, el NCLR destaca los beneficios de esperar para colectar el seguro social

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Los latinos en los estados unidos están viviendo más años que nunca. De hecho, los latinos americanos tienen un promedio de esperanza de vida más altos que sus compañeros blancos o negros en el país. Con la buena fortuna de vivir una vida más larga también viene la necesidad de preparar para un retiro más largo. El Seguro Social provee seguridad económica crítica para los retirados quienes contribuyen parte de sus ingresos al sistema mientras que están en la fuerza laboral. A pesar de esto, el hecho de que dos tercios de los latinos trabajan para compañías que no ofrecen un plan de retiro quiere decir que los latinos son más propensos que cualquier otra persona de mayor edad a contar con el seguro social como su única fuente de ingreso. Ansiosos de poder colectar los beneficios que han ganado con el sudor de sus frentes, muchos trabajadores no se dan cuenta que esperar para colectar esos beneficios pude ser la mejor forma de maximizar su dinero.

“Una razón por la cual el Seguro Social es una parte importante de la planificación para el retiro es que estos beneficios duran toda la vida. No son como los ahorros personales en el sentido de que nunca se agotan,” dijo Eric Rodriguez, Vice Presidente. Office of Research, Advocacy and Legislation at NCLR (National Council of La Raza). “Desafortunadamente, muchos no se dan cuenta de que podrían recibir un cheque más grande simplemente si esperan unos años más para colectar sus beneficios. Para muchos de los latinos que cuentan exclusivamente con los beneficios del Seguro Social para evitar la pobreza, la verdad es que vale esperar.”

Cada año, trabajadores y empleadores pagan impuestos al Seguro Social que son la fuente de ingreso para el programa. Los que trabajan un mínimo de diez años califican para beneficios, aunque los trabajadores tienen que asegurarse que están pagando impuestos en sus cheques de sueldo al contrario de ser pagados en efectivo.

A pesar de que la edad de retiro es 67 años, los trabajadores son permitidos empezar a colectar beneficios a los 62. Aquellos que colectan más temprano serán penalizados y sus beneficios mensuales serán reducidos. Al contrario, aquellos quienes esperan para colectar el Seguro Social verán un incremento a sus beneficios de hasta un 8 por ciento cada años que esperan después de los 62. Los trabajadores tienen la opción de empezar a colectar para la edad de retiro, o pueden esperan hasta los 70 para recibir aún más beneficios. Por ejemplo, un trabajador que gana $27,000 por año recibirá beneficios de $750 si empieza a recibir esos beneficios a los 62, $1,000 si espera a los 67 años y $1,320 si espera hasta los 70.

“Usted se lo ganó. No pierda la oportunidad de asegurar a su futuro y la de su familia,” añadió Rodriguez.

Para más información de cómo maximizar a sus beneficios de Seguro Social, por favor lea el siguiente boletín informativo “It Pays to Wait” (“Vale la pena esperar”).

El NCLR (Consejo Nacional de La Raza) es la organización nacional más grande de apoyo y defensa de los derechos civiles de los hispanos en los Estados Unidos y trabaja para mejorar sus oportunidades. Para más información sobre el NCLR, por favor visite www.nclr.org o síganos en Facebook y Twitter.

NCLR and NHLA Praise Ruling in Favor of Home Care Workers

WASHINGTON, D.C.—NCLR (National Council of La Raza) and the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA) are celebrating a unanimous ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that upholds the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) regulation to extend federal minimum wage and overtime protections to home care workers. Earlier this year, both groups joined a number of civil rights and women’s rights organizations to file an amicus brief supporting the regulation. The court’s August 21 ruling overturns a legal challenge to DOL’s regulation, finalized September 2013, that would benefit two million workers who care for the elderly and people with disabilities in their homes. Approximately 21 percent of the home care workforce is Latino.

“The Court’s decision reaffirms what we know to be true: that DOL was well within its authority to grant these vital protections to home care workers,” said Eric Rodriguez, Vice President of the Office of Research, Advocacy and Legislation at NCLR. “This is a clear signal that states should act quickly to implement these long-overdue wage standards.”

Home care is a multibillion-dollar industry that is projected to keep growing as the U.S. population ages. The Department of Labor projects that by 2020, the home care industry will add 1.3 million jobs, a growth rate of 70 percent—much faster than the growth rate of 14 percent for all occupations. Poverty-level wages undermine the economic security of workers and their families and do not equate with the value home care workers provide. Yet, due to a historic exclusion from protection under the Fair Labor Standards Act, most home care workers earn very low wages. The national average wage for home care workers is $9.70 per hour.

“The U.S. Court of Appeals decision is a victory for hardworking Latinas and Latinos who deserve fair pay for the many hours of dedicated work they provide,” said Hector Sanchez, Chair of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. “Latinas in particular are overrepresented in the home care industry but they do receive a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work. This court ruling will help correct a longstanding injustice for hundreds of thousands of Latina workers, enabling them to better provide for themselves and their families.”

NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

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NCLR and NHLA Praise Ruling in Favor of Home Care Workers

WASHINGTON, D.C.—NCLR (National Council of La Raza) and the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA) are celebrating a unanimous ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that upholds the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) regulation to extend federal minimum wage and overtime protections to home care workers. Earlier this year, both groups joined a number of civil rights and women’s rights organizations to file an amicus brief supporting the regulation. The court’s August 21 ruling overturns a legal challenge to DOL’s regulation, finalized September 2013, that would benefit two million workers who care for the elderly and people with disabilities in their homes. Approximately 21 percent of the home care workforce is Latino.

“The Court’s decision reaffirms what we know to be true: that DOL was well within its authority to grant these vital protections to home care workers,” said Eric Rodriguez, Vice President of the Office of Research, Advocacy and Legislation at NCLR. “This is a clear signal that states should act quickly to implement these long-overdue wage standards.”

Home care is a multibillion-dollar industry that is projected to keep growing as the U.S. population ages. The Department of Labor projects that by 2020, the home care industry will add 1.3 million jobs, a growth rate of 70 percent—much faster than the growth rate of 14 percent for all occupations. Poverty-level wages undermine the economic security of workers and their families and do not equate with the value home care workers provide. Yet, due to a historic exclusion from protection under the Fair Labor Standards Act, most home care workers earn very low wages. The national average wage for home care workers is $9.70 per hour.

“The U.S. Court of Appeals decision is a victory for hardworking Latinas and Latinos who deserve fair pay for the many hours of dedicated work they provide,” said Hector Sanchez, Chair of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. “Latinas in particular are overrepresented in the home care industry but they do not receive a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work. This court ruling will help correct a longstanding injustice for hundreds of thousands of Latina workers, enabling them to better provide for themselves and their families.”

NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                        Contact:
April 22, 2015                                                                               Catherine Brady
                                                                                                    (617) 945-9316;catherine@jpa.com
                                                                                                    Kathy Mimberg
                                                                                                    (202) 776-1714; kmimberg@nclr.org

NCLR and Peers for Progress Release Comprehensive Guides to Implementing Peer Support Programs

Leawood, KS - Peers for Progress, a program of the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) announced the release of two essential guides to enable accelerated implementation and scale-up of peer support programs in order to meet global healthcare challenges.

The Peers for Progress Program Development Guide, is a comprehensive practical handbook representing the culmination of six years of intensive study and reporting by community health leaders across the globe. The guide serves as resource for potential and existing peer support program managers, providing step-by-step instruction on program planning, monitoring and evaluation, quality improvement, and sustainability. Healthcare providers and community leaders seeking to implement peer support programs will also find supporting documentation for their efforts in the form of a recently completed economic analysis report, which demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of implementing these programs and suggests an innovative payment model for peer support.

“We are very excited to introduce the Peers for Progress Program Development Guide, which offers a menu of good practices and how-to resources for the healthcare community,” said Edwin B. Fisher, global director of Peers for Progress. “Existing program directors will benefit from the guidance on how to create and maintain the necessary frameworks for successful programs, and new managers will find the tools they need to demonstrate the real-world application of peer support programs in a variety of community settings.”

The second resource, Mi Salud es Primero: A Model for Implementing a Promotores de Salud Program for Diabetes Self-Management in a Primary Care Setting, outlines an ideal design and implementation of a peer support program that could meet the needs of Spanish-speaking communities, which are often underserved and disproportionately affected by chronic illnesses such as diabetes. The guide draws on research from the Mi Salud es Primero/My Health Comes First program, targeted to urban, low-income primarily Latino adults with type 2 diabetes in Chicago, Illinois, which integrated promotores de salud or community health workers in a primary care setting.

“NCLR finds that working with promotores de salud is highly effective in providing Latinos with the peer support they need to learn to eat healthier foods, exercise in a way that fits into their daily routines, and better follow their doctors’ instructions. These community health workers truly understand the challenges facing Latino patients and are able to share information in a way that is culturally and linguistically appropriate” said A. Manuela McDonough, Associate Director, Institute for Hispanic Health, NCLR.

Together with legacy data from the global studies, the Peers for Progress and NCLR guides strongly illustrate the crucial role peer support programming plays in closing gaps in healthcare.

Copies of the guides may also be ordered by contacting info@peersforprogress.org or news@nclr.org.

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About Peers for Progress
A program of the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, Peers for Progress is dedicated to promoting peer support in health, health care and prevention around the world. Through research, collaborative sharing of program and quality improvement resources, and supporting advocacy, it seeks to help the thousands of peer support programs around the world learn from each other, improve the services they offer, gain greater recognition of their work, and achieve integration of peer support as a normal, widely available component of high-quality health care. Peers for Progress is supported by grants from the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation and the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation’s Together on Diabetes Initiative. For more information on Peers for Progress, visit www.peersforprogress.org, or follow us on Twitter at @peers4progress.

About the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation
The Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Its primary mission is to advance the values of family medicine by promoting humanitarian, educational, and scientific initiatives that improve the health of all people.

For more information, please visit www.aafpfoundation.org.

About the National Council of La Raza (NCLR)
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org, or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

Mainstream

Buzzfeed— National Council Of La Raza President: Trump’s Wall Will Be Between The GOP And Latino Voters
Pointing to an assault against a Hispanic man last week allegedly inspired by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, National Council of La Raza (NCLR) president Janet Murguia said the GOP’s embrace of Trump and lurch to the right on birthright citizenship and immigration could damage them in 2016 with Latino voters. Read more here…

MSNBC— Trump takes credit for immigration debate on GOP stage
Janet Murguía, president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza, joins Andrea Mitchell to talk about how immigration emerged as a top campaign issue at Thursday’s debate. Read more here…

NBC News— Martin O’Malley Makes Nevada Stop About Workers, Immigration
Standing outside the gleaming Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, called for two things: immigration reform and bargaining rights for workers. Read more here…

Politico— Feinstein under fire from immigration advocates
For immigration advocates rushing to beat back congressional momentum to crack down on so-called “sanctuary cities,” their chief worry isn’t the Republicans who control Capitol Hill. It’s Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Read more here…

National Journal— College Alone Does Not Close the Wealth Gap for Blacks and Latinos
Everyone says a college degree is the path to prosperity. For White and Asian families, that's largely still true. Higher education not only brings with it better pay and more stability; it also creates a buffer against the negative effects of recessions and other short- and long-term economic pitfalls. Read more here…

Politico— Trump organization seeks peace with Hispanic media
Donald Trump’s organization is quietly reaching out to a Hispanic media group with a very un-Trump-like request: Let’s meet and make peace. Read more here…

Al Jazeera— Police killings of Latinos spark less outrage than when victims are black
On July 21, 2012, police here killed Manuel Angel Diaz, an unarmed, 25-year-old man, when he ran away as officers approached. The next day, 21-year-old Joel Acevedo was killed by police after he allegedly fired shots at them. Read more here…
 

Spanish-Language News

Univision— Congresista pide mantener programas tributarios que benefician a familias de bajos recursos
La congresista demócrata por California Linda Sánchez aseguró en Los Ángeles su intención de luchar por mantener y ampliar los beneficios de impuestos para familias de bajos recursos y pequeños negocios, durante un foro del Consejo Nacional de La Raza (NCLR). Read more here…

EFE—Debate dejó frustración y desencanto entre los defensores de los inmigrantes
El debate entre los diez candidatos republicanos mejor posicionados para competir por la Presidencia dejó frustración y desencanto entre líderes y activistas defensores de los inmigrantes que oyeron llamados a reforzar el control de la frontera y nada que valore la aportación de los inmigrantes. Read more here...

La Opinión— Murguía: Retórica de Trump refleja ansiedad ante cambio demográfico
Para Janet Murguía, presidenta de una de las organizaciones latinas más importantes del país, el Concilio Nacional de la Raza (NCLR), la popularidad de Donald Trump y la fuerte retórica contra los mexicanos y los inmigrantes revelan solo una cosa: ansiedad entre algunos grupos ante el rápido cambio demográfico de la nación. Read more here…

Telemundo— Debate sobre “ciudades santuarios” es político y un retroceso, según expertos
Activistas hispanos cuestionaron la arremetida contra las llamadas “ciudades santuario” al considerarla un retroceso y una táctica de candidatos republicanos para ganar votos y polarizar aún más el debate migratorio en la antesala de las elecciones presidenciales de 2016. Read more here…

La Opinion— Lucharán por créditos impositivos que benefician a familias trabajadoras
Leticia Martín Chavez es mama soltera de tres hijos y a pesar de tener dos trabajos (cocinera en Carl Jr´s y cuidadora en el hogar), sus ingresos a menudo no alcanzan para lo más esencial. Read more here…

El Clasificado— “Las familias dependen de los créditos fiscales”
Hay dos créditos tributarios que están en riesgo de muerte y que son vitales para miles familias trabajadoras. “Estos programas han ayudado a que 9.4 millones de personas salgan del nivel de pobreza cada año. Tienen un impacto real en las familias. Read more here…
 

Online News

MSNBC— Trump: End birthright citizenship
Laura Vazquez of the National Council of La Raza joins Frances Rivera to discuss Donald Trump’s immigration reform plan, and what it would mean for those impacted. Read more here…

Huffington Post— Jeb Bush Immigration Proposal Falls Flat With Many Latino Groups
Many Latino groups and immigrant rights activists found little to like in a six-point immigration proposal released by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) on Monday, ahead of the Republican presidential candidates' forum in New Hampshire. Read more here…

Fox News Latino — Latino groups say Kelly Osbourne’s comments were ‘unfortunate’ but a learning experience
Kelly Osbourne caused a social media storm Tuesday after her remark about Latino immigrants cleaning toilets on “The View,” with many people calling it racist. While many took to Twitter to voice their outrage, some Latino groups looked at the broader message they say Osbourne was trying to get across, and gave her credit for bringing a hard truth to light. Read more here...

Safety+Health Magazine — Why are workplace injuries and deaths increasing among Latino employees?
Juan Carlos Reyes was 35 years old when he died. Reyes was working four stories above ground at a hotel construction site in Texas when his work platform became unstable. He fell to the ground and was later pronounced dead at the scene. Read more here...

C-SPAN— Immigration Policy
Panelists talked about immigration policy issues in the 2016 presidential campaign. Topics included border security, immigration enforcement, immigrant workers, and President Obama’s executive actions on immigration. Read more here…


 

Ninth Circuit Hands Victory to Voting Rights Groups in Public Assistance Voter Registration Case

Today, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision reinstating a case challenging the State of Nevada’s failure to provide federally required voter registration services to its low-income citizens. The case, brought by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the NAACP Reno/Sparks Branch, and NAACP Las Vegas, had been thrown out by the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.

“The right to vote is fundamental in our democracy, without a vote you really have no voice. Today, NCLR applauds the Courts’ reversal of the district court’s complaint and look forward to presenting our case to ensure that eligible citizens are able to vote. Our nation’s future depends on an informed and participatory electorate. Over 900,000 Latinos turn 18 each year and become eligible to vote and we want to ensure that their right to participate in this democracy isn’t limited,” said Eric Rodriguez, Vice President, NCLR

Voting rights groups Demos, Project Vote, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which represented the plaintiffs along with the law firms Dechert LLP and Woodburn and Wedge, applauded the decision.

“Today’s decision is a victory for low-income voters in Nevada and the community groups that serve them,” said Brenda Wright, Vice President for Legal Strategies at Demos. “The Ninth Circuit’s decision recognizes the fundamental importance of access to the courts in protecting the right to vote. We are pleased that the Ninth Circuit has rectified a miscarriage of justice by reinstating our clients’ voting rights claims.”

In its opinion, the Court rejected Nevada’s argument that the plaintiffs—organizations that conduct voter registration drives in low-income communities throughout the State—were not harmed by the state’s violations of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and therefore lacked “standing” to challenge them.

“The Court recognized that Nevada is answerable to community groups that have been forced to pick up the slack for the State’s failure to fulfill its legal obligations,” said Sarah Brannon, Director of Project Vote’s Government Agency Voter Registration Program.

"The Ninth Circuit’s decision brings greater vitality and effectiveness to the NVRA by affirming that grassroots membership organizations such as the NAACP and the National Council of La Raza can bring claims on behalf of themselves and their members across the country,” stated Cornell William Brooks, NAACP President and Chief Executive Officer. “We applaud the court’s decision and look forward to continuing the fight to protect the voting rights and opportunities of all Americans."

Today’s decision also reversed the lower court’s ruling that the plaintiffs had not provided the state sufficient notice of the NVRA violations before initiating the lawsuit.

“We are thrilled that the Court confirmed that the nation’s leading civil rights organizations have standing to enforce the voting laws, and look forward to ensuring that voter registration is made readily available to all Nevada citizens,” said Neil Steiner, a Dechert partner who argued the case pro bono on behalf of the plaintiffs.

The Ninth Circuit’s decision directs that the case be reassigned to a different district judge, finding that reassignment is necessary to “maintain the appearance of justice.”

“The Court of Appeals has explained in detail why the district judge was wrong to have dismissed this lawsuit in 2012. We look forward now to ensuring that the clients of Nevada’s public assistance agencies receive the voter registration opportunities required by federal law in the 2016 election cycle and beyond,” said Jon Greenbaum, Chief Counsel of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

The case, which was originally filed in June 2012, now goes back to the District Court in Nevada, where the plaintiffs will have an opportunity to prove their claims at trial.

Ninth Circuit Hands Victory to Voting Rights Groups in Public Assistance Voter Registration Case

Today, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision reinstating a case challenging the State of Nevada’s failure to provide federally required voter registration services to its low-income citizens. The case, brought by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the NAACP Reno/Sparks Branch, and NAACP Las Vegas, had been thrown out by the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.

“The right to vote is fundamental in our democracy, without a vote you really have no voice. Today, NCLR applauds the Courts’ reversal of the district court’s complaint and look forward to presenting our case to ensure that eligible citizens are able to vote. Our nation’s future depends on an informed and participatory electorate. Over 900,000 Latinos turn 18 each year and become eligible to vote and we want to ensure that their right to participate in this democracy isn’t limited,” said Eric Rodriguez, Vice President, NCLR

Voting rights groups Demos, Project Vote, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which represented the plaintiffs along with the law firms Dechert LLP and Woodburn and Wedge, applauded the decision.

“Today’s decision is a victory for low-income voters in Nevada and the community groups that serve them,” said Brenda Wright, Vice President for Legal Strategies at Demos. “The Ninth Circuit’s decision recognizes the fundamental importance of access to the courts in protecting the right to vote. We are pleased that the Ninth Circuit has rectified a miscarriage of justice by reinstating our clients’ voting rights claims.”

In its opinion, the Court rejected Nevada’s argument that the plaintiffs—organizations that conduct voter registration drives in low-income communities throughout the State—were not harmed by the state’s violations of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and therefore lacked “standing” to challenge them.

“The Court recognized that Nevada is answerable to community groups that have been forced to pick up the slack for the State’s failure to fulfill its legal obligations,” said Sarah Brannon, Director of Project Vote’s Government Agency Voter Registration Program.

"The Ninth Circuit’s decision brings greater vitality and effectiveness to the NVRA by affirming that grassroots membership organizations such as the NAACP and the National Council of La Raza can bring claims on behalf of themselves and their members across the country,” stated Cornell William Brooks, NAACP President and Chief Executive Officer. “We applaud the court’s decision and look forward to continuing the fight to protect the voting rights and opportunities of all Americans."

Today’s decision also reversed the lower court’s ruling that the plaintiffs had not provided the state sufficient notice of the NVRA violations before initiating the lawsuit.

“We are thrilled that the Court confirmed that the nation’s leading civil rights organizations have standing to enforce the voting laws, and look forward to ensuring that voter registration is made readily available to all Nevada citizens,” said Neil Steiner, a Dechert partner who argued the case pro bono on behalf of the plaintiffs.

The Ninth Circuit’s decision directs that the case be reassigned to a different district judge, finding that reassignment is necessary to “maintain the appearance of justice.”

“The Court of Appeals has explained in detail why the district judge was wrong to have dismissed this lawsuit in 2012. We look forward now to ensuring that the clients of Nevada’s public assistance agencies receive the voter registration opportunities required by federal law in the 2016 election cycle and beyond,” said Jon Greenbaum, Chief Counsel of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

The case, which was originally filed in June 2012, now goes back to the District Court in Nevada, where the plaintiffs will have an opportunity to prove their claims at trial.

Ninth Circuit Hands Victory to Voting Rights Groups in Public Assistance Voter Registration Case

Today, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision reinstating a case challenging the State of Nevada’s failure to provide federally required voter registration services to its low-income citizens. The case, brought by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the NAACP Reno/Sparks Branch, and NAACP Las Vegas, had been thrown out by the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.

“The right to vote is fundamental in our democracy, without a vote you really have no voice. Today, NCLR applauds the Courts’ reversal of the district court’s complaint and look forward to presenting our case to ensure that eligible citizens are able to vote. Our nation’s future depends on an informed and participatory electorate. Over 900,000 Latinos turn 18 each year and become eligible to vote and we want to ensure that their right to participate in this democracy isn’t limited,” said Eric Rodriguez, Vice President, NCLR

Voting rights groups Demos, Project Vote, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which represented the plaintiffs along with the law firms Dechert LLP and Woodburn and Wedge, applauded the decision.

“Today’s decision is a victory for low-income voters in Nevada and the community groups that serve them,” said Brenda Wright, Vice President for Legal Strategies at Demos. “The Ninth Circuit’s decision recognizes the fundamental importance of access to the courts in protecting the right to vote. We are pleased that the Ninth Circuit has rectified a miscarriage of justice by reinstating our clients’ voting rights claims.”

In its opinion, the Court rejected Nevada’s argument that the plaintiffs—organizations that conduct voter registration drives in low-income communities throughout the State—were not harmed by the state’s violations of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and therefore lacked “standing” to challenge them.

“The Court recognized that Nevada is answerable to community groups that have been forced to pick up the slack for the State’s failure to fulfill its legal obligations,” said Sarah Brannon, Director of Project Vote’s Government Agency Voter Registration Program.

"The Ninth Circuit’s decision brings greater vitality and effectiveness to the NVRA by affirming that grassroots membership organizations such as the NAACP and the National Council of La Raza can bring claims on behalf of themselves and their members across the country,” stated Cornell William Brooks, NAACP President and Chief Executive Officer. “We applaud the court’s decision and look forward to continuing the fight to protect the voting rights and opportunities of all Americans."

Today’s decision also reversed the lower court’s ruling that the plaintiffs had not provided the state sufficient notice of the NVRA violations before initiating the lawsuit.

“We are thrilled that the Court confirmed that the nation’s leading civil rights organizations have standing to enforce the voting laws, and look forward to ensuring that voter registration is made readily available to all Nevada citizens,” said Neil Steiner, a Dechert partner who argued the case pro bono on behalf of the plaintiffs.

The Ninth Circuit’s decision directs that the case be reassigned to a different district judge, finding that reassignment is necessary to “maintain the appearance of justice.”

“The Court of Appeals has explained in detail why the district judge was wrong to have dismissed this lawsuit in 2012. We look forward now to ensuring that the clients of Nevada’s public assistance agencies receive the voter registration opportunities required by federal law in the 2016 election cycle and beyond,” said Jon Greenbaum, Chief Counsel of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

The case, which was originally filed in June 2012, now goes back to the District Court in Nevada, where the plaintiffs will have an opportunity to prove their claims at trial.

Volunteers from 16 local NCLR Affiliates will participate in projects across the country

WASHINGTON, DC, April 23, 2015 –NCLR (The National Council of La Raza) and Comcast NBCUniversal will team up on Saturday, April 25 to make change happen at projects across the country as part of Comcast Cares Day, Comcast’s companywide celebration of their year-round commitment to volunteerism. Together, NCLR and Comcast NBCUniversal volunteers will work on 16 projects with local NCLR community organizations.

This is the ninth consecutive year that NCLR, the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, has partnered with Comcast NBCUniversal on Comcast Cares Day projects. They range from painting classrooms to expanding community gardens, and are part of more than 750 Comcast Cares Day projects throughout the country that will draw more than 90,000 volunteers. NCLR volunteers will join Comcast employees, families, friends and other community partners at projects including:

• Houston Elementary School in Washington, D.C., where volunteers from CentroNia, the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC), and many other community organizations will come together to paint murals, plant flowers and plants, and build and plant vegetable gardens at the school.

• Congreso de Latinos Unidos in Philadelphia, PA, where volunteers will transform the organization’s campus by expanding a community garden, cleaning the surrounding area and brightening up the children’s playground by giving it a fresh coat of paint.

• Miraflores Housing Complex in Portland, OR, where volunteers will work with the Hacienda Community Development Corporation to beautify a community room that hosts an after-school program for students in a complex that provides affordable housing and support for victims of domestic violence. 

“NCLR and Comcast have partnered together for nearly a decade on our commitment to families and communities throughout our nation,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO, NCLR. “Thanks to Comcast’s ongoing support, our network of Affiliates can continue their incredible work and continue to participate once again in Comcast Cares Day and in helping to make a difference in the lives of America’s 55 million Hispanics.” 

“One reason we’re able to accomplish so much on Comcast Cares Day is because of the partnerships we have with community organizations,” said David L. Cohen, Executive Vice President of Comcast Corporation and chair of the NCLR Corporate Board of Advisors. “NCLR and its affiliates make perfect partners for us, as we both share a commitment to provide opportunities that improve the lives of Hispanics in the thousands of communities we serve around the country.”

Comcast NBCUniversal and NCLR have enjoyed a long partnership that addresses the needs of the Hispanic community. Comcast NBCUniversal recently served as broadcast partners for NCLR’s ALMA Awards in October 2014, supporting programming on multiple platforms, including a live telecast on MSNBC and NBC UNIVERSO.

About the NCLR
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Comcast Foundation
The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities. The Foundation has three community investment priorities—promoting service, expanding digital literacy, and building tomorrow’s leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated nearly $158 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/community.

About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

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Media Contacts
Julian Teixeira, Senior Director, Communications, NCLR
jteixeira@nclr.org or (202) 776-1812

Katie Lubenow, Director, Corporate Communications, Comcast
Katie_Lubenow@comcast.com or (215) 286-5691

PARA DIVULGACIÓN INMEDIATA                                                Contacto:
15 de septiembre de 2015                                                              Kathy Mimberg
                                                                                                    (202) 776-1714
                                                                                                    kmimberg@nclr.org

En San Antonio el foro tratará el tema cómo el lugar donde vivimos, trabajamos y jugamos tiene un impacto en la salud y cuáles son las prácticas innovadoras que pueden mejorar la salud de los latinos

SAN ANTONIO—El Consejo Nacional de la Raza (NCLR, por sus siglas en inglés) auspiciará la Cumbre sobre la Salud en San Antonio, del 22 al 23 de septiembre, para tratar el tema cómo el entorno urbano —las áreas donde vivimos, trabajamos y jugamos —afecta la salud de los hispanos. Expertos en salud, activistas de la comunidad, y funcionarios gubernamentales se reunirán para desarrollar una agenda sobre los problemas referentes al acceso al seguro de salud y la atención médica y el papel de los promotores de salud (trabajadores de la comunidad abocados al tema de la salud) como agentes de cambio. El foro se llevará a cabo en el Grand Hyatt San Antonio, ubicado en 600 E. Market Street.

El tema central del foro es exponer cómo la salud de una persona se ve afectada por el entorno urbano donde vive. Por ejemplo, la inaccesibilidad a senderos, sendas para bicicletas y aceras puede fomentar hábitos sedentarios lo que contribuye a la obesidad, enfermedades cardiovasculares, diabetes y algunos tipos de cáncer. Hoy en día, aproximadamente dos tercios de los estadounidenses tienen sobrepeso y casi el 40% de los latinos son obesos.

La cumbre NCLR ofrecerá a los participantes lo siguiente: (1) información sobre los problemas de salud de los hispanos en las áreas donde viven, (2) modelos sobre las mejores prácticas sobre temas que abarcan desde al aumento de acceso para conseguir alimentos frescos . en los barrios latinos hasta la inscripción de los latinos en seguros de salud disponibles mediante la Ley de Cuidado de Salud Asequible y (3) capacitación de defensores para reducir las barreras existentes y mejorar la salud de los hispanos.

El foro reunirá a expertos provenientes de diferentes instituciones, tales como la Oficina para la Salud de las Minorías del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de los Estados Unidos (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American Heart Association y Planned Parenthood Federation of America, entre otras. Disertantes de organizaciones locales incluye miembros de la Red de Afiliados de NCLR, tales como el Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe, El Paso, Texas; GOAL Academy, Pueblo, Colorado; San Ysidro Health Center, San Diego; y Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Chicago. Otros oradores representarán los siguientes centros de salud: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, University of California at Davis, the Transamerica Center for Health Studies, y National Association of Community Health Centers.

La inscripción para la Cumbre NCLR sobre la Salud e información para el alojamiento de los participantes se pueden encontrar en www.nclr.org. El evento es presentado por Eli Lilly and Company. Para más información, se ruega ponerse en contacto con Kathy Mimberg en el teléfono (202) 776-1714 o kmimberg@nclr.org.

AVISO DE PRENSA

QUÉ:                   Cumbre NCLR sobre la Salud referente al entorno urbano y su efecto sobre la salud de los latinos

CUÁNDO:           22 al 23 de septiembre de 2015

DÓNDE:               Grand Hyatt
                             600 E. Market Street
                             San Antonio, Texas 78205

QUIÉNES:          Organizaciones y expertos especializados en el tema de la salud, grupos comunitarios y otros invitados de Texas y de otros estados mencionados anteriormente.

El Consejo Nacional de La Raza–la organización nacional más grande de apoyo y defensa de los derechos civiles de los hispanos en los Estados Unidos– trabaja para mejorar las oportunidades de los estadounidenses hispanos. Para más información sobre NCLR, visite www.nclr.org o síganos en Facebook y Twitter.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         Contact:
September 15, 2015                                                     Kathy Mimberg
                                                                                   (202) 776-1714
                                                                                   kmimberg@nclr.org

Forum in San Antonio will address how where we live, work and play has an impact on health and how innovative practices can improve Latino health outcomes

SAN ANTONIO—NCLR (National Council of La Raza) will host a Health Summit September 22–23 in San Antonio to address how our built environment—the areas where we live, work and play—affects Latino health. Health experts, community activists and government officials will come together for an agenda that explores issues such as access to health insurance and medical care, the effect of housing on health, and the role of promotores de salud (community health workers) as agents of change. The forum will take place at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio, located at 600 E. Market Street.

The summit’s focus reflects how a person’s health is affected by his or her surroundings. The inaccessibility of walking paths, bicycle lanes and sidewalks, for example, can foster sedentary habits which contribute to obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some types of cancer. Today, approximately two-thirds of Americans are overweight and nearly 40% of Latinos suffer from obesity.

The NCLR Health Summit will provide participants with: (1) information about Latino health issues related to where they live, (2) best-practice models on topics ranging from increasing access to fresh produce in Hispanic neighborhoods to enrolling Latinos in health coverage available under the Affordable Care Act, and (3) advocacy training to address barriers to health and improve Latino health outcomes.

The summit will feature experts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American Heart Association and Planned Parenthood Federation of America, among others. Speakers from local organizations include members of NCLR’s Affiliate Network, such as Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe, El Paso, Texas; GOAL Academy, Pueblo, Col.; San Ysidro Health Center, San Diego; and Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Chicago. Other speakers will come from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the University of California at Davis, the Transamerica Center for Health Studies, and the National Association of Community Health Centers.

Registration for the NCLR Health Summit and lodging information can be found at www.nclr.org. The event is presented by Eli Lilly and Company. For more information, please contact Kathy Mimberg at (202) 776-1714 or kmimberg@nclr.org.

MEDIA ADVISORY

WHAT:         NCLR Health Summit on how our built environment affects Latino health

WHEN:        September 22–23, 2015

WHERE:      Grand Hyatt
                     600 E. Market Street
                     San Antonio, Texas 78205

WHO:          Health organizations and experts, community groups, and others from Texas and throughout the United States as described above

NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

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NCLR: Earning Citizenship Benefits Every American
To celebrate Citizenship Day, NCLR highlights the benefits of citizenship and provides tips throughout the week to help make naturalization more accessible

Washington, D.C.—Aspiring Americans infuse new ideas and fresh talent into our economy, starting their own businesses, creating new jobs and increasing earnings for all American workers. Immigrants who are eligible to become U.S. citizens can benefit the economy even more by completing the naturalization process and earning full U.S. citizenship. As we look forward to Citizenship Day this Thursday, September 17, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) urges all eligible candidates to begin the naturalization process.

Naturalized immigrants often see an increase in their individual earnings by as much as 15 percent, which in turn generates greater economic growth and higher tax revenues that benefit all Americans. The U.S. is home to approximately 9 million permanent residents who are eligible to become citizens today. If all current permanent residents naturalized, they would add between $37 billion and $52 billion to the U.S. economy over 10 years.

“Completing the naturalization process has a ripple effect of benefits to families and to our nation that’s not just limited to improving the economy,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR. “Citizenship provides a sense of stability for immigrant families that enables them to become bigger contributors to society. By becoming grounded in a community, people are encouraged to work to improve where they live and to participate in our great American democracy by registering, voting and even by running for office. Citizenship is what makes us all Americans.”

For more information about how to become a U.S. citizen, visit
www.nclr.org/index.php/issues_and_programs/immigration/resources/immigrant_integration/.

Follow the NCLR blog and social media channels all week to learn more about the benefits of citizenship, resources that can help make the naturalization process more affordable and accessible, and next steps that lawmakers should take to better help immigrants integrate into American society. NCLR will also release new analysis of legislation aimed at streamlining the naturalization process and better integrating immigrants into American society.

NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Latinos. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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