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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Camila Gallardo
(305) 215-4259
cgallardo@nclr.org
Event brings over 100 of California’s top Latino nonprofit leaders for a day of policy discussions and training
LOS ANGELES—Today NCLR (National Council of La Raza) kicks off the NCLR California Latino Policy Summit in Sacramento, Calif. For the fifth consecutive year, NCLR has gathered leaders from its California Affiliate Network of community-based organizations to engage in policy discussions on how to protect and expand opportunities for Latino families throughout the state. California is home to over 60 NCLR Affiliate groups who provide a variety of critical services in job training, health care, education, immigration and housing, among others.
The ambitious full-day agenda includes policy discussions and training sessions on electoral empowerment and voter registration, Common Core State Standards implementation, Affordable Care Act enrollment, the impact of crime and criminal justice policies and the implementation of recently passed housing reform, the historic California Homeowner Bill of Rights. The NCLR California Latino Policy Summit provides Affiliate leaders with access to information and tools that strengthen their services, and it is also an opportunity for groups to share best practices and build closer ties that will help them work more collaboratively and effectively toward our common goal of elevating the Latino community.
“Every day our Affiliate leaders see the impact of Sacramento’s policy decisions in their communities. Through their front doors they see California as it is now, and they see its future. For this reason, it’s critical to include the expertise of our Affiliate executive directors in policy development. The NCLR California Latino Policy Summit identifies policy solutions that will keep the state moving forward,” said Delia de la Vara, Vice President, California Region, NCLR.
With more than 14 million Latinos, California is home to the nation’s largest Latino population; moreover, as projected by the governor’s office just last month, Latinos have become the largest single ethnic group in the state. Today Latinos make up 39 percent of the state’s total population, and this proportion rises further when considering that one out of every two school children in the state is Latino. Given the significant demographic shift taking place, discussions about the concerns and opportunities impacting California’s Latino families are critical to the future of the state.
“Engaging our Affiliate leaders, and connecting them to policymakers in Sacramento is one way of ensuring that the Latino community has access to quality education and health care and that Latinos facing foreclosure can keep their homes. Together, we are working to cultivate a culture of civic engagement which will ensure that their voices are heard on the vital policy issues that directly affect them,” concluded de la Vara.
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. #NCLRCA
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