Congreso presents at NCLR national conference in San Diego

Lisa Cordeiro Kricun (above) and Sarah Cortes (below), from Congreso, presented at NCLR's national conference in San Diego - The Pennsylvania Experience in Organizing for a Statewide Latino Advocacy Day. They provided reflections and tools regarding how to organize a successful Statewide Latino Advocacy Day based on their experiences in January. Stay tuned for a link to the full powerpoint presentation.

Government to relax “No Child Left Behind ” regulations in some states.

According to a recent New York Times article, up to ten states will be allowed more discretion on determining which local schools to target additional efforts on.
“The rising number of failing schools is overwhelming states’ capacities to turn them around, and states have complained that the law imposes the same set of sanctions, which can escalate to a school’s closing, on the nation’s worst schools as well as those doing a reasonable job despite some problems,” the NYT article stated.
The measure is drawing both support and criticism from teachers, think tanks, and other groups. For example, the country’s largest teachers union is supporting the measure. However, the representative of the American Federation of Teachers, was quoted in the NYT article as saying: “N.C.L.B. is in need of a dramatic overhaul and cannot be patched up with Band-Aids and pilot programs.”

Read the full article here: “U.S. Eases ‘No Child’ Law as Applied to Some States”

Congreso advocates visit Washington, DC

On March 6th, 2008, a delegation from Congreso visited Washington, DC, to participate in NCLR's National Advocacy Day and to speak with Pennsylvania congressmen Robert Casey, Arlen Specter, Robert Brady, and Chaka Fattah. Read below the reactions and comments from our Congreso advocates:

Congreso advocates greet senator Robert Casey.

Congreso advocates Rafael Arismendi,

Edward Garcia, and Ben Morris.

Congreso advocates meet with Senator Robert Casey.

Comments from Sarah Cortes:
Congreso was by far the largest single group there (and loudest), and we came away with some real and tangible results from our meetings.

It is powerful to know that we were able to walk into a federal legislator’s office, educate them about a bill we are in favor of, and leave having convinced them to co-sponsor that bill. We had a great meeting with Senator Casey. He was receptive to what we had to say, engaged in discussion with us, and our numbers were again impressive. We were able to do just as Fattah asked, and provide him with more support for his bill. Our repeated presence in Specter’s office has driven home the fact that we are “go to” people in PA for juvenile justice on a community level.

As a group we were able to sit down together and come up with concrete talking points and strategies for these meetings, and what an articulate, well informed and persuasive group you all are! It was inspiring to watch you all in action.

Comments from Paul Shoe:
WOW, the highest call in a democracy is that of a citizen. I was reminded of that on March 6th, as we navigated through capitol buildings, met various staffers, and legislators of our state the pulse of being in the environment where our future as a country is worked out. The sight and sound of the place made my heart flutter a little standing side by side with you all voicing our stance on national issues that are directly related to our daily work here in our great city. Let us not forget what we did on March 6th, burn it in your memory save some it for later and then chew some more on what happened, let it marinate some. Why, because we need to get ready for another round writing letters, making phone calls, and lifting other up to join in. Participating with you all is my joy for the week.

Some things aren’t worth doing alone but are worth doing together. Thanks for the company, laughs, pointed conversations, and coaching.

Comments from Alida Padilla:
I feel I am truly blessed to be working with a great group of people who have repeatedly shown their dedication and commitment with advocacy issues. Your willingness and drive to be involved in advocacy is part of my motivation to continue doing this kind of community work. We can accomplish so much more when we band together for a common cause.

Advocacy Day this year was truly different from the years past. I think that the years before have paved the way for an effective strategy that came to fruition this year. I want to say good job to Sarah (our relentless mother hen-in a good way!) for keeping it all together and making this trip more seamless and focused than it has been. I appreciated that focus as it gave us an opportunity to become more-result oriented. We can celebrate the small steps taken to a bigger path that awaits us!

For the youth, I want to say thank you for being there. Your presence exemplifies the reasons why we are so determined to let our voices be heard, because we do it for YOUR future, OUR future. I am very proud of you and hope that you came away with a great learning experience, an understanding of the political process, and an actualization how much you DO count.

NCLR - National Advocacy Day

NCLR AFFILIATES FROM ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA ARE TRAVELING TO WASHINGTON, DC, TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL ISSUE BRIEFING AND ADVOCACY DAY

March 5-6, 2008

Hundreds of Latino advocates from across the nation will journey to Washington, DC tomorrow to discuss issues of the utmost importance to the Latino community with their federal legislators. You can find more information on NCLR's National Advocacy Day on their website at http://www.nclr.org/section/events/advocacy_day/. You can find more information about the issues that they will discuss including: Economy, Education, Health, Immigration, and Criminal and Juvenile Justice at http://www.nclr.org/section/events/advocacy_day/issues.

Community Immigration Forum

March 26, 2008 from 7:00-9:00 pm

Southern Market Center (Council Chambers) 100 South Queen Street, Lancaster, PA

Come to a community discussion about immigration issues in Lancaster and York counties. Learn about and discuss:

• Experiences of immigrants in our area
• Recent proposed legislation in Pennsylvania
• Reform of the federal immigration system

For more information contact: J.P. Fox at 717-299-7840

Sponsored by: American Civil Liberties Union of PA, Church World Service/Immigration Refugee Program, Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs, Lancaster City Councilor Jose Urdaneta, Lancaster County Human Relations Commission, Lutheran Refugee Services in Central PA, Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition, and the Spanish American Civic Association of Lancaster.

Covering All Pennsylvanians - Health Insurance Legislation

While Statewide Latino Advocacy Day focused on issues of education and immigration, we know that access to health care and health insurance are also important topics that many of you care about. We thought that we would pass on some information that was provided by the Philadelphia Health Department regarding Governor Rendell's Covering All Pennsylvanians (CAP) health insurance program.

• With CAP, uninsured people could afford health insurance. Uninsured adults who make less than $29,400 ($60,000 for a family of 4) would pay between $10 - $60 per month for full health insurance coverage including prescription medicines. Families earning more than 300% of the federal poverty level could pay the full cost of $280 per adult.

• With CAP, small employers could afford insurance for their workers. Small employers could offer subsidized insurance (at a cost to employer of $130 per month per employee) for their workers, who will also pay between $10 and $70 per month. Children can already apply for the CHIP program. (Call 1-800-464-KIDS.)

• With CAP, the cost of insurance for everyone will go down. The current cost of health insurance is estimated to be 6.5% higher due to the costs of providing care to the uninsured.

• With CAP, it would be against the law to deny insurance to those with “pre-existing conditions.”

• With CAP, rate increases and insurance company profits would be limited.

The legislation is at serious risk. For more information about CAP and about how you can voice your support for this bill, please visit Congreso's Advocacy Webpage: http://www.congreso.net/advoc_health2.php

Bianca Berrios

The issues that were being addressed were about education, immigration, and urban affairs. It took place in Harrisburg in the Capitol. We discussed the issues in the Representatives and Senators offices. Plenty of people attended. There were people from Congreso, ENPYSC, and PALO. In my opinion this event was very effective. Many of the Representatives were very cooperative. They were intrigued in what we were discussing and had some ideas about the issues themselves. I think that we really came through to them.

The things that stuck out to me the most were the way the Representatives and Senators responded to our issues. I was also surprised on how well I did with the questions and the responses I had for them.

For the next Statewide Latino Advocacy Day the only thing that I would change is that the meetings with the Representatives and Senators be longer. I feel as though we didn’t have enough time to express our ideas and discuss the issues.

--Bianca Berrios is a freshman at Bodine High School

Lorena's reflections and ideas for the future

I believe that Statewide Latino Advocacy Day was effective and very well organized. The event had around 200 people attending, which is a great number for a new event. I also felt that it was organized and everyone met with most of the representatives and were on time.

Some of the things that stuck out to me were how most representatives showed true concern and interest in the issues that Latinos were facing. Most of the representatives that I met with dealt more with education and we’re all trying to find more funding to schools in Pennsylvania. The strengths that I saw throughout the event were how everyone knew what bills and what specific issue that their representative should support or to not support. I also thought that the event had many resources and paperwork explaining what to do before, during and after meeting with representatives. A strength that I exhibited throughout the event was when we were with the representatives I expressed to them some things I was going through as a senior in high school because of the lack of funds in the school system and gave them real stories about how those issues were affecting me.

I gained more knowledge on immigration and the education system of Pennsylvania. I learned more about where the school funding comes from and what is suppose to be the cost of each student who attends school. I also learned what to do when you meet a representative or any governmental figure. During the trip to Harrisburg I also got a better understanding on how the state capitol functions.

Some ideas for how the Youth Advocacy Council can continue the momentum from Statewide Latino Advocacy Day:

• We should all take a trip to Harrisburg to get to learn and meet representatives.
• We should all attend the next Statewide Advocacy Day
• Create a workshop to teach other about how to meet with legislators

--Lorena Morel is a senior at Community Academy

Call to Action - SB9 has passed - please call your senator to voice your OPPOSITION to this bill

Hello everyone:

The Senate State Government Committee has voted on SB9 and passed it 6-4. The vote was along party lines. SB9 would require proof of citizenship in order to receive any public benefits or services provided by agencies receiving government funding. This includes programs for job training, healthcare, education and food assistance from state government agencies or any of its grantees. This is one of the bills we advocated against on Statewide Latino Advocacy Day.

This is the 1^st of 5 steps toward enactment, and we need to do everything we can to stop it now. Follow up your words from Advocacy Day and call your state senator (find your senator by entering your zip code at www.legis.state.pa.us). You can also look at SB-9 and see if your Senator has signed on to the bill (SB 9), or if your Senator is on the State Government Committee – make sure you include this information when you call and SPREAD THE WORD!!!!

Tell your Senator: I am a Constituent of _________ and I OPPOSE the passage of SB9!"

SB 9 Committee Vote Tomorrow

Tomorrow, February 12, 2008, the Pennsylvania Senate will be voting on SB 9, a bill requiring identification of lawful presence in the United States as a prerequisite to the receipt of public benefits. On Statewide Latino Advocacy Day we urged our legislators to view immigration as a federal issue. Now we are urging you to contact your senators and voice your opposition to this bill.

Below, we have included a sample letter provided by Community Legal Services, Inc. that advocates for the opposition of this bill. Join us – continue to have your voice heard! Cut and paste this letter into a word processing document, sign it, and fax it to your state senator today! Find your Senator here.

February 11, 2008

To: Members of the Senate State Government Committee

Hon. Jeffrey E. Piccola , Chair (Fax: (717) 896-7717)

Hon. Mike Folmer, Vice Chair (Fax: (717) 274-7702)

Hon. Anthony H. Williams, Minority Chair (Fax: (717) 772-0574)

Hon. Michael W. Brubaker (Fax: (717) 783-3156)

Hon. Jake Corman (Fax: (717) 772-3146)

Hon. Wayne D. Fontana (Fax: (717) 772-5484)

Hon. Vincent J. Hughes (Fax: (717) 772-0579)

Hon. Charles T. McIlhinney (Fax: (717) 783-5962)

Hon. Terry L. Punt (Fax: (717) 772-2753)

Hon. Christine M. Tartaglione (Fax: (717) 787-7439)

Re: Senate Bill 9 Scheduled for Committee vote 2/12/08

Dear Senators:

On Tuesday, February 12, the Senate State Government Committee will vote on Senate Bill 9, a bill requiring submission of government-issued ID as a condition of receiving a wide variety of public benefits. We urge you to vote no on this bill.

This bill would harm tens of thousands of low-income Pennsylvanians – citizens and legal immigrants alike – who lack government-issued ID or cannot easily get it. A study by New York University Law School’s Brennan Center for Justice in November 2006 found that 11% of all U.S. citizens do not have government-issued ID; 15% of citizens earning less than $35,000 per year lack government-issued ID; and 25% of adult African-American citizens lack government-issued ID. These Pennsylvanians, including victims of crime and domestic violence whose IDs have been stolen, are your constituents. The amendments that we understand will be offered to this bill do nothing to address this core problem.

At the same time, SB 9 would accomplish little or nothing. This bill’s intended targets – immigrants who are not lawfully present in the U.S. – are already ineligible for all major benefit programs. And no evidence has been presented of a problem with ineligible immigrants improperly receiving public benefits. At the State Government Committee’s October 17, 2007 hearing on this bill, no group or individual stepped forward with any evidence – not even one anecdotal example -- of undocumented individuals improperly receiving public benefits in Pennsylvania. No state-wide organization gave unqualified support for the bill. Almost all those submitting testimony were strongly opposed to it.

We urge you to oppose this bill, which would harm Pennsylvanian citizens and legal immigrants without sufficient reason. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Following Up with Your Elected Official

One Week Later

1. Begin to build a relationship with your elected official by sending a simple thank you letter.
2. If the Congressperson has asked for additional information about your organization, don't forget to send this information to his/her office.
3. Make calls to other Latino organizations you connected with on Advocacy Day and discuss how you can work together.

One Month Later

1. Subscribe the Staffer or elected official to your organizational newsletter if you have one.
2. Send a letter to your Representative reminding him or her of the issues that are important to you. If no changes have been made, emphasize what changes you would like to see in Pennsylvania around immigration and funding for education.

Three Months Later

1. Toward the end of April, try to reschedule an in-district visit with your Representative. These are important relationships to cultivate. Let them know that you are staying abreast of developments on funding for education and around immigration legislation in Pennsylvania.
2. Invite local staffers to any important events held by your organization.
3. Hold a community forum to make sure Latinos in your area are as informed about these issues as you are.

Six Months Later

1. Call the Education Law Center or Good Schools PA and see if there are any advocacy efforts you can become involved with.
2. Call the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (PICC) to learn about developments around immigration in Pennsylvania and learn where your advocacy efforts are needed.
3. Work with partner organizations you connected with on Advocacy Day and hold a regional forum that updates the community on progress made from the Costing Out Study, and the status of immigration in our state or in your community.
4. Read out to Statewide Advocacy planning organizations to learn about statewide advocacy efforts and how to be involved.
   

Edward's Reflections on Advocacy Day

Our morning was action packed as we found our way through the very metaphoric maze that is the Pennsylvania Capitol building to the Irvis Building. The group I was with was made up three people from Nueva Esperanza, two people from Lighthouse and me. It was a tight schedule so we hurried over to our first appointment only to find out that the Legislator was still in the Education Committee Hearing. We left some materials with his staff and headed over to the office of Rep. Roebuck who was our next appointment. He was also in the Education Hearing as Chairman of the committee, but we kept our heads up and got good news from his staff when she said he would make time for us later that day. With that bit of good news spurring us on we went off to Rep. Jewell Williams’ office. Luckily he was in and available. We talked to his staff while we waited a few minutes and that was great. She had a son in a charter school and so we talked to her about the funding needs of the public schools and the charter schools. It was good practice for the students from Nueva Esperanza (Irene and Crystal) and it went great.

Our meeting with Rep. Williams was very good, he spent more than a half hour with us discussing the education and immigration points we came to talk about as well as getting to know the students and what they thought about the system. He told us that he went to school in Eastern North Philadelphia so it was good to talk to someone who knows the area and its challenges. He knew about the need for costing out study to be followed so we know he will be an ally in the legislative battle to adequately and sustainably fund the schools.

After lunch we all had a special invitation to sit in the Senate Gallery and the room was very impressive. The ceiling was gilded and decorated like a European Palace. The walls were covered in murals and golden sculptures. It was very majestic and lavish, but inspiring, much more so than the labyrinthine halls with their seventies inspired carpets. We got a special recognition from the senate and they applauded us for going to Harrisburg.

With a belly full of pizza and Senate applause pushing us along we headed off to meet with Rep. Roebuck. We had to miss the group Photo but it was worth it. Rep. Roebuck was attentive and responsive to our concerns about Education. He was the sponsor of Bill 460 which recommends the Costing out study be explored for the funding of Education in Pennsylvania, so it was great to meet with him.

We thanked him for his education leadership and told him that we would be doing what we could to advocate for the issue as well. It turns out his wife went to High School here in North Eastern Philadelphia and she received a fine education according to him, including learning the harp. We talked about how that kind of quality education is no longer possible in the neighborhood in part because of the gross under-funding and shifting of priorities to cut programs that do not directly affect standardized test scores. He agreed and pledged to keep the pressure through the Education Committee to get the money the schools desperately need. We will follow up with the legislators that met with us as well as the legislators who were not there or count not meet with us, most notably Rep. Angel Cruz.

All in all it was a good day for the students and for the rest of us who left the Capitol feeling like we made a difference in Pennsylvania by bringing the voice of Philadelphia students and families and echoing their concerns and recommendations on Education and Immigration.

---Edward Garcia, Congreso de Latinos Unidos

Governor Rendell's Budget

Hello advocates!

As I am sure many of you are already aware, Governor Rendell has proposed his new budget for the coming fiscal year - you can access the full budget at the following link:
http://www.governor.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt? (scroll toward the bottom of the page and you will see a link for the 2008-2009 proposed executive budget).

The Governor has been listening to the results of the costing out study and is advocating for an increase in education funding. The overview of Rendell's budget states, "The legislature's costing-out study reinforces the importance of having a school funding formula that bases resource decisions on what research shows it takes to provide a quality education." In his proposed budget, the governor is requesting a $291.3 million (6 percent) increase in the education subsidy for the state. For those of you from Philadelphia, this means a 9.6% increase in aid to the Philadelphia School District. The Philadelphia Inquirer (2/6/08 - Many Local Districts would Gain by Susan Snyder and Don Hardy) also reported that Philadelphia, Norristown, and Upper Darby would be among the districts in the region that would receive the most benefit from the plan.

While there is still a long way to go to ensure equitable funding for youth across the state of Pennsylvania, this is an important beginning!

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR (you can find out who your legislators are at www.legis.state.pa.us) and tell them that you support the Governor's downpayment on education and want them to do the same.

MONEY MATTERS!

Mil Gracias

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of those who made the first annual Statewide Latino Advocacy Day possible.

First, I want to extend my thanks to all of the participants who came from across the state of Pennsylvania to join us in educating our legislators about how immigration and education issues impact the Latino communities – some of whom traveled a great distance to join us. I especially would like to acknowledge the youth leaders who brought their own experiences regarding education and immigration to the attention of the legislators.

I also want to extend a thank you to Senator Tartaglione and her staff, specifically Don Kockler and J.P. Kurish (for his fabulous technical assistance) for their support for Statewide Latino Advocacy Day. We are also grateful for the participation of Deputy Secretary for Regulatory Programs, Sara Manzano-Diaz, who so gracefully addressed the crowd. Her words were inspirational.

Thanks to steering committee members who stuck with the idea that we could mobilize people from across the state with a unified message and voice: Nick Torres (Congreso), Margaret Barajas (PALO), and Izzy Colon (recently departed from ENPYS to join Philadelphia’s Michael Nutter as the Director of Multicultural Affairs) for their tenacious leadership of the process and vision for the day.

Also, thanks to Andrea Morato-Lara the Vice President of PALO and to Sarah Cortes, the Civic Engagement Coordinator here at Congreso. From the moment I first heard Andrea quote Paulo Freire early on in the planning process, I knew that we were blessed to have her guidance and expertise in community organizing. She has been the conscience of this process ensuring that it was carried out with the highest level of integrity.

As for Sarah, I will remember her boldly stating in Representative Dwight Evans’s office: “It’s not just about showing up, it’s about following up”. There were a lot of details required to make this day possible that Sarah tended to at every step of the way. If you are wondering how it is that there were few or no glitches in the day you need only look to Sarah who was on top of every detail.

We had three others who were knee deep and traveled to Bethlehem, Allentown, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg for briefings on immigration and education. Our dear friend and resident immigration expert Ricardo Diaz and our friends at the Education Law Center, Josh Varon, and Alison Murawski at Good Schools PA. Their content knowledge and passion about the issues brought us tremendous credibility and helped us make our case to legislators.

Here at Congreso, Christy Bare, our marketing manager is responsible for bringing her know-how and initiative to the set-up and maintenance of this blog and for press coverage we received regarding this event. Carlos Martinez, our part-time associate also helped with countless little details.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention the tremendous volunteer support of staff (all of whom are local constituents) who make up Congreso’s civic engagement committee: Melissa Aguirre, Alayna Sands, Ben Morris, Edward Garcia, Paul Shoe, Lisa Varon, Michelle Martinez, and Alida Padilla, who were all folding t-shirts and stuffing information packets until 1 in the morning the night before. As is always the case when I am in the presence of this powerhouse group, I am humbled.

I am lucky to have several great Congreso experiences from my ten year relationship with the organization - this made my top three list.

Looking forward to March in D.C for NCLR’s national advocacy day and next year for SLAD 2009.

Warm wishes and mil gracias compañeros,

Lisa Cordeiro Kricun

Two days later...

Life is back to normal, we have all returned to our schools, our offices and our normal day to day. In some ways it seems like Advocacy Day was forever ago, but there are traces of it still lingering. Today we got a cover story in El Impacto, a Philadelphia spanish paper entitled: "Armadas de razones, Jovenes se tomaron Harrisburg." But still it feels like ... it's over.

And then I remind myself, that, as I've been telling everyone today, it's not just about showing up, it's about FOLLOWING UP. Wednesday was just the beginning. It was a kick off perhaps, to all the work we are about to begin.

For those of you who may not have been able to make it to Statewide Latino Advocacy Day, don't worry, there is much to do!

We've been to Harrisburg and we've talked to our legislators. They know how we feel about immigration legislation across the state. It is FIRST AND FOREMOST A FEDERAL ISSUE.

They now how we feel about the results of the Costing Out Study. MONEY MATTERS. We need our representatives to make a down payment on education, to pass HR 460 and SR 210 and act on the results of the study. Fix a broken system and make sure that our kids are getting an adequate education.

Now is the time to let them know we mean it.

We need to write letters and say thank you for meeting with us, what are you going to do about these issues?

We need to call offices and say "we came to meet with you in January. Now it's February, what have you done?"

We need to go to their district offices and say "We met with you in January, we called a few weeks ago. Here I am with a petition signed by 1,000 people in your district who feel the same way as me. What are you going to do about these issues?"

We need to work with fellow Latinos -- communities and organizations, schools and churches, to spread the word beyond those of us who made it to Harrisburg. Get them excited, get them to be vocal, make them take ownership of what you know -- only when we all can approach our legislators with the same voice will we make a difference. We need them to hear loud and clear that we WILL see change in immigration legislation, and we will NOT stand for poor quality education.

It is their job to listen, and it is our job to make sure that happens. They won't know how we feel unless we tell them.

So, although Advocacy Day is over, I am excited about the beginning of a new kind of Advocacy. A persistent presence, a persistent voice, united Latino voices, not just in Philadelphia, but across Pennsylvania.

We can do it. Si se puede.

--Sarah Cortes

Stand and Deliver

Advocacy day had been a large mystery in my mind even after it had been explained to me several times; even the very night before I went to bed. Little did I know that it would be a day to jar the status quo of my viscera. I resigned myself to do what I’ve always done…go with the flow. The foggy morning that followed was filled with adrenaline and grunted phrases consisting of the words “need”, “coffee”, and “now”. And upon arriving in the capitol building the adrenaline feeling subsided and yielded itself to the deafening calm quiet before the storm.

After completely waking up and eating a humble breakfast; after paper sorting and moving into our groups; after awkward introductions and listing helpful tidbits and talking points the day finally picked up speed, and how! It was a race against time to navigate the crazy labyrinth that is the Harrisburg capitol building (and probably every other capitol building in the US) while arming youth with information that could perhaps sound convincing to some legislator that would hopefully be patient enough to listen to what has been effecting our neighborhoods and our hearts.

The first meeting was a no show…suddenly our representative had an important meeting to go to. The second was a little more hopeful. We arrived at the office of John Perzel and met with his friendly staff person John Zimmerman. Our third and final representative was an interesting experience, and somewhat uncomfortable. It was a moment that stayed with me the rest of the day, and even bled somewhat into the next. But the most important moment of all was in the Senate Gallery…

Our group was suddenly notified that Senator Tartaglione was nice enough to acknowledge us during the senate assembly. It was a gesture that I didn’t even think twice about: they say our name, we stand up, people who don’t know us look at us, we look at them we go home. It seemed that simple…it seemed mundane. But the moment we stood up I could see that ¾ of the seating was taken up by bodies in blue shirts; blue shirts all containing black letters printed on the back that said: “Si, se puede!”

We were standing up and it was impossible to be ignored. It was a great moment; it was simple, it was silent and uncomplicated and it was beautiful and best of all it was ours. Advocacy day had finally revealed it’s meaning.

…Si, se puede.

--Alayna Sands

Photos!

To see more pictures of Statewide Latino Advocacy Day, click on the link below.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23368074@N06/

If you have pictures that you would like to submit from Statewide Latino Advocacy Day, please send them to Christine Bare at barec@congreso.net for posting.

Thanks to our Legislators!

We wanted to extend our thanks to the legislators who took the time to meet with us during Statewide Latino Advocacy Day:

Senator Gibson Armstrong
Senator Mike Folmer
Senator Robert Mellow
Senator Jeffrey Picoola
Senator Terry Punt
Senator Patricia Vance
Senator Michael Waugh
Senator Sean Logan
Senator Jane Clare Orie
Senator Lisa M. Boscola
Senator Patrick M. Browne
Senator Wayne D. Fontana
Senator Jake Corman
Senator Michael A. O'Pake
SenatorMichael J. Stack
Senator Shirley Kitchen
Senator Christine Tartaglione
Senator Vincent Fumo
Senator Leanna Washington

Speaker Dennis O'Brien
Representative Karen D. Beyer
Representative Joseph F. Brennan
Representative Eugene DePasquale
Representative C. Adams Harris
Representative Jennifer Mann
Representative Douglas G. Reichley
Representative Steve Samuelson
Representative Dante Santoni, Jr.
Representative Jake Wheatley
Representative Ron Buxton
Representative Will Gabig
Representative Mauree Gingrich
Representative Ron Marsico
Representative Dan Moul
Representative Steven Nickol
Representative John Payne
Representative Rose Marie Swanger
Representative John C. Bear
Representative Paul Costa
Representative Mike Turzai
Representative Thomas Murt
Representative James Roebuck
Representative Jewell Williams
Representative Angel Cruz
Representative Kathy Manderino
Representative Rosita Youngblood
Representative Babette Josephs
Representative John Perzel
Representative Tony Payton
Representative Michael McGeehan
Representative Ronald Waters
Representative Michael O'Brien
Representative W. Curtis Thomas
Representative Lawrence Curry
Representative Frank Oliver
Representative Thomas Blackwell
Representative Mark Cohen
Representative Louise Bishop
Representative John Taylor
Representative George Kenney

Harrisburg Embracing the Sea of “Si Se Puede”

Alida, Deputy Secretary Diaz, Bianca, and Michelle

We made history at the Capitol! I feel that we were very successful in getting PA state-wide Latino communities involved in coming together to support one another in our endless task of advocacy. At the end of the day, I felt so empowered and proud! I feel that our effort made a difference in the lives of our community members, and our accomplishment has meaning beyond words. I saw the sea of blue tee shirts milling around the Capitol. SLAD representatives, young and old-er, were in animated and excited voices capturing Cesar Chavez’s famous phrase into a real and tangible thing: “Si se puede!”

Yes, we can . . . and we did! I thank my group (6) for being so wonderful and for not being afraid to step up and say what they needed to say! The representatives we met and visited with now know the youth are involved in the process, and they definitely have a say in their future! “My” youth were so impressive. I really think they learned from me (a seasoned vet as Ben would say), and no words can express how this influence swells me with pride. I remember being involved in learning about the political process myself during my youth, and to see these young people be so articulate and positive about making a difference in our community---well, I know that I leave my own little legacy in good hands!

We’ve only just begun on this journey, and in making this event something historically significant at the Capitol, our presence at the center of our Keystone State felt a new river of awareness forged out of a sea of blue tee shirts. We represented a new tide of change that is overdue, timely, and welcome!

Kudos and well done to the organizers!

Alida L. Padilla

Continue the Momentum!

Continue the momentum of Statewide Latino Advocacy Day
Participate in NCLR's 2008 National Issue Briefing and Advocacy Day.

WHEN: March 5-6, 2008
WHERE: NEA Headquarters, 1201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit http://www.nclr.org/section/events/advocacy_day/

interesting options to help families

The head of appropriations committee, Dwight Evans, is interested in pushing healthy foods (in schools, farmer markets, etc) and in getting a state earned income credit approved as an option for working families. Don't know the details yet but I will learn more and hopefully move on something that affects our low income families.

Ricardo

Buena suerte

But it should be more than luck.

Meeting legislators in their own turf can be fun but that's not the only reason one travels to the offices in the capitol. While many of us visited with smiles on our faces (because it's polite) and frowns in our hearts (because one must be sad about the state of education and immigration), the truth is that legislators and their aides must have us leave with a feeling of accomplishment. That is their job; that is, people that come to Harrisburg should feel as if they got heard and that something positive must come out of it. For the most part, they did their job.

Did we do ours? ???
The organizers certainly did. The coordination had very few glitches, the materials were good, the trainings very helpful. The pizza was hot, and the t-shirt cool.

But did WE??

I look at it as the beginning of a possible courtship. You meet the girl in a a quick exchange. We compliment each other then have to hurriedly part. Phone numbers are exchanged. If I call back within a day, I am really interested. If I wait a few days, she might think I am not interested. Wait two weeks and she's forgotten about me.

It's not much different with legislators. We have to call back as soon and as often as possible; the relationship depends on it.

Real change on immigration and education, and all other issues, can only happen when we have built up a relationship that works for all parties. Whether you were able to come to Hburg today or if you are working back home, DO take the time to follow up.

Our small numbers can be leveraged when we have more friends but we must be those that reach out and persist. SI se puede implies that the system is not the impediment. SI podemos implies that WE can do it. My faith is that we can follow up, make the call, and grow the relationships started today.

Buena Suerte. Ricardo Diaz

Bianca's Reflections

Bianca
16 years old

I attended Statewide Latino Advocacy Day with the members of the Youth Advocacy Council from North Philadelphia. Our goal was to talk to state representatives about Immigration and education in Pennsylvania. We felt Immigration and Education should be a federal issue and the education system should be funded a lot more since the problem is that schools are underspent. We received the opportunity to speak with Representative Taylor and Speaker Dennis O' Brien. Surprisingly, these two representatives support the reform of the education system as well as the importance of protecting rights of those undocumented workers who contribute to the economy. I had a great time and I enjoyed the fact that I received such an opportunity as this. It really hit home for me because I am representing all of the high school students in North Philadelphia who have been struggling over the years. I think the representatives really understood how important these issues are to us because we were able to tell them about our personal experiences. I drove to Harrisburg with my peers, stood in the Crowne Plaza hotel and woke up the next morning to create history! The Statewide Latino Advocacy Day has been a good experience for me and has definitely paved way for next years success.

The Rotunda

Deputy Secretary Sara Manzano-Diaz gave a fantastic speach in the rotunda about her life, how she got where she is and how important the advocacy process is for all of us to be a part of. It was very inspirational. Her main example was how government affected her life when a decision was made about public housing that allowed her family of six living in one room to move into a 3 bedroom apt. with a kitchen and bathroom. She became the advocate for her family in terms of translation for her family at the hospitals, schools, etc. She had a dream to become a lawyer and succeded when everyone said she couldn't. Now she represents thousands of us and spoke to the importance of the legislative process and our obligation to show that we count, that we need to vote and keep making our voices heard! She concluded with a quote from MLK about excellence and making sure we do what we do to the best we can.

After the speach, we gathered for a group photo and had the opportunity to thank Senator Tartaglione for her support of our groups' efforts today!

Lisa Varon, Philadelphia

Gabriella, Victor and Alan from Esperanza Academy

Gabriella, Victor and Alan are in high school at Esperanza Academy in Philadelphia. They spoke with Kalisha Devan, a staffer from Senator Kitchens' office and were incredibly hopeful that their visit would be remembered. Alan spoke about the discrepancies in funding per student throughout the state of Philadelphia. He said that for Philadelphia, schools would have to increase their funding by $4000 to reach an adequate level of funding so that students could reach proficiency. Also, he stated that the high drop out rate in Philadelphia (55% among Latinos) needed to be addressed.

Gabriella is in 12th grade at Esperanza academy and she spoke from personal experience about the need for higher funding for public schools in Philadelphia. Some of her friends who attend public schools do not have the books and other materials needed for them to be able to learn as other students do. Victor, an 11th grader at Esperanza, believed it was these personal stories that will make Senator Kitchens and her aid remember Statewide Latino Advocacy Day.

These students also spoke about immigration. Gariella felt that it was very important that they speak out against what she believes are anti-immigration bills. She encouraged Senator Kitchen's office to oppose the current pieces of legislation that are promoting anti-immigration sentiments.

They all felt that it was their responsibility to come and be heard on behalf of their families and communities. They hope to come back next year and have the opportunity to continue telling the legislators of Pennsylvania how various issues are impacting the Latino community.

El dinero nos afecta!

Congratulations to everyone on successfully communicating the critical message about education: Money Matters or El Dinero nos afecta. Students, Parents, Community Members, Advocates, and everyone has done a wonderful job representing themselves and their community.

We have a lot of work to do, but SLAD has been a fantastic first step on the way to implementing a long-term, sustainable, and fair funding formula that will distribute money to our kids, who need it most.

- Josh Varon & Alison Murawski
Education Law Center & Good Schools Pennsylvania

Norma y Rosa

Rosa y Norma de Lehigh Valley (Allentown) han venido a Harrisburg para apoyar a la gente que no han podido venir - los que tienen miedo o los que no podian dejar el trabajo por un dia. Rosa tiene dos hijos de 18 y 20 anos y el tema de educacion es muy importante para ella. Se han reunido con los senadores y representates de Lehigh Valley para hablar sobre educacion e imigracion y los efectos que esos temas tienen en la comunidad Latina. Piensan que los represenates y senadores prestaron mucha atencion a los temas y las preocupaciones de ellas. Esperan que los representantes y senadores tomen en cuenta lo que han hablado hoy dia cuando las propuestas de legislacion entren en el debate.

Meeting in the Gallery...

So far so good...everyone is scattered now in individual meetings with their legislators. It was great to gather earlier this morning this morning with so many people from all over the state - Bethlehem, Allentown, York, Adams County, Pittsburg, Reading, Harrisburg, Dauphin County, and Philadelphia, just to name a few. Throughout the halls of the Senate and the House of Representatives are organized Latinos wearing tropical blue colored t-shirts walking in small groups to the offices.

Will check in again later - off to see our companera Senator Tartaglione from the gallery. She is about the propose a senate resolution for "Go Red for Women Day" and to introduce us from the senate floor.

Will Check in later.

Lisa Cordeiro Kricun

Si Se Puede

When people decide to make changes, change happens. Si Se puede...yes we the people can make changes if we put our minds and bodies into action.

--Brad Gebhart

Lache from Esperanza Academy

The second legislator we visited, Rosita Youngblood, was so sweet. She made us feel comfortable and really made us feel that our opinions mattered. At one point she even stated something we were hoping to tell us, we were informing her, and she was informing us as well. It really went smoothly and I enjoyed it.

Lache Marcus
Philadelphia, PA
Nueva Esperanza Academy

Jalessa from Esperanza Academy

Jalessa is one of the many youth who made the trip to Harrisburg from Philadelphia. She attends Esperanza Academy and was quite excited to be a part of this day. She said that during her meeting with Representative Manderino she didn't speak as she was one of the shy ones in her group, but she was sure that she was going to speak up in the next meeting with another legislator. Nicolette from the Lighthouse, an nonprofit organization in Philadelphia was the spokesperson for the group. Jalessa said that she enjoyed the experience - she had never been in an office that size before.

She said that she hoped this advocacy day will help the Philadelphia School District change a few things. She thinks that there are many schools that need help with their buildings and she believes that the representatives and senators here can help. Jalessa expressed hope that her visit to Harrisburg will help prompt the legislation for passage of bills that will propose new funding formulas for education.

While the group was unable to meet directly with Representative Manderino, her staff representative was very helpful, friendly, and supportive of the education reforms that participants are advocating for. Group members from SLAD mentioned that the staffer expressed her encouragement that youth had come to Harrisburg and were involved in these important issues.

Meeting with Speaker O'Brien - Michelle's Impressions

It's been an exciting start to the day. Group 6 - Alida, Lorena, Bianca, Dinorah, and I met with Speaker O'Brien. Nick Torres, from Congreso, joined us as a surprise and we had a great talk. The Representative seemed to really be concerned with our issues and really seemed to listen. Alida did a fantastic job leading the team - go group 6 and all of the groups supporting the first Statewide Latino Advocacy Day!

--Michelle Martinez

Sarah's blog entry

What a blur! It's 10 am and all of my groups are out the door and on their way to their meetings! After weeks of preparation and training and reviewing and creating talking points about how to be an advocate, it's finally time to put it into action! I'm so excited, but a little nervous too. I want everyone to have a positive experience here and understand the importance of their presence in their legislators offices.

This morning was something to behold. There were Latinos from all over the state here. They came becuase they all believe immigration and education are critical areas for our community, and that any decisions made about them need to have our communities represented. Even more important than that, everyone here recognized the importance of our joining together to address these issues, recognized the power of our numbers and how much more effective we can be together.

I was most excited about seeing our youth here. Knowing that they are our future voters and leaders, it was an impressive sight to see so many of them here and excited about being advocates and connecting with legislators. I truly believe they are the keys to change and their being here is paramount.

We have a couple of quiet moments until everyone comes back - I can't wait to hear how the meetings went!

Sarah Cortes, Congreso

Our Latino Voice

Nick Torres, President of Congreso, and Margaret Barajas, President & CEO of PALO

Andrea Morató-Lara from PALO and Sarah Cortes from Congreso provide instructions regarding the day of advocacy

Constituents from around Pennsylvania gathered at the State Capitol building this morning to begin Statewide Latino Advocacy Day. Nick Torres, President of Congreso, and Margaret Barajas, President and CEO of PALO, opened up Statewide Latino Advocacy discussing the importance of Latinos from across the state coming together to advocate in Harrisburg. Barajas rallied the participants in this historical event. She emphasized the importance of the multiple Latino voices that are here today, and stressed that we are united in the fact that we are ALL Pennsylvanians.

This day is about sharing our concerns and interests with our legislators.

Before closing, Ms. Barajas brought a challenge to the participants. In one year from now, when we reconvene for the second annual Statewide Latino Advocacy Day - each person here must pledge to bring 5 friends, colleagues, or family members to the state capitol.

We are ready to begin the day!!

Our Education Brief

Here is our Education Brief, created with the assistance of the Education Law Center:

WHAT IS THE COSTING OUT STUDY?
--The Education Law Center, Good Schools PA, and many other education advocacy organizations, pressured the General Assembly to finally answer the question, "How much does it actually cost to educate students adequately?" In response, the General Assembly financed a comprehensive study, conducted by an independent consulting firm, that answered the adovacy groups' question by: "Costing Out the Resources Needed to Meet PA's Public Education Goals"
--The study was designed to evaluate what it costs for all students in PA public schools to receive an education that will enable them to meet state standards for academic achievement. To do this, the study examined the way in which several variables affect the cost of education. The study also explored the impact of these variables on several different methodologies for assessing the cost of education. After cross-referencing all of the data, the study recommended for each of Pennsylvania's 501 school districts an amount that each district needed to spend in order to meet the state standards.

IMPORTANT FACTS FROM THE STUDY:
--The average total funding needed per student in PA is $11,926. The average per student amount actually spent in 2005-2006 was $9,512. Thus, the study found that an average increase of $2,414 per student per year, is needed for all studnets to reach PA's academic proficiency and performance expectations.
--471 of PA's 501 school districts are currently spending below the levels recommended by the Costing-Out Study. 1.67 million students attend these underfunded schools. In addition, money is not distributed equally among school districts across the state. The Costing-Out Study reports that some districts are underspending by as much as $6,000 per student.
--Becuase of its heavy reliance on local wealth and local taxes, PA's current state funding system is inequitable. Some school districts in PA spend $17,000 per student, while others can only afford to spend $7,000 per student.

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT PHILADELPHIA, AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT LATINOS?
--According to the study, the Philadelphia school district is under-funded by an average of $4,187 per student. Across the district this adds up to almost $1 billion.
--Many Latino students live in areas of lower economic wealth. As a result, based ont he current funding formula, these communities receive even less funding per student.
--Many Latino students have higher needs; they are English Language Learners (ELL), or come from families that need supportive services; this costs more money and adds to the average cost per student.

HOW DO WE KNOW THE LACK OF FUNDING IS IMPACTING OUR YOUTH?
--Latino males in Philadelphia drop out at a rate of 60%
--For both males and females, the drop out rate is 55%
--Latinos are only half as likely as their white peers on campus to finish a bachelor's degree

THE ADOVCATES FROM STATEWIDE LATINO ADVOCACY DAY RECOMMEND:
--Create a new and more equitable funding formula. A good first step to this is voting YES to SR210 and HR460. SR210 and HR460 are resoluations that will provide for commissions that will evaluate education conducting hearings about education across the state. Ultimately, the commissions will make recommendations to the General Assembly about how to more eqitably fund education
--Protecting supplements for ELL, poverty, and foundations money that are already in place. Also, begin to immediately devote more funding to education.
--Support the Governor's down payment on education and the results of the Costing-Out Study.

*************

LA EDUCACIÓN: HAY MUCHO DE QUÉ HABLAR

Legislación pendiente: Ya se aprobó la resolución HR 460 (en la Cámara estatal) y queda por aprobarse la resolución SR 210 (en el Sanado estatal)

Queremos animar a los senadores a APROBAR la resolución SR210.

Estas resoluciones toman como punto de partida el estudio de la manera en que se costea la educación pública en el estado de Pennsylvania. Este estudio revela importantes inequidades entre los distritos: en algunos distritos se gasta un total de $17,000/estudiante cada año mientras en otros se gasta tan sólo $7,000/estudiante. En 2005-2006 Allentown gastó $8,291/alumno y Bethlehem dedicó $8,503/alumno. ¿Qué importan estos datos? En Allentown, casi el 50% de los alumnos se califican como no eficientes en los exámenes de matemáticas y más de la mitad se califican como no eficientes en los exámenes de lectura. En Bethlehem estas cifras son alguito mejor, con casi 2/3 de los alumnos calificados como eficientes en ambos exámenes. Aunque hay otros factores que afectan los resultados, queda claro que nuestras escuelas – nuestros alumnos – se merecen mejor manera de financiamiento.

Según el estudio, el estado de Pennsylvania debe invertir $4.6 mil millones en la educación pública; el presente sistema de dejar que los distritos locales paguen sus escuelas con los impuestos locales deja una situación precaria e insostenible a los distritos menos acomodados.

HR 460 y SR 210 mandan establecer unas comisiones para estudiar a fondo la cuestión de financiamiento de las escuelas públicas a través de estado, viajando y organizando reuniones públicas para compartir los resultados del estudio y escuchar los comentarios de los estudiantes, padres, maestros y administradores de cada comunidad.

El propósito de estas reuniones es educar y movilizar a todos a animar los legisladores y cambiar el sistema estatal de proveer fondos para la educación pública.

Our Immigration Brief

The immigrant population is a small but growing part of the population that is critical and beneficial to Pennsylvania's struggling workforce.

PA has one of the oldest and slowest growing populations in the country. Immigrant labor is PA's largest source of new job growth.

• From 1996-2000, 90% of the new job growth in PA was due to immigrants.

IMMIGRANTS ARE CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY:

• PA is home to one of the largest food processing industries in the country and has 58,000 farms.
• Farmers, despite their best efforts to recruit local labor, are unable to fill their ranks without some support from the immigrant labor force
• 1 out of every 7 jobs in the state is generated by agricultural production
• THE PA FARM BUREAU ESTIMATES THAT FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS WOULD FACE LOSSES BETWEEN $97 MILLION AND $175 MILLION WITHOUT GUEST WORKERS
  

Immigrants are critical to the US Economy

• Immigrants add about $10 billion to the US economy each year, not including the impact of immigrant owned businesses.

IMMIGRATION IS FIRST AND FOREMOST A FEDERAL ISSUE, so please SAY NO to state legislation that would negatively impact immigrant populations.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

LA INMIGRACIÓN: LOS HECHOS EN PENNSYLVANIA

Ante todo quisiéramos subrayar el hecho de que las leyes de inmigración son leyes federales, no estatales ni locales.

Por eso, hay que rechazar toda resolución que proponga hacer cumplir leyes anti-inmigrantes a nivel estatal o local.

Las Leyes Anti-Inmigrantes fomentan sentimientos anti-Hispanos, sentimientos que ya se hacen ver y sentir por inmigrantes y ciudadanos Hispanos por igual.

• Según el último censo oficial, 7 de cada 10 hispanos en este país son cíudadanos por nacimiento o naturalización (www.nclr.org/files/1466_file_FreqAskedQuests_9_18_06_FNL.pdf).

• En Pennsylvania, el 55% de la población hispana es de origen puertorriqueño.

• Los inmigrantes forman una población relativamente pequeña en Pennsylvania, comprendiendo tan sólo 5% de la población estatal (www.migrationinformation.org/datahub/acscensus.cfm#).

• Sin embargo, han pasado 32 leyes anti-inmigrantes en Pennsylvania, más que en cualquier otro estado (Fair Immigration Reform Movement - http://www.fairimmigration.org/).

Las Leyes anti-inmigrantes crean un ambiente hostil para el desarrollo de la agricultura e industria.

• Entre 1996 y 2000, el 90% del desarrollo laboral en 16 estados – incluyendo Pennsylvania – se debió a lo aportado por inmigrantes (The National Conference of State Legislatures: www.ncsl.org/programs/immig/immigworkforce.htm).
  

• Los inmigrantes forman una parte clave de la economía de Pennsylvania donde 1 de cada 7 trabajos tienen que ver con la agricultura, una industria con alto índice de mano de obra inmigrante.

• Pennsylvania se destaca por la vejez de sus residentes, sólo la Florida tiene más residentes mayores de 65 años (www.ailf.org/ipc/policybrief/policybrief_2005_lifeline.shtml and Pennsylvania State Data Center: 2005 Detailed Population Estimates Released: Pennsylvania's Hispanic Population Passes 500,000).

¡Pennsylvania Necesita Sus Inmigrantes!

• Un 65% de los republicanos y un 72% de los demócratas en EE.UU. apoyan la legalización de los inmigrantes indocumentados, a través de un camino a la ciudadanía para los inmigrantes indocumentados que esperan su turno, pagan multas, aprenden inglés y pasan cursos de ciudadanía.

We're Ready!

Saludos Friends,

We've got our info packets, our tropical colored t-shirts that say "Si se puede", our maps of the capitol, and we are ready to go.

Appointments with legislators have been made and groups and individuals across the state have been mobilized.

Thanks to everyone who has helped us get here and who has wished us luck! Please keep checking on our progress - we will keep you informed! Thanks for your support.

With great hope,

Lisa Cordeiro Kricun

Trainings

Training for SLAD:
WHEN: Tuesday, January 29th
TIME: 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
WHERE: The YWCA of Greater Harrisburg, 1101 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17103

Here is a link for directions to the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg http://www.ywcahbg.org/directions.htm

Contact Andrea at PALO at 717.497.2956 for more information.

Hosted by the PA Association of Latino Organizations (PALO) and the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg.

Pennsylvania Statewide Latino Advocacy Day

ON JANUARY 30th MORE THAN 200 PENNSYLVANIANS WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE FIRST ANNUAL STATEWIDE LATINO ADVOCACY DAY IN HARRISBURG

More than 200 Pennsylvanians will visit their state legislators in Harrisburg on Wednesday, January 30th, for the first annual Statewide Latino Advocacy Day (SLAD). Latino leaders have joined together from all parts of the state and across political parties to call attention to two problems that adversely impact their communities: 1) lack of resources directed toward education in impoverished areas; and 2) increased ethnic tensions due to inflammatory anti-immigrant rhetoric and legislative proposals.

“When Latinos become involved in the legislative process and are active participants in the proceedings of state government, the community begins to see the power that it has,” said Abe Amorós, Political and Communications Director of the PA Democratic Party. “As the fastest-growing population in Pennsylvania, the Latino community needs to assert itself in not only mobilizing more stakeholders but also creating access to more resources.”

Latinos from the Republican Party have also joined the coalition. Robert Nix, Chairman of Pennsylvania’s Hispanic Republican Coalition expressed his concern: “The issues of under-funding education and inflammatory anti-immigrant rhetoric are vexing problems that transcend the politics of Democrats and Republicans. To be heard, we need to put aside partisan politics and all our other differences and work together as one community with one loud voice.”

Congreso de Latinos Unidos, the Pennsylvania Association of Latino Organizations (PALO), and the Eastern North Philadelphia Youth Services Coalition are organizing the event, with participation from over 30 Latino Community Based Organizations (LCBOs). “This is truly an historic event,” stated Margaret Barajas, CEO of PALO, “in which, for the first time, Latinos will come from across the state to jointly address and individually engage their state representatives and senators.”

While there are traditionally some regional and ideological divisions within the Hispanic leadership of Pennsylvania, the political base has increasingly called for greater unity in its leadership around common issues. “This is a new day for the Latino community. We are not only breaking down walls and building bridges within the Latino community, but also with our government and legislative partners,” said Nicholas Torres, President of Congreso, an LCBO based in Philadelphia and part of the organizing coalition. “It is only through partnerships that we will affect change.”

Twelve organizations from the Philadelphia area, including Congreso, will be participating in SLAD. At least 75 individuals ranging from high school youth to senior citizens will be meeting with legislators to voice their concern about immigration issues and the quality of education in Philadelphia.

Statewide Latino Advocacy day will address effects of anti-immigration sentiment and legislation on the Latino population in Pennsylvania, with an emphasis on the effects for legal Latino citizens. Latino advocates will explain to legislators how anti-immigrant sentiment is damaging inter-racial relations and creating hostility in their communities.

Participants will also advocate for the needs of Latino youth in education, and discuss the results from the Education Law Center’s recently released study: “Costing Out the Resources Needed to Meet Pennsylvania’s Public Education Goals.” The study commissioned by the Pennsylvania legislature found that Pennsylvania ranked 46th out of 50 states in providing adequate funding for education. While this is an issue affecting all Pennsylvanians, Latino advocates are especially concerned that the under-funding of education locks the most vulnerable youth into a cycle of poverty.

Event organizers invite individuals and organizations that support these same issues and wish to participate in Statewide Latino Advocacy, to register contact Andrea Morató-Lara at morato@paloweb.org ph: 717-497-2956 or, in Philadelphia, Sarah Cortes at cortess@congreso.net, ph: (215) 763 8870 ext.1538.