In our fourth week of action, we visit Affiliates in California, Minnesota, Texas, and North Carolina who participated in more events to support a vote for and passage of comprehensive immigration reform.
Monthly Archives: August 2013
This Week in Immigration Reform – Week Ending August 30
Week Ending August 30
This week in immigration reform: NCLR’s own Janet Murguía participates in the Realize the Dream March, highlighting the importance of fighting to protect civil rights and the pressing need to pass immigration reform; Reps. Bachus and Carter call for reform on moral grounds, adding to the House GOP voices in favor of giving immigration reform a vote; Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake are feeling optimistic about the future of immigration reform in the House; NCLR Affiliates meet with their members of Congress, hold town halls and community forums, and march and rally for reform; and the NCLR Action Fund gathers thousands of signatures on a petition calling on Speaker Boehner to give reform a vote. NCLR staff kept the community informed this week in a flurry of media appearances, with staff quoted in pieces by USA Today, The Hill, Univision, NBC Latino, Fox News Latino, VOXXI, El Tiempo Latino, Latina, and UPI Español. Continue reading
NCLR Joins Celebration of 1963 March on Washington
This week marked the 50th Anniversary of the historic 1963 March on Washington. The festivities brought people from around the country to descend on the National Mall and relive the fateful day.
Budget Cuts Cost Denver Families the Chance at Buying Their First Homes
Guest blog post by Rosa Madrigal, Manager, Homeownership Services, Del Norte Neighborhood Development Corporation, NCLR Affiliate
Owning a home remains the central pillar of the American Dream. At Del Norte Neighborhood Development Corporation (NDC) here in Denver, we help several Coloradans reach their dream every year. Our mission is to ensure that everybody has access to quality and affordable housing. For more than 30 years, we have addressed the severe housing needs for low- and moderate-income families in the Denver area, the vast majority of whom are Latino. But crippling budget cuts brought about by sequestration pose a very real threat to our ability to provide those families with the critical housing services they need to purchase a home. Continue reading
Dr. King’s Dream and the Latino Community: 50 Years Later
By Janet Murguía, President and CEO, National Council of La Raza
This past Saturday I was humbled to stand in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial and speak before thousands of people who had traveled from all over our great nation to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. It was a profound privilege to have the chance to honor those who had come before us, who had worked so hard and sacrificed so much. These are the courageous men and women who paved the way for a new American covenant half a century ago, one in which the promise of the American Dream was not limited to a few but made a reality for all of us, regardless of who we are or where we come from. Continue reading
We’re One Step Closer to Making Higher Education More Affordable
By Carmen Orozco-Acosta, Policy Analyst, Education Policy Project, NCLR
Yesterday brought great news for the millions of students across this country that want to go to college, but are concerned about the ever-increasing price tag. President Obama announced a new plan to help make college more affordable to the middle class, an important move from his Administration which has undertaken a number of efforts to make higher education attainable for all Americans. The skyrocketing cost of higher education is a problem that affects all students, but hits the Latino community especially hard, because our youth are often first-generation college students and come from low-income households.
A college education has become a baseline credential to compete in an increasingly competitive job market. Students who want to pursue a college degree should be able to, without accruing a mountain of debt. Unfortunately, realistic concerns about post-college graduation debt often deter students from pursuing higher education. In a country that values education and treats it as the great equalizer, that frankly shouldn’t be the case Continue reading
This Week in Immigration Reform – Week Ending August 23
Week Ending August 23
With two weeks to go, news reports indicate that pro-immigration reform forces have dominated the August recess; Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) reaffirms his support for reform that includes a roadmap to earned citizenship at a public event organized by NCLR Affiliates and PICO California; and the conservative American Action Network notes that reform would create an average of 14,000 new jobs per congressional district.
With a growing number of actions, events, and activities in the field, NCLR Affiliates and staff continue to meet with members of Congress, hold rallies, and demand action on reform. The NCLR Action Fund ran Spanish-language radio ads in a few key congressional districts. And NCLR staff kept the community informed of developments with appearances in Univision, NBC Latino, Yahoo! News, and the Associated Press / El Nuevo Herald this week. Continue reading