About The New Latino Movement
The New Latino Movement is a network of over 800 individuals from 32+ states dedicated to empowering Latinos who are new to politics and empowering more experienced Latino organizers.
So what exactly is The New Latino Movement??
During the 2008 election cycle, we all saw the emergence of a new Latino movement headed by a new generation of activists ready to work to change America. We didn't just vote, we organized, we held fundraisers, we knocked on doors, we built coalitions, we made news, we rallied, we talked to our friends and familias, and we saw results.
A historic 9.7 million Americans of Latino heritage cast their votes in 2008—67 percent of which supported the historic election of our 44th President of the United States.
Inspired by the millions of Latinos who for the first time became engaged in their community as a result of the 2008 elections cycle, and recognizing the need for significantly more Latino leadership in civic and political spheres, a committee of volunteers and staff from the 2008 presidential cycle came together to form the New Latino Movement. In late 2008, we came together to respond to President-Elect Barack Obama's call for community service events to be held in the days leading up to his election. We worked through the holiday season to organize a Pre-Inauguration Latino Political Training Day at the National Council of La Raza in Washington, D.C. in January of 2009 and trained 100 Latino organizers from 18 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
The feedback and energy was so great that we wanted to keep up the momentum and went on to plan:
- A Grassroots Celebration of President Obama's First 100 Days on April 24th, partnering with 20 D.C. regional grassroots organizations.
- A "Stand with Sotomayor" Networking Night on July 14th, with NLM friends from New York and D.C., bringing together individuals in the nation's capital witnessing the historic hearings of Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court. A great crowd of more than 100 people heard inspiring remarks in support of the Judge from Rep. Charles Gonzalez (TX) and Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund President Cesar Perales.
- A "Sotomayor Watch the Vote Party" on August 6th to watch as Senators cast the historic vote to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court of the United States. The event was hosted by MANA A National Latina Organization, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the National Hispanic Bar Association (HNBA), the Hispanic Bar Association of D.C., and the Hispanic Lobbyists Association. With remarks by Rep. Eleonor Holmes Norton (DC), the event hosts, and several national leaders, our event and the New Latino Movement made local and national news in such outlets as The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Telemundo. Just as exciting, we worked to encourage NLM friends to host Watch the Vote events in their cities--which they did in places like Harlingen, TX.; Salem, OR.; Stockton, CA.; and three cities in Ohio!
What makes NLM unique?
Our organization is run by and for young Latinos to ensure that our voices are represented and heard in the political process. With a focus on building capacity among local up and coming leaders, we are using our experiences and connections to empower Latinos who are new to politics and to help bridge grassroots organizers with information and leaders from our nation’s capital. By connecting with a key constituency of active Latinos, we strive to strengthen and support a community of well-informed, well-trained and rapidly mobile community of grassroots organizers across the United States.
What's Next for NLM?
With the Latino community expected to double in size over the next 40 years and make up more than 30 percent of the population, the work is far from over. We know that it is critical to maintain and grow our community’s involvement in the political process.
That's why we're keeping up the energy with the New Latino Movement!!
Dedicated to promoting a continuous stream of civic engagement and activism among the Latino community within the United States, NLM friends are driven by the strong belief that the Latino community is an important constituency and much more than a voting block that gets courted for presidential elections every four years—
we are more than just one vote, we are a movement and we are the future—
somos mas que un voto, somos un movimiento y somos el futuro!
Moving forward, our mission is to:
- Train Latino organizers to strengthen their leadership and organizing skills,
- Serve as a network through which such leaders connect, and
- Facilitate communication among a wide network of progressive Latinos.
Our vision is to improve the social, economic, political and environmental future for Latinos by creating a community where...
- We demystify the political process for Latinos.
- Latinos are engaged and active participants in the advocacy and policy-making process.
- Legislative alternatives take into account the well-being of the Latino community.
- Trained Latino community organizers effectively advocate in support of issues pertaining to their community to stakeholders, organizations, and opinion leaders at the local, state, and federal levels.
We'll be planning more training events, organizing events, community service events, and much more... in Washington, D.C. as well as other cities around the country. Though our focus is on supporting young progressive Latino organizers, we want to be inclusive and supportive of partners and allies who are passionate about helping empower marginalized communities. If you have an interest in what we stand for and in helping improve the community around you, please connect with us.