WP: Immigrant-Voter Drive Announced

[DeepModem Mom]

Immigrant-Voter Drive Announced
By Sonya Geis
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 10, 2006; Page A03

LOS ANGELES, May 9 -- The same coalition of labor leaders, Latino activists, Catholic priests and radio deejays responsible for massive pro-immigrant demonstrations in Los Angeles described a new coordinated campaign on Tuesday that they hope will register 1 million new voters before the November elections.

Under the umbrella of the newly formed We Are America Alliance, organizers will make similar announcements in New York, Chicago and other cities, including a news conference in Washington on Wednesday. In Los Angeles, they gave details for the first time of a strategy voiced repeatedly during marches: "Ahora marchamos, mañana votamos" -- Today we march, tomorrow we vote.

"We need to reach out to our youth -- the first, second and third generation -- to make sure they vote," Spanish-radio deejay Renan Almendarez Coello, better known as "El Cucuy" or "The Bogeyman," said at a news conference.

Many of those who participated in the street protests cannot vote. About 60 percent of all Latinos in the United States are ineligible to vote because they are not citizens or because they are too young, according to the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute at the University of Southern California. Of those eligible, fewer than half vote regularly. Activists hope to encourage citizens who usually ignore elections to head to the ballot box, and they will push those who are almost citizens to complete their paperwork....

***

During the summer, immigrant advocates will encourage community organizations, union halls and churches across the country to become "immigrant action justice centers." Voter registration forms, citizenship information, letters addressed to politicians and phone numbers to call members of Congress will be available. The groups also plan to set up mobile information centers in high-traffic areas....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/09/AR2006050901463.html

[thereismore]

1. Yes! Thank you. Great news. nt

[RagingInMiami]

2. Democrats, take note

This is what democracy looks like.

[Tempest]

3. And they won't forget it was the Repugs who want to make them criminals

The Repug controlled House passed a bill which made felons out of anyone helping illegal immigrants.

That's a lot of legal family members who would be affected.

[Ian David]

4. Are these mostly going to be CONSERVATIVE Democrats?

What's the latest polling data on that?

For example, what percentage of these people would vote in favor of banning gay marriage?

I'm glad we're registering voters and everything. I'm glad they're registering regardless of their political leanings. Registering voters is good for Democracy.

But I'm also wondering-- will this be a Faustian bargain?

Or, what messages can we use to make these people progressive voters?

[laheina]

7. This is an important question,

and one that really needs to be asked, imo.

The answer, is that we need to forgo the messages completely. Dems need to develop an honest relationship with the Latino community, in that we can't just sway them for the election only to abandon them again. The RNC has been working hard on them, and we need to not only show them that this isn't in their best interest but also invest in the Hispanic population.

[unda cova brutha]

5. are they going to get people who are not here legally to register to vote?

Can they do that?

[RebelOne]

6. They can't vote if they aren't naturalized citizens.

[laheina]

8. No.

That's voter fraud, and I don't think that anyone was even suggesting that.

But the sleeping giant needs to be woken up. :)

And welcome to DU, btw. :hi:

[rodeodance]

9. all eligable people should vote--denounced???