Promise Arizona strives to increase Latino vote
Petra Falcon, executive director of Promise Arizona, talked about efforts to register Hispanic voters last week on Live Talk.
Here are excerpts from the interview, which can be found in its entirety at aztalk.azcentral.com.
Falcon, a fourth-generation Arizonan, is a veteran organizer, activist and community leader.
Most recently, she served as the Southwestern regional director for the Reform Immigration for America campaign.
1. Could you tell us a bit about Promise Arizona?
Promise Arizona (PAZ) is a grass-roots membership organization whose mission is to train, develop and support a new generation of leaders from across the state to build a new Arizona; one that will allow all residents to achieve their full potential.
2. How many Hispanic voters did you register by the Oct. 4 deadline?
When we began the "Faith, Hope, Vote" campaign to register new voters in the Hispanic communities, our initial goal was 10,000. We surpassed that goal by registering 13,036 new voters.
3. How big of an impetus was Senate Bill 1070 in the decision to register voters?
The passage of SB 1070 divided our state. It also proved that too many in Arizona were not participating in the civic process, that their voices were not being heard. Promise Arizona was founded from the community's hope and willingness to work for a better Arizona, to exalt the best of our shared American values by promoting our democratic ideals. The crisis created by SB 1070 forced us to commit to our belief that tolerance, opportunity, liberty and justice for all is best protected by a democratic process that values all individuals and communities.
4. Why do you think Hispanics have such a low voting rate in Arizona? Is this an effort to address that?
Voting rates in the Hispanic community have been increasing dramatically in recent elections, from 32 percent in 2006 to 60 percent in 2008. Yet there are over 300,000 Arizonans in the Hispanic community who are eligible to vote but are not registered. First-time voters need to learn the process to be civically engaged, and our "Faith, Hope, Vote" campaign is an effort to address this.
5. Are there races or ballot propositions that you believe are going to energize Hispanic voters in the next few weeks?
What is energizing Hispanic voters this election is the divisive politics of fear that SB 1070 represents. There is a renewed sense of urgency in the Hispanic community that voting is the only way to stand up for our rights and to weigh in on issues important to our community: jobs, economy, education, and immigration.