Hispanic Leaders Getting Out The Vote, Promise Arizona Gives Hope
Keep your eyes on the Arizona elections this year. There may be a few surprises. Leaders in the Hispanic community are working hard to get out the vote, which could make the difference between a win and a loss in key political races.
Out of state volunteers join Arizona
After the passage of some of the toughest anti-immigrant, and many say, anti-Latino, laws in the history of the U.S., the Hispanic community is finally organizing. For many years the Latino vote was not considered significant, hence candidates did not spend time appealing to the community.
Nor have some Arizona candidates been concerned as they use offensive names like "illegal immigrant" instead "undocumented worker", or vote for laws which advocate racial profiling like SB 1070, the toughest anti-immigrant law in the United States, and which in part was declared unconstitutional.
There is a new sheriff in town so to speak, and that is the long forgotten Hispanic voting block. They are appealing to mostly Latino voters that have not voted before, including new citizen voters who will be voting for the first time in this election. They are also energizing long-time registered voters who have not made it to the ballot box for awhile. Things are about to change.
Promise Arizona is a membership organization that appealed to youth across the nation, as well as Arizona. They compared the effort to the Mississippi freedom riders who came to help bring civil change to a separate but equal 1960’s South.
Most people don’t know, but a fair percentage of the freedom riders were not African American. They were Jewish. Some were Anglo Christians.
Local Promise organizer Bridgett registers voter
Promise Arizona is still accepting help from interested people. While the majority of the effort is led by Latinos, there is room for every good heart of every age. Many people from outside the Hispanic community have come together with their Latino brothers and sisters to make Promise Arizona a big success.
There are other organizations working in the Hispanic districts, as well. Mi Familia Vota, part of a 5.4 million dollar effort in various states including Arizona, is hard at work getting out the vote.
The difference in many elections will revolve around who votes. It is a mistake to count out the Hispanic vote this year.