"LATISM 2012": Latinos in Social Media Launches National Campaign to Help Mobilize Vote in 2012
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA--(Marketwire - November 24, 2010) - Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) -- the largest organization of social media professionals of Hispanic origin -- today announced "LATISM 2012," a two-year, non-partisan, national campaign aimed at educating and mobilizing Latino voters in advance of the 2012 general election. LATISM will launch the campaign at its upcoming Latino2 event on December 4th in San Luis Obispo in Central California, home of the California farm labor movement and one of California's most lively social media communities. To register for the Latino2 event (admission is free), go to www.latino2.com.
"Central California is a perfect place to launch the LATISM 2012 campaign," said Giovanni Rodriguez, co-producer of the Latino2 event series and board member of LATISM. "It's one of several places in the U.S. where Latinos first learned to organize around common interests, and it's where some of the new rules and tools of community and collaboration are being tested. The 2010 election showed the collective power of the Latino vote, across different parts of the political spectrum. We believe that 2012 will bring an even greater turnout, and that digital media will make a big difference."
The Central California Latino2 event -- dubbed "Community and Collaboration in Central California: Then and Now" -- features some of the leading thinkers and doers in the Latino business, civic, and educational communities, including:
Dorinda Moreno
Dorinda Moreno has devoted nearly four decades developing support for indigenous and multicultural issues in the U.S., Mexico, Central and So. America, and the Caribbean. She is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions including a 2009 Cesar E. Chavez Humanitarian Award and the 2003 Cesar E. Chavez & Robert F. Kennedy: Lifetime Achievement Award Celebrating a Legacy of Social Justice.
Hilda Zacarias
A Harvard graduate who has dedicated a lifetime of public service to the residents of the Central Coast of California, she is an active community leader, change agent, champion of efforts to ensure all youth have access to higher education and professional accomplishment and is involved with many local nonprofit organizations. She currently serves as Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Santa Maria.
Cristina Gonzalez
An Oxnard native, Cristina is a trainer, educator and consultant with over 10 years of experience working with youth, schools, parents, organizations and communities to implement bilingual programs, workshops and trainings on Leadership, Youth Development, Social Justice, Inclusion, Organizational Development and Fundraising.
A key part of the Central California Latino2 event, LATISM 2012 will call on leaders in business, politics, and education to join and help set the agenda for the campaign. The event will be held at San Luis Obispo Performing Arts Center -- a state-of-the-art facility at the California Polytechnic State University, one of the state's leading educational institutions.
"We're interested in meeting with Latino leaders from a broad spectrum of communities," said Jesse Luna and Jose Huitron, producers of the Central California Latino2 event. "And we're especially interested in meeting with students. Young voters will play a big part in the 2012 election, and we are looking to Latino students to help mobilize the vote."
For more information about the event and the Latino2 tour series, go to www.latino2.com.
ABOUT LATISM
Founded in 2009, Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) is a 501(c) 4 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing the social, civic and economic status of the Latino community by providing capacity-building training, information, resources and networking opportunities. LATISM also researches and analyzes Latino use of online social networks to inform decision-making by businesses, nonprofits, policymakers and others seeking to reach or mobilize Latinos. For more information, go to http://latism.org.