Note: please note that this issue brief should (a) link back to the issue overview on this topic, (b) be focused either the local, state, national, or global level, and (c) be neutrally presented, based on facts, and include footnotes for each of the items.  See the Research Guide and Information Sources to assist you. 

 

 

Goal Statement

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Latino Civic Engagement

 

 

Scope of the Problem  factual statements on the extent of the problem in the past, current, or future

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• During the nation-wide 2006 immigration rallies Latinos turned out in the hundreds. In Walla Walla, high school students initiated a walkout that ended at the courthouse where speakers delivered the message ‘here is where you come to vote.’ The next year, a “No flags, Just Families” picnic event was held. The combination of youth mobilization and sense of national solidarity was able to engage a wide range of Latinos.
• The marches have been criticized for lacking a specific purpose. This failure has been credited to the lack of leadership on the part of Latino community leaders. Many Latino role models were scared of an immigration backlash if they had attended the marches.
•  The local newspaper, the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, ran a series of articles from February 23-27, 2008 on Latinos that received an outpouring of negative feedback. The articles interviewed a wide-range of Latinos, from students to farm-workers. Although none of the articles spoke specifically of illegal immigration, many of the commentators who posted remarks on the newspaper’s website automatically associated “Latino” with “illegal immigration.” Most of the commentators blamed Latinos for not trying hard enough to assimilate and for causing crime in Walla Walla. Aside from removing these comments from the website, the newspaper has not made any efforts to address these comments. Many Latinos saw these articles as further evidence of a culture of racism in Walla Walla that inhibits their civic participation. The media coverage of the rallies focused on the role of youth in the marches and neglected to mention that the rally served to encourage Latino political participation by ending at the courthouse. In the eyes of Federico Diaz and Andrés Dankel-Ibanez, two Latinos that I interviewed, the media coverage diminished what they felt to be a real accomplishment. 

 

 

Current Policy  summary of current policies in the form of legislation, programs, and funding

In Walla Walla there are three primary organizations that work with Latinos

 

 

1. Washington Park Neighbors (WPN)

Washington Park Neighbors was formed through a coalition of Whitman students, including myself, and local residents. WPN held multiple neighborhood meetings that culminated in a meeting with the Chief of Police and a decrease in crime. WPN has since disbanded.

 

 

2. Commitment to Community

C2C is a grassroots organization that seeks to build a strong community through building strong neighborhoods. They grew out of March 2004 Blue Mountain Action Council (BMAC) and the Donald and Virginia Sherwood Trust community forum entitled “Commitment to Community.” They currently work in three neighborhoods (including Washington Park) and have been awarded increased city funding after demonstrating their impact on the broader community.

 

 

3. Latino American Forum (Foro)

The Latino American Forum, or Foro as it is known, was founded in 2003 by Carolina Padilla, who worked in the County Health Department, and some friends and colleagues of hers.  According to the current leader of the Foro, Cynthia Selde, the original purpose of the Foro was to provide a resource through which others working in the community, especially those working with the Latino population, could share information about what services different agencies and groups offer, job opportunities, cultural activities and events, requests for information or support or other information that might be of interest. Since 2003 regularly monthly meetings have been held with attendance varying but with an average membership of 15 depending on the presenter. A major aspect of the Foro is the listserve, managed by Cynthia Selde, which has around 200 people on it.

 

 

 

Policy Options   

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Policy Options for Non-Profit Organizations

 

1. Offer leadership classes to potential community leaders

Commitment to Community(C2C) in Walla Walla has had great success by encouraging potential neighborhood leaders to attend a leadership class. After being trained, individuals were much more effective at organizing neighborhood meetings and strategizing methods to improve their communities. C2C measured the success of these new leaders through surveys of the neighborhoods in which they work. This is a practice that should be promoted across the United States because it benefits the whole community to have more active leaders participating in civic affairs. 

 

 

 2.  Plan group meetings with local officials

In order to overcome the fear that many Latinos feel towards government, trust must be built. Staging group encounters with local political and police officials to build neighbors’ trust in these institutions has been a successful method in Walla Walla. Washington Park Neighbors organized a meeting between the Chief of Police and concerned neighbors that resulted in a noticeably greater police presence and decreased crime rates.

 

 

 3. Conduct neighborhood improvement projects

The immediate presence of the problems, solutions and people involved give neighborhood-based organizations (NBOs) a concrete physicality that allows for effective mobilization. Commitment to Community (C2C), found that by asking individuals what type of projects they wanted to implement, they were able to create great enthusiasm for those projects and bring in outside resources to implement the projects. In one neighborhood where a community space was desired, C2C brought in an architect who utilized community assets (such as men who knew construction or women who could cook lunches) to build a park for the entire community. The relationships that were formed while designing and building the park led to a sense of neighborhood cohesion that brought the neighborhood together. 

 

 

4.  Hold neighborhood meetings and potlucks

Developing a sense of common group identity through neighborhood meetings and potlucks allows Latinos to feel as though they are a part of something bigger and ensures sustained participation. Washington Park Neighbors helped reduce crime levels by instituting a neighborhood watch as a result of numerous neighborhood meetings.

 

 

5.  Create local ethnic professional networks

Race-specific organizations with regular meetings can enable individuals to share information and work together to improve their services. The Latino American Forum (Foro) brings together professionals from public institutions or social work agencies to talk about issues important to the Latino community. While this organization does not cater to lower-income Latinos, it does allow for many individuals who work with lower-income Latinos to engage in important discussions.

 

 

Policy Options for Local Government

 

 

1. Promote neighborhood-based organizations through system of awards

            Cities should offer a system of rewards for neighborhood-based organizations that improve the community. For example, if crime in an area is reduced after a neighborhood successfully organizes, then that neighborhood should receive a small grant towards the creation of infrastructure or even for a neighborhood party. The city’s incentive for this grant is that if the neighbors begin to patrol their area on their own, there is less of a strain put on the police to constantly patrol that area. The City of Walla Walla increased its funding of Commitment to Community after the organization was able to show that their work had led to a decrease in crime. 

 

 

2. Hold a community forum to discuss issues of race

            In towns where certain sectors of the population is marginalized, a community forum with a race specific agenda can greatly improve race relations and can led to the formation of organizations that cater to these populations. In Walla Walla, the Sherwood Trust and Blue Mountain Action Council (BMAC) held another community forum that created Commitment to Community.

 

 

3. Encourage cultural events

Cultural events help create a sense of common identity and encourage more integration. In my interview with Joey August, he suggested that Walla Walla’s lack of Latino cultural events is due to the city’s wish to pretend that Latinos do not exist.

 

 

4. County Auditor should lead targeted voting workshop

Political participation is ultimately fundamental to giving Latinos representation in government. However, many Latinos are unaware or fearful of American voting procedures. As such, county auditors should lead bilingual workshops on voting in Latino neighborhoods, working with neighborhoods-based organizations where possible. 

 

 

Key Organizations/Individuals   contacts for public and private organizations and key individuals

1. State of the State for Washington Latinos

My full report, executive summary and multiple related studies can be found on the State of the State for Washington Latinos website at www.walatinos.org.

 

 

2. Commitment to Community (C2C), Walla Walla

Neighborhood improvement organization that works to build strong neighborhoods through community-owned projects

·      Director Teri Barila- terib@bmi.net

·      Community Coordinator Nancy Carter- nancyc@bmacww.org

·      Community Organizer Federico Diaz- diaz032303@yahoo.com

·      Community Organizer Louis Gonzales-lgonz@bmi.net

 

 

3. Washington Park Neighbors, Walla Walla

Recently formed neighborhood watch group that works with C2C

·      Neighborhood Leader Sylvia Moya- harmony_965@msn.com

 

 

4. Latino American Forum, Walla Walla

Networking organization composed of mainly of highly educated professionals that provide services to the Latino community

Coordinator Cynthia Selde- cynthia.selde@wwcc.edu 

 

 

Glossary of Terms

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Latino Civic Engagement - Pasco, WA

 

 

Bibliography   web sites, reports, articles, and other reference material

Bedolla, L. (2004). Resources and Civic Engagement: The Importance of Social Capital for Latino Political Incorporation. 41-54

 

 

Camp, R. (2003). Learning Democracy in Mexico and the United States. Mexican Studies, 19, No.1, pp.3-27

 

 

Huckfeldt, R. (1979). Political Participation and the Neighborhood Social Context. American Journal of Political Science, 23, 579-592

 

 

Interview with Louis Gonzales from Commitment to Community, February 9^th, tape recorded 20 minutes, Democratic Caucus

 

 

Interview with Federico Diaz from Commitment to Community on February 25th digitally recorded  55 minutes, Reid Campus Center

 

 

Marschall, M. (2001). Does the shoe fit?: Testing Models of Participation for African-Americans and Latino Involvement in Local Politics. Urban Affairs Institute, 37, 227-248

 

 

McMiller,D.(2005). Boosting Latino and Black Political Participation: The Impact of Associational and Religious Resources. Politics & Policy. 33, 3, 444-468

 

 

Weatherford, M. (1982). Interpersonal Networks and Political Behavior. American Journal of Political Science, 26, 117-143