Voto Latino Gathers Latino Millennials for Change in San Antonio

By Arthur D. Soto-Vásquez, NewsTaco

Something quite bold was attempted in San Antonio, TX this past weekend; young Latino students were asked to venture out of their day to day lives and were challenged to organize and lead their communities to the polls in the upcoming mid-term elections.

Voto Latino, a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding the leadership and advocacy capacities of U.S. Latino millennials, sponsored the “power summit.” The event brought together leaders like Texas Senator Leticia Van de Putte, U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro, Wilmer Valderrama and Rosario Dawson with Latino millennials currently enrolled in High School and College.

However, this was not just a lecture series.

The summit was organized into short sessions where experts closely worked with students though interactive and engaging sessions. Chris Nieto of Qobe Group, a social enterprise based in Austin, led a session focused on the “do’s and don’ts” of professional networking.

“It was an absolute pleasure working alongside Voto Latino to create meaningful and engaging learning environments for millennials that are passionate about creating healthy futures for themselves and our community. This event not only created the need to be involved, but connected the need to action,” said Chris after the conclusion of the session.

Other sessions focused on important skills including political campaigning, creating a personal narrative and utilizing social media to organize. Victoria Ochoa, a junior at St. Edward’s University and summit attendee, said the session about “learning the basics of how to create a start up was empowering and a good introduction to the emerging tech sector, and its opportunities for Latino millennials.”

While attendees gained valuable skills and met countless new friends, the overall mission of the summit was made clear in remarks by the CEO and President of Voto Latino, Maria Teresa Kumar, Friday night. Her message to Latino millennials was they have an obligation to fully participate in American democracy, and it’s a privilege their grandparents and parents struggled to make a reality.

To not show up at the polls and not register friends and family to vote is an abdication of responsibility. 

This message was repeated throughout the event, even when political issues and disagreements arose. One salient issue was President Obama’s recent decision to delay executive action on immigration enforcement until after the midterm elections. During a session with U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro, an immigration reform advocate asked why enough was not done to pressure the President to act immediately. And while there were pointed questions and tension, Representative Castro reported that the President will act on immigration after the midterms and stressed the importance of demonstrating Latino power at the voting booth so both parties in Congress will know not to take the Latino community for granted.

It is clear that the suffering of many Latino families in the United States who live with the omnipresent fear of being separated from the loved ones is an issue that will only be solved once we, Latino millennials, step up and fully participate in American democracy. Valeria Alvarado, a senior in High School from Houston, found this message especially resonant saying “what I learned this weekend is that Latinos are stronger if we are united and show up to vote.” She continued, “ I now understand the seriousness of voting, past generations fought too hard for my generation to do nothing.”

Arthur D. Soto-Vásquez is a proud native of El Paso, TX. He is currently a graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin and closely involved with political campaigns and issues relevant to U.S Latino community life.

[Photo courtesy @WVlderrama Twitter]

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