San Diego, CA– The National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S.—will hold a press briefing on Friday, July 11 at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the key issues facing Latino voters and launch the 2008 NCLR Annual Conference which will be held July 12-15 at the San Diego Convention Center.

NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía will also issue a challenge to both presidential candidates to ask for their help in ensuring that their respective parties refrain from scapegoating immigrants and Latinos during the election season. Senator Barack Obama will address Conference participants on Sunday, July 13 at 11:00 a.m. and Senator John McCain will speak on Monday, July 14 at 12:30 p.m.

Murguía will highlight some of the key issues at the NCLR conference including the mortgage and foreclosure crisis, the lack of accessible health insurance, the critical need to reform our broken immigration system, and the Latino vote. As the fastest-growing segment of the electorate, Latino voter turnout is expected to reach historic levels in 2008 and will be the deciding factor in who serves as the next U.S. president.

Other political leaders who will speak at the 2008 NCLR Annual Conference include San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, U.S. Representative Joe Baca (D–CA), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez (D–CA), and California State Assembly Members Lori Saldaña and Mary Salas.

The NCLR Annual Conference is the largest national gathering of its kind in the Latino community, serving as the meeting ground for community leaders, activists, elected and appointed officials; members of the corporate, philanthropic, and academic communities; and youth. Attendance is expected to exceed 20,000 participants. For more information about this briefing or the Conference, please visit www.nclr.org or call Jacqueline Pacheco at (202) 785-1670.

MEDIA ADVISORY

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