Issue Agenda Conference Calls
The NCLR policy team will be conducting conference calls for participants to learn more about the issue agenda in the weeks leading up to the 2009 NCLR National Issue Briefing and Advocacy Day. To participate in a conference call, please RSVP to advocacyday@nclr.org and include your contact information and the date, time, and issue topic of the conference call(s).
The conference call information will be the same for all calls:
Call-in #: 1-866-352-3799
Meeting #: *3429322*
You must press * before and after the meeting #
Tuesday, February 10
3 - 4pm EST: Health - Ensure an Equitable Health System
Thursday, February 12
3 - 4pm EST: Juvenile Justice - Promote Safe Communities and Brighter Futures
Tuesday, February 17
1 - 2pm EST: Education - Guarantee Success for Latino Students
3 - 4pm EST: Immigration - Build a Diverse America
Thursday, February 19
1 - 2pm EST: Employment - Make Economic Recovery a Reality
3 - 4pm EST: Wealth-Building - Defend Family Savings: End Abusive Lending
MAKE ECONOMIC RECOVERY A REALITY
Invest in Employment and Economic Opportunities. Like all Americans, Latinos are facing the worst economic times in decades. The recession has been especially devastating to Latinos; in December 2008, the unemployment rate for Hispanic workers was 9.2%, compared to 7.2% overall. Most Latino households have little to no savings, putting them at greater risk of falling into poverty during a spell of unemployment. Even Latino workers who were fortunate enough to keep their jobs are struggling to meet basic family needs because they tend to work in low-skill jobs without decent wages and benefits. While dire, the economic crisis offers an opportunity to reinvest in America’s workforce and ensure that Latinos have better access to quality jobs.
• Invest in job training for limited-English-proficient (LEP) workers. Integrated job training programs that combine English language acquisition with occupational skills have opened the door to high-quality jobs for many LEP workers. Enhanced training opportunities should make a significant impact on Latino unemployment.
• Protect workers’ rights to fair wages and safe working conditions. Denying legal protections to immigrant workers undermines the rights of all workers. Stronger investments in labor law enforcement, partnerships between government and community-based employee advocates, and culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach can improve job quality for foreign-born and native-born workers alike.
ENSURE AN EQUITABLE HEALTH SYSTEM
Rebuild a Health Care System that Works for All American Families. America’s new President has declared health care reform as a top priority in order to improve the economic landscape and well-being for this nation’s families. However, U.S. lawmakers remain dangerously silent about the needs of Latino and immigrant communities, which represent a disproportionate share of the uninsured population. As health care reform proposals begin to take shape, a higher level of commitment from our nation’s leaders is needed to address the deep-seated flaws of the health care system that keep so many Latinos away from critical health services. Everyone in the U.S. should have the opportunity to find affordable health care in their community.
Pass health care reform which ensures that all in the U.S. have access to affordable, quality health care. Give everyone living in the U.S. the opportunity and ability to keep their families healthy.
BUILD A DIVERSE AMERICA
Enact Legislation Toward Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The nation’s immigration system is in urgent need of reform that will restore dignity and the rule of law. In recent decades, the country has seen a burgeoning undocumented population whose status makes it easy to be preyed upon and harder to integrate into American society. Unscrupulous employers exploit undocumented workers, dysfunctional policies keep families apart and legal workers out, and costly enforcement strategies terrorize communities, introducing greater chaos into an already broken system. Existing immigration laws must be overhauled by:
• Getting the 12 million undocumented people in our country to come forward, obtain legal status, learn English, and assume the responsibilities of citizenship
• Creating smart enforcement policies that uphold the Constitution and truly make us safe
• Cracking down on deceitful employers whose practices undermine conditions for all workers
• Unclogging legal channels to reunite families and allow future workers to come in with essential rights and protections
• Enacting measures that advance the integration of new immigrants
Urge your representative to support legislation that addresses the principles mentioned above, including the “DREAM Act” and “AgJOBS.”
Urge your representative to oppose deportation-only proposals that do little to address the immigration issue effectively.
DEFEND FAMILY SAVINGS: END ABUSIVE LENDING
Like all Americans, Latinos need access to safe and affordable credit to develop long-term financial security and a safety net in times of crisis. Unfortunately, Latino consumers have been steered into predatory financial products, which resulted in historically high foreclosure rates and household debt. Access to quality banking and credit products will help Latinos build and maintain wealth.
• Protect homeowners facing foreclosure and future homebuyers. Congress must support measures that assist families at risk of foreclosure in securing affordable and sustainable mortgage payments. Future homebuyers must be protected by strict anti-predatory lending legislation and supposed through funding for nonprofit housing counseling agencies that help moderate-income families navigate the home-buying process.
• Provide access to financial counseling. Legislation that extends funding to nonprofit organizations to provide free financial counseling for low- and moderate-income families will help Latinos get back on track during these tough economic times.
• Ban unfair and abusive lending practices by the credit card industry. Practices such as hidden and high-cost fees and unfair interest rate hikes in the credit card industry must be prevented. These policies create obstacles for many Latino consumers trying to get out of debt and accumulate savings.
GUARANTEE SUCCESS FOR LATINO STUDENTS
Improve and Invest in Education for Latinos. Latino students, many of whom are English language learners (ELLs), make up a large and growing portion of the U.S. student population. These children represent the future of the U.S. workforce and economy. However, Latino and ELL students enter school less prepared and drop out at higher rates than their peers. To ensure the educational success of these students and establish a highly capable workforce, NCLR urges Congress to:
• Improve and reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Despite its intent, NCLB has yet to ensure that schools, teachers, and parents are properly equipped with the tools necessary to help Hispanic and ELL students close the achievement gap. Congress must reauthorize NCLB with additional provisions to ensure that the law fulfills its promise to these students and the nation.
• Invest in family literacy and after-school programs. Family literacy and after-school programs help Latino children enter school ready to succeed and provide continued academic support throughout their school careers. Congress must increase investments in the William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program and 21st Century Community Learning Centers in order to close the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers.
PROMOTE SAFE COMMUNITIES AND BRIGHTER FUTURES
Support Reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) of 1974. JJDPA provides federal standards for safeguarding the care and custody of children involved with the juvenile and criminal justice systems. In 2009, JJDPA will be reintroduced in the 111th Congress for reauthorization. As advocates, we must ensure that the JJDPA reauthorization contains provisions that establish equity, fairness, competence, and culturally and linguistically appropriate programs, policies, and practices. These provisions will safely and effectively address the needs of youth of color and Latino children in particular while reducing overrepresentation and disparate, harsh, and unfair treatment in the juvenile justice system.
