This is a guest post by Nezua, cross-posted from The Unapologetic Mexican.)
OVER AND OVER we hear about The Hispanic Vote™ and The Latino/a Vote® and it is a real thing we are talking about in all of this. Our people—nuestra gente—have long been a force in this land, be it under the golden sun harvesting the corn that has for thousands of years fed our antepasados (ancestors) or away from the sun and working hard in US places of business or doing so much to build strong familias together, as las mujeres—the women—among us are known for historically. We are a beautiful and long enduring people, and responsible for so much creation here that sustains us today: Art, Literature, Food, Clothing, Song.
And yet, our voices have yet to be utilized and enjoined in a way that can efficiently organize around the issues that affect our communities. Don’t mistake what I say: the Latina/o (or “Hispanic”) community is famous for its ability to organize on the local level, and we are proud of this. And that is why it is time to continue to tie this ability and history together and bring it to an even higher level.
It’s true that while so much joins us, we do come from many different backgrounds and hold varying views on the issues that affect us. We will not always agree, nor should we. What we can agree on, though, is that we should have a way to centralize and engage the politics that affect us on so many levels.
I am involved in launching a site called presente.org that is determined to achieve this very goal. Please stop over and check it out. If what I have written above interests you, please sign up.
Hasta luego!
• One note: On my own blog I do tend to speak more to Mexican@s and Latin Americans, because that’s the point at my place. But Presente.org has a much wider focus as “Latinos” and “Hispanics” can come from a wide range of origins. As far as some of my words above, not all of us have come from farming families, or the hot climates! Though many traditions and struggles do overlap. I just wanted to make clear that while I am involved in the organizing of this effort, there is a variance between my readership and presente.org’s intended audience.
And here is Presente.Org’s formal intro:
Dear Friends,
On May 1st, thousands of us will take to the streets to demand an end to immigration policies that marginalize and dehumanize millions of our people. Our presence will be historic and important, but we must not stop there. Latinos have long been a driving force behind the economy of the United States, but we have yet to speak with a unified political voice that forces our government to do right by all of us. We can—and starting today, with your help, we will.
That’s why we’re launching Presente.org. Our goal is to create a broad-based online community of Latinos and our allies strong enough to make the United States honor its promises and protect our people. We’re starting with immigration, but we won’t stop there—we’ll provide you with ongoing opportunities to make change on the issues that most affect our communities.
The only thing we need now is you. Our power is in our voices and our numbers. It starts by affirming a simple pledge: to stand up and speak out for the interests of Latino communities. Please join us, and just as important, invite your friends and family to do the same:
President Obama has pledged to push for immigration reform, and other politicians are also with us. For the first time in a generation, we have a real chance to drastically change our country’s immigration policy, impacting the lives of millions of friends, family members, and coworkers. But we can’t rely on politicians to pass real and just reforms. There are strong forces who stand against us, and they’ve made it clear that they will fight true reform at every step of the way.
We know that real change will only happen if everyday people speak with a strong, unified voice. That’s what Presente.org seeks to make possible. On immigration and beyond, we’ll use the Internet and national media to hold our leaders accountable, making our political presence accurately reflect our importance to this country. Click here to stand up and be counted, and show the world how large our movement really is:
Thank you,
The Presente.org team
To direct people to Presente.org Please TWEET:
Stand and be counted, Latinas, Latinos, Hispanos, Gente, Amigos and Amigas! Join http://presente.org today. #latino #hispanic #immigration
Or TWEET:
Stand and be counted. Empower the Hispanic/Latin@ Community. Join http://presente.org today. #latino #hispanic #immigration
To direct people to this post
TWEET:
The Unapologetic Mexican: Presenting ¡PRESENTE! http://tinyurl.com/cw6fyp #immigration #latinas #latinos #hispanic
Para dirigir personas a Presente.org Por favor
TWEETEA:
Ponte de pie y seas contado, Latinas, Latinos, Hispanos, Gente, Amigos y Amigas! Unete Hoy! http://presente.org #latino #hispano #inmigración #migrantes
O TWEETEA:
Ponte de pie y seas contado. Apodera a la comunidad Hispana/Latin@. Unete Hoy! http://presente.org #latino #hispano #inmigración #migrantes
Para dirigir personas a este post,
TWEETEA:
El Unapologetic Mexican: Presentando a ¡PRESENTE! http://tinyurl.com/cw6fyp #latino #hispano #inmigración #migrantes
Queridos amigos:
El 1 de mayo miles de nosotros tomaremos las calles para exigir el fin de las políticas de inmigración que han marginado a millones de los nuestros. Nuestra presencia será histórica e importante, pero no debemos detenernos ahí. Los latinos somos una fuerza importante para la economía de los Estados Unidos; sin embargo, aún es necesario que nos hagamos escuchar con una voz política unida que obligué a nuestro gobierno a hacer lo correcto en favor de todos nosotros. Lo podemos hacer – y desde hoy, con tu ayuda, lo haremos.
Es por ello que estamos lanzando Presente.org. Nuestro objetivo es crear una comunidad amplia de latinos y aliados de nuestras causas en el internet; una comunidad que tenga la fuerza suficiente para lograr que este pais honre sus promesas y proteja a nuestra gente. Estamos comenzando con la inmigración, pero no nos detendremos ahí –nosotros les proveeremos oportunidades para lograr cambios en los asuntos que mas afectan a nuestras comunidades.
Tú eres lo único que necesitamos en este momento. Todo comienza con la afirmación de un simple compromiso: ponernos de pie y hacernos oír por los intereses de las comunidades Latinas. Por favor, únete a nosotros, e invita a tus amigos y familiares a hacer lo mismo.
Haz click aquí: http://presente.org/es
El presidente Obama ha prometido apoyar la reforma migratoria, y otros políticos también están con nosotros. Por primera vez, nos encontramos frente a la real oportunidad de lograr un cambio drástico en la política de inmigración de nuestro país, produciendo un gran impacto en las vidas de millones de amigos, familiares y compañeros de trabajo. Sin embargo, no podemos confiar en los políticos para que aprueben reformas justas y reales. Existen fuerzas poderosas que se levantan en nuestra contra.
Sabemos que el verdadero cambio solo ocurrirá cuando la gente se haga escuchar cada día con una voz fuerte y unida. Eso es precisamente lo que Presente.org busca lograr. Usaremos el Internet para hacer a nuestros líderes responsables en el campo de la inmigración y más allá; de esta manera, haremos de nuestra presencia política un reflejo exacto de nuestra importancia para el país. Haz clic en el vínculo de abajo para ponerte de pie y mostrarle al mundo cuan grande nuestro movimiento realmente es:
Muchas gracias y Adelante!
