Organization Behind Effort Creates Voice for Young Latinos
WASHINGTON, April 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The National Latino Children’s Institute (NLCI), brought together young people from the Latin American Youth Center and public and private partners to commemorate El Dia de los Ninos Celebrating Young Americans with the signing of S.Res.538. Taken from the Mexican holiday, and celebrated on April 30, the day was first declared a commemorative day by a resolution of the United States Senate in 1999. The effort was spearheaded by Sen. Orin Hatch (R-Utah), and the day has been celebrated nationally since.
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“Children celebrate their parents on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day,” Hatch said. “So this is a great opportunity for grown-ups to celebrate the next generation. This day provides us with the chance to reflect on our children’s futures, help shape their dreams.”
During the resolution presentation, which was held at the National Press Club, youth presented their hopes and dreams in the form of milagros (miracles), to Josephine F. Garza, executive director NLCI. The milagros were hand crafted by children throughout the U.S. and provide a chance for them to voice not only their concerns but also their wishes.
“We are using this milestone in the history of our organization not only to honor and uplift our children but to shed light on their struggles and successes.” Garza said. “NLCI asks the Latino community what they need and how they want to receive the information. For this reason, the organization will be conducting focus groups with diverse Hispanic populations during the summer of 2008.”
As part of their upcoming agenda, NLCI will document the issues and challenges Hispanic children (ages birth to 18) may face. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2006, 20 percent of U.S. children were Hispanic, and this demographic is increasing faster than any other racial/ethnic group. More importantly, 21 percent of the total Hispanic population falls under the poverty rate, making Latino children some of the poorest in the nation. This is of primary concern to NLCI because it documents the need to develop tools and access to information to assist families in sustaining a certain quality of life as well as engaging a nation in understanding the impact.
The focus groups will include youth, parents, community leaders and professionals from diverse areas of expertise and culminate in white papers outlining the current conditions of young Latinos. They will be presented at a National Summit in April 2009, where youth will have an opportunity to dialogue with members of Congress. Similar focus groups were conducted by NLCI in 1995-1996. The ethnographic information culled from the gatherings helped to solidify the understanding of the status of young Latinos and launched the organization in 1997. No other group has undertaken the same scope of work during the past 12 years.
“We are going to deliver on the promise made to our children and ensure they have a part in framing the future of this country,” Garza said. “Today over 100 communities in 34 states are celebrating El Dia de los Ninos.”
El Dia de los Ninos emphasizes the importance of young people’s contributions in our communities and draws increased attention to challenges they may face. In addition, the event recognized partners for their investment and accomplishments in working with NLCI and the Latino community by supporting initiatives to create solutions that improve the environment in which Latino children and youth can succeed.
For additional information, other El Dia de los Ninos activities and the upcoming focus groups visit www.nlci.org.
The National Latino Children’s Institute (NLCI) was founded in 1997 as a national non-profit organization; its mission is to focus the nation’s attention on issues and challenges facing young Latinos and to assist communities in finding solutions. NLCI carries out its mission by working with community organizations and national partners. Our history and expertise in working with the Latino community, as well as the staff’s commitment and strong relationships with organizations across the country, makes NLCI ideally suited to create and implement strategies that eliminate barriers to building healthy communities for young Latinos. NLCI is the only national Latino organization whose primary focus is Hispanic children birth to 18.
SOURCE National Latino Children’s Institute