DePaul University Forum on Oct. 28 Explores Impact of Latino Vote on the Upcoming Presidential Election
Three prominent advocates for Latino rights will discuss the impact of the Latino vote on the upcoming presidential election at the “Latinos and the Vote” forum at 5 p.m. Oct. 28 at DePaul University’s John R. Cortelyou Commons, 2324 N. Fremont St., Chicago. The event is free and open to the public.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Three prominent advocates for Latino rights will discuss the impact of the Latino vote on the upcoming presidential election at the “Latinos and the Vote” forum at 5 p.m. Oct. 28 at DePaul University’s John R. Cortelyou Commons, 2324 N. Fremont St., Chicago. The event is free and open to the public.
Speakers are Rosa Rosales, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens ( LULAC ); José Artemio Arreola, political director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights ( ICIRR ); and Rodolfo Rosales, associate professor of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio. They will share their perspectives on the relationship between the immigrant rights movement and Latino political participation in this highly charged election year.
“As a nation of immigrants the U.S. has periodically struggled with incorporating successive waves of immigrants, who later became voters,” said Rafaela Weffer, associate vice president for faculty development and research at DePaul University. “This forum will highlight how the current immigrant rights movement will shape Latino voters and American elections for generations to come.”
A union organizer and lifelong advocate for immigrant rights, Rosa Rosales leads the largest and oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States. LULAC advances the economic status, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide. Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain both gave keynote addresses at LULAC’s national convention in July in Washington, D.C.
Arreola was a key organizer of the historic immigration march first held in Chicago in 2006, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of people to demand full civil rights for all immigrants. ICIRR promotes the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social and political life of society. Arreola is one of the founders of Club Michoacano, the sponsoring organization behind the immigration marches in Chicago from 2006 through 2008, an executive board member of the Service Employees International Union Local 73 and serves on the Institute for Mexicans Abroad, an advisory council to Mexico’s president.
Author of “The Illusion of Inclusion: the Untold Political Story of San Antonio,” Rodolfo Rosales teaches urban politics, political philosophy and Chicana/Chicano and ethnic politics at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
The forum is sponsored by DePaul’s Office of Academic Affairs and will conclude with a public discussion on issues facing Latinos in this election year and beyond. For more information, please contact Lorraine Mora-Chavez at ( 312 ) 362-6672 or lmora1@depaul.edu.
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