Elenamary

Rumor is that tonight, Barack Obama’s speech will include an initiative  to start registering new voters, especially Latinos.

“Voting Latinos”, one could whisper this into my ear only to watch the passion start seeping out of my pores.

I’ve written before about what the Democratic Party, particularly the Ohio Democratic Party, needs to do in order to court Latino Voters.  I hope someone will take note  (below is a shorter version of the original post and includes six ways to reach potential voters.

1. Reach out to young children with summer camps on democracy. The Ohio Center for Law Related Education offers awesome summer camps on law and citizenship. Why can’t Ohio Democrats offer a summer camp on government? Learn about your right to vote, about the role of the state legislature, local city governments? Teach youngsters about their civil rights when they get pulled over by the police while driving (and what the rights of their parents are!)


2. Support the DREAM Act. Advertise your support of it, on the local Spanish radio station.


3. Offer scholarships. The scholarships can be an exchange for volunteering to work on a democratic campaign. Volunteer for your local democratic candidate and get a $500 scholarship to an in-state university institution. When people volunteer on a campaign they have a feeling of making a difference and of being part of the difference, of being part of the institution. We want people to feel that the Democratic party is THEIR party. I bet odds are too that once you’ve worked on a campaign your more likely to work on another and stay politically active.


4. Show that the ODP is a party for women. While Latino society may have its dose of machismo it does not mean that women don’t have the final say-so. It is women who get men to work, the kids to school, and the family to church, it is women who have the final say-so. Make sure that women understand that democrats support them and their decisions. Find ways to reach women in grocery stores, doctors offices, and banks.


While Latinos may disapprove of abortion, divorce, and gays, the truth is they actually don’t. Huh? You see ask a Latina women if she disapproves of abortion and she may say yes, but you may find out she has had one. If it weren’t for Latina’s getting abortions I wouldn’t have a job. And I can only imagine that as these young Latinas become of voting age more will be pro-choice, especially when it comes to themselves. Latinas need and want good sexual health care and prenatal care. If we can let them know the democratic party supports safe sex based education, affordable health care (that means abortions too), and prenatal care we can win them over. Right now these women depend on organizations such as Planned Parenthood, the Columbus Health Department and Columbus Neighborhood Clinics. We’ve got to support health care and let it be known we support womens health more than republicans.


5. Work with banks. Offer classes with banks and workshops with banks on opening a bank account. Make sure you know why it is important to have a bank account. It is important for when buying airplane tickets back to your home country, it is required at the border when trying to bring a car into Mexico, it accrues interest, is safe, and you can deposit/cash your check without a huge fee as normally occurs with check-exchange stores and the Mexican groceries. Make sure that people know that the ODP supports them.


6. Open cultural centers in urban-Latino neighborhoods of Toledo, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and Dayton. These centers should have historical information and current resources. It should be a place where you can learn about People of Color who have been and are active in the Democratic Party. Their should be books on the Chicano movement, on the womyns movement. Their should be information about current races, candidates and issues. Their should be free talks from the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, League of Pissed off Voters.