Press Archive

Ensuring Latino Participation in the Redistricting Process
Redistricting Partnership: LULAC, MALDEF, MAPA,
NALEO, UFW & WCVI To Sponsor Summit

Sacramento, CA -The Latino Partnership will convene community and elected leaders on Saturday April 21st, at California State University of Sacramento, in the Union Bldg., to release current 2000 census data that will impact the redistricting process of adjusting local and state political jurisdictions across California. The summit titled, "Latino Summit on Fair Representation," will commence with Dr. Belinda Reyes, from the Policy Institute of California and national renowned voting rights attorney, Joaquin Avila, releasing latest census data and providing an analysis of changes and potential impacts. For the Keynote address Honorable Cruz Reynoso, former California Supreme Court Justice, will address the Luncheon crowd regarding the political implications of redistricting for the state of California. Workshops on the local redistricting process and mapping techniques will be featured during the afternoon portion of the Summit.

In 1990 the Latino population in California was 25.8% of the total population, as of the 2000 census count, Latinos have risen to 32.4%. " Redistricting is a process that the Latino community must participate in, as this process will dictate the type of political representation that will impact all of our communities," stated WCVI President, Antonio González. In California communities with significant demographic changes stand to gain in adjusting the local and state political jurisdictions. "The Latino population has risen significantly in the last ten years, the redistricting process should mirror many of those changes in terms of representation at the local, state, and federal level," concludes González. WCVI will be working statewide in those communities that will be making redistricting adjustments including California, Texas, Colorado, Florida, Arizona, and locally in the states of Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Washington and Idaho.