Radio station pushing pro-immigration petition
Michael Ferraresi
The Arizona Republic
May. 10, 2007 05:50 PM SCOTTSDALE - Willie Lorenzo said he listens to La Nueva KHOT (105.9-FM) every day in his car and at construction jobs, waiting for word as to where the next van is located.

Once it's announced, Lorenzo runs out to pick up free promotional merchandise and to talk about Mexican-American issues with others drawn to the vans.

The vans are marked with the colors of the Mexican flag - red, white and green - and a giant face of disc jockey Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo, considered the Howard Stern of Mexico.

The Mesa resident brought his 1-year-old daughter, Destiny, when he drove to one of the Spanish language station's vehicles on Thursday morning at the busy intersection of Thomas and Scottsdale roads.

"When I hear them on the radio, I go out to say 'hi,'" said Lorenzo, a regular van visitor.

This month, La Nueva is trying to gather 50,000 signatures on a pro-immigration petition that staffers hope to take to Washington, D.C., next month to present to federal officials. The petition is addressed to President Bush and members of Congress.

The petition asks for a permanent migrant worker program that will "protect migrant workers and their families from exploitation."

La Nueva promotions employees said they've already collected about 8,000 signatures in between handing out bumper stickers, calling cards and other freebies.

Jesse Orneles, 19, a promotions staffer at La Nueva, said several teams of station employees would drive the completed petition to Washington sometime next month.

"Hopefully, supporters will follow us out there in their cars as well," Orneles said

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