Tx: Drive urges new citizens to register to vote
Drive urges new citizens to register to vote
Maribel MarĂ*n wasted no time in registering to vote after she became a U.S. citizen.
Three days after becoming naturalized Tuesday, she registered.
"I want to vote so that I can speak out and support our people," the 34-year-old Carrollton resident said. "Until they see that we're voting and being good citizens, it's as if we don't exist."
Mrs. MarĂ*n is one of the thousands of Hispanic immigrants who have applied for citizenship since January. Citizenship applications are up nearly 60 percent nationwide, 77 percent in Dallas.
Almost 520,000 legal residents nationwide have applied for naturalization.
Mrs. MarĂ*n is just the kind of immigrant a national citizenship campaign has been targeting. She said she heard the appeal on Spanish-language Univision in TV spots made by a coalition of national organizations, including NALEO, the National Council of La Raza, and SEIU.
She attended a citizenship workshop at Brookhaven College in Farmers Branch, where she learned much about the naturalization process.
She immigrated legally 16 years ago with her husband from Tacubaya, Jalisco. Both their children were born here.
Today, she works as a cafeteria cashier in a local school district and keeps hoping for immigration reform legislation that will help some of her relatives and friends gain legalization.
Until that happens, efforts like the Ya es Hora: CiudadanĂ*a national citizenship drive will focus on appealing to the nearly 6 million Latino legal immigrants in the U.S. to become naturalized and register to vote.
Another free citizenship workshop is scheduled for next Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at Mountain View College, 4849 W. Illinois Ave. Dozens of volunteers and lawyers will be available to help applicants.
The campaign has surpassed many expectations, said Marcelo Gaete, senior director of programs for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.
"The number of citizenship applications might hit 1 million by the end of the year, and this is unprecedented," Mr. Gaete said. "This is a watershed moment in our community when we'll look back and say, 'This is who we are.' "
Mrs. MarĂ*n said she also heard the national debate over immigration and was angered and dismayed by comments made by many GOP leaders.
"They think we don't cooperate and help this country grow," she said. "But it's not true. We care about this country, and we are trying to help the country grow, too – just like everybody else."
Mrs. MarĂ*n is the kind of worker the Service Employees International Union is looking for and supports.
The union represents 1.9 million janitors, security guards, public service workers and health care workers.
It touts its leadership in empowering immigrant communities across the U.S. and played a major role in advancing the comprehensive immigration reform agenda among unions.
Eliseo Medina, executive vice president for SEIU, said immigrant workers are among the most idealistic members.
"They come with a dream and are very eager to incorporate themselves into the mainstream," he said. "They don't take their citizenship for granted."
That's why they're most likely to be more faithful voters, who believe that their vote matters.
"I think you're going to see a surge of new immigrant voters in next year's election," he said.
The campaign will work to ensure that by following up this first phase of the campaign with Ya es Hora: RegĂ*strese (It's time: Register) before the election. Then it will campaign for Ya es Hora: Vote – It's time: Vote.
Organizers hope to register as many as 1 million new citizens in key battleground states, such as New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Nevada.
Many of them may well be like Mrs. MarĂ*n, who was sorely disappointed when immigration reform died last month.
"I have many relatives who were dreaming of getting their papers and getting permission to work," she said. "They've made their lives here and want to stay and work. When it didn't happen, it was such a letdown."
She'll carry that memory with her into the voting booth next year.
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/n ... 95c52.html
Re: Tx: Drive urges new citizens to register to vote
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nouveauxpoor
"I have many relatives who were dreaming of getting their papers and getting permission to work," she said. "They've made their lives here and want to stay and work. When it didn't happen, it was such a letdown."
Sorry, nntrixie, I didn't catch that part. Everything looked legit and aboveboard, until that closing comment.
