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Latino
Issues |
According
to the Hispanic Pew Center
Top
Issues for Latinos:
War
in Iraq
• Two out of every three Latinos now believe that U.S. troops
should be brought home from Iraq as soon as possible.
• Only one in four think the U.S. made the right decision
in using military force, according to a new survey by the Pew
Hispanic Center.
Plan
to End the Iraq War
Before the war in Iraq ever started, Senator Obama said
that it was wrong in its conception. In 2002, then Illinois
State Senator Obama said Saddam Hussein posed no imminent threat
to the United States and that invasion would lead to an occupation
of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined
consequences. Since then, Senator Obama has laid out a plan
on the way forward in Iraq that has largely been affirmed by
the bipartisan Iraq Study Group led by James Baker and Lee Hamilton.
www.barackobama.com
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OF THE PAGE
Education
• 53.2% Latinos graduate high school compared to 68% nationally.
• 12% of Hispanics age 25 years and older received a bachelor’s
degree or higher. (Source: NCLR)
Improving
Our Schools
“We are failing too many of our children in public
schools. Right now, six million middle and high school students
read at levels significantly below their grade level. Unfortunately,
the debate in Washington has been narrowed: either we need to
pour more money into the system, or we need to reform it with
more tests and standards. Senator Obama has worked on bills
that cut through this false choice and recognize that good schools
will require both structural reform and resources.” www.barackobama.com
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Immigration
According to National Council of La Raza, the largest Latino advocacy
in the United States: “The U.S. immigration system is broken
and needs reform. What we have now results in separating families,
people dying at the border, and no channels for immigrants to
become legal. This system also hurts honest businesses that need
more workers, while it benefits bad employers and coyotes who
exploit immigrants.”
Improving
Legal Immigration
Barack Obama believes the immigration issue has been exploited
by politicians to divide the nation rather than find real solutions.
This divisiveness has allowed the illegal immigration problem
to worsen, with borders that are less secure than ever and an
economy that depends on millions of workers living in the shadows.
“Like millions of Americans, the immigrant story is also
my story. My father came here from Kenya, and I represent a
State where vibrant immigrant communities ranging from Mexican
to Polish to Irish enrich our cities and neighborhoods. So I
understand the allure of freedom and opportunity that fuels
the dream of a life in the United States. But I also understand
the need to fix a broken system… Today's immigrants seek
to follow in the same tradition of immigration that has built
this country. We do ourselves and them a disservice if we do
not recognize the contributions of these individuals. And we
fail to protect our Nation if we do not regain control over
our immigration system immediately.” http://obama.senate.gov/speech/
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OF THE PAGE
Health
• Latinos have the highest uninsured rates. It is reported
that nearly 1 out of 3 Hispanics (33%) are likely to be uninsured.
• Latinos represent the highest number of uninsured children
in the United States. Nearly 24% of Hispanic children are uninsured.
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau)
Millions
of Americans are uninsured or underinsured
"I believe that every American has the right to affordable
health care. I believe that the millions of Americans who can't
take their children to a doctor when they get sick have that
right. We now face an opportunity and an obligation to turn
the page on the failed politics of yesterday's health care debates.
It's time to bring together businesses, the medical community,
and members of both parties around a comprehensive solution
to this crisis, and it's time to let the drug and insurance
industries know that while they'll get a seat at the table,
they don't get to buy every chair."
-Barack Obama, Speech in Iowa City, IA, 5/27/07. www.barackobama.com
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Jobs/Economy
• Many Latino workers are stuck in jobs offering little
to no benefits, lower wages, and few opportunities to move up.
• 43% do not have bank accounts.
• 49% Latinos own a Home compared 69% nationally.
Helping
Low-Income Workers Climb the Job Market
Transitional jobs are a promising way to help chronically
unemployed people break into the workplace. This approach places
participants into temporary, subsidized wage-paying jobs. It
also offers mentoring and social services designed to address
work-blocking problems like personal and family conflicts. Once
they find entry-level work, low-income workers often are unable
to break into middle-class jobs. Bridge programs can help by
partnering the federal government with employers and community-based
organizations to identify job opportunities, develop customized
training programs, and place low-income employees in better
jobs. Senator Obama introduced legislation to devote $50 million
for transitional and bridge employment programs for hard-to-employ
groups. www.barackobama.com
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OF THE PAGE
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©
2007. Nueva Vista Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
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