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Over 600 Latino Evangelicals turnout for “Tu Decides” Faith-Based Rally to mobilize Latino Community
Cleveland, April 21, 2012: National and local Latino Evangelical leaders joined forces at Tu Decides (“You Decide”), a faith-based rally to motive, organize and mobilize members of the faith-based community and turnout record numbers of Ohio Latinos to the polls in 2012.
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In the photo are: Blaine Griffith (Director, City of Cleveland Community Relations Board, representing Mayor Jackson), Magda Gomez, and Jim O’Connor.
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Said Rev. Gabriel Salguero, President of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, “For a long time the Hispanic Evangelical electorate has been considered apathethic or the proverbial ‘sleeping giant.’ Our time has come to speak loudly to the issues that are so pressing to our close to 9 million Hispanic Evangelicals. Immigration, poverty, and educational equity are issues that we will not ignore. The National Latino Evangelical Coalition is elated to continue our national voter registration push in Cleveland.”
According to its organizers, “throughout Ohio and across the country, Latinos are playing an increasingly pivotal role in the lead up to this year’s election, and as voting day draws closer, the Latino Evangelical community has become concerned with the failure of political leaders to address the issues that most affect their families and communities: poverty, immigration, and education. Tonight’s rally was an important step forward in shedding light on these concerns as well as in securing a strong future for Latino young people.”
According to Pastor Max Rodas, Executive Director of Nueva Luz Urban Resource Center, Cleveland, Ohio, “It was truly a humbling occasion to see how many faith based leaders came together with one voice to motivate people to exercise civic responsibility. Tonight’s event was not an endorsement for any particular candidate but rather an endorsement for the issues that are most near and dear to our hearts and our community: poverty, immigration and education. This is only the beginning—we’re not stopping until these issues are squarely on the agendas of our nation’s leaders.”
Between 2000 and 2009, Ohio’s Latino population accounted for 55.9 percent of the state’s total growth. The percentage of Latino voters in the electorate is growing every year and this November, millions of Latinos nationwide are expected to cast ballots for the candidates that best address the issues impacting their community the most.
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