Posts About Representation in Government

By Debbie Cortez

There is a tremendo orgullo in being a Latina. As Latinos we have faced many struggles which we have had to overcome. Those struggles have allowed us to become strong leaders in our community and continue to shape us in that leadership that now spans all across the nation.

My culture and traditions are deeply rooted and imbedded in who I am and I am proud of how much my heritage has to offer. It has rich food, spectacular dances and a beautiful language which is all deeply rooted in our family history. We have an understanding that family comes first. 

My family who is Puerto Rican and Guatemalan... Continue Reading

Posted In: Leadership, Representation in Government

Latinos on the Move

Get your early bird tickets, available till Oct. 28, for the Latino Policy Forum’s 6th annual policy breakfast fundraiser!

Latinos on the Move: Opportunity and Equity for Latino Children will be held Nov. 10, 2016 at the Union League of Chicago. Join keynote speaker Sarita E. Brown of Excelencia in Education, emcee and ABC 7 News anchor Stacey Baca, and this year’s “Champion of Change” recipients, Illinois State Sen. Iris Y. Martinez and Illinois State Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez, for a discussion about school achievement and opportunity for Latinos.

Multicultural Leadership Academy

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Posted In: Leadership, Strengthening Leadership, Representation in Government, State Investment

The Forum wishes you a happy National Voter Registration Day! It’s time to make sure that you, your relatives and your friends are registered to vote in Illinois!

If you are not registered to vote, click here to register in English or here to register in Spanish. It takes two minutes.  DO IT RIGHT NOW!

If you are not sure whether or not you are registered to vote, check here to check.  

If you recently moved or changed your name, you should update your voter registration so that your personal information correctly corresponds to your voter profile. This will help ensure that you don’t experience any problems when you visit your local... Continue Reading

Posted In: Leadership, Strengthening Leadership, Representation in Government

Summer 2016 Newsletter

  ·  Sylvia Puente

Dear Friends,

Despite the festivities and warmth that make this time of the year special for everyone, there’s a cloud hanging over the state brought on by the failure of government officials to pass an operating budget at the end of the state legislature’s spring session for the second straight year. 

While much of state government continues to function through court orders and consent decrees, children and families are unnecessarily suffering due to the lack of state funding for human services and higher education.  According to a recent survey conducted by the United Way of Illinois, nearly 1 million people are without services because... Continue Reading

Posted In: Infant & Toddler Services , K-3, Parent Engagement, Preschool, Families & Communities, Housing, Foreclosure, Housing Education, Affordable Housing, Homelessness, Immigration, Immigration Reform & Policy, Immigrant Integration, Leadership, Strengthening Leadership, Representation in Government, State Investment, Access & Resources, Educators

Here are the latest leadership initiatives happening at the Forum.

Multicultural Leadership Academy

The application period for Year 7 of the newly redesigned Multicultural Leadership Academy has officially closed. More than 60 civically-minded, multicultural leaders throughout Illinois have applied, the most applications received to date. The Forum is currently working to determine Year 7 cohort participants and is set to begin in early September.

The Forum sends a special thank you to leaders who participated in various committees, namely the advisory, resource and selection committees. For updates on the Academy, make sure to check the Forum’s website or contact Jessi Pérez.

American Bar Foundation

The American Bar... Continue Reading

Posted In: Leadership, Strengthening Leadership, Representation in Government

Here are the latest leadership initiatives happening at the Forum.

Budget crisis: As debate ensues regarding the next fiscal cycle, the Forum is profoundly disappointed the Governor and the Illinois General Assembly have failed to reach agreement on the FY16 budget nine months into the fiscal year.  The Forum also issued a formal reaction to Governor Rauner’s State of the State address. Click here to read the statement.

On February 27, The Forum stood with members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus at Chicago State University to voice concerns about the MAP grant cuts recently announced. Advocates and students called on government officials to reinstate... Continue Reading

Posted In: Leadership, Strengthening Leadership, Representation in Government

Tomorrow is Election Day, which means Illinois voters will vote to nominate candidates for President; U.S. Senator; Representatives in Congress; State Senators; Representatives in the General Assembly; a variety of County elected officials and a number of judicial elections.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the idea of making an informed vote, don’t stress— there are many resources available that can help guide your decisions.

Be sure to print out a sample ballot, to determine who’s running in your area.

Here are a few resources, guides and questionnaires to help in your last-minute research:

Posted In: Representation in Government

What is same-day voter registration?

If you missed the deadline for voter registration or weren’t able to change your personal information on time, you can still vote! Under new Illinois law, people can now register and vote on Election Day.

First implemented in 2014 during the presidential election, eligible voters can now show up to a polling place location (based on voter address) with two valid forms of identification and vote the same day. Voters seeking to update personal information can also do so following the same process.  

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Am I already registered? If you are unsure about your current voter status, follow Continue Reading
Posted In: Representation in Government

With the Illinois March 15 primary election around the corner, The Forum has launched a blog series to guide you in making an informed vote.

Today's post is by guest blogger Juan Morado Jr. He currently serves as the General Counsel to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board (HFSRB). Juan volunteers on several non-profit boards while also serving as the Communications Secretary to the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois (HLAI). HLAI promotes competence, professionalism and integrity among Latino attorneys and the Latino communities within the State of Illinois, and is dedicated to promoting the Latino culture and empowering the community through legal education, and support of its community organizations.

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Posted In: Representation in Government

Early voting in Chicago, Suburban Cook County and the Collar Counties during the March 2016 Primary Election

My wife and I make it a priority to vote together during every election cycle.  We usually go to our local polling station in Chicago on a Saturday during the early voting period so that we can do it together.  During the 2015 Chicago Municipal Election, we brought our young boys with us to cast our ballots.  They weren’t aware of what we were doing, but my wife and I are very intentional about including them in the process.  We want them to grow up remembering how we took them to vote, how we watched debates together as a family and how we... Continue Reading

Posted In: Representation in Government
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