Annual Somos El Futuro Legislative Conference Continues Strong Advocacy Role for Hispanics

In March of 2001 newspaper headlines from around the state broke the news that Hispanics were the fastest growing minority group in the state and would sooner than expected be the largest subgroup in the great American mosaic. By early summer, the large number of Hispanic candidates for"public office throughout the nation was a testament to that fact. In political contests for mayorships, governorships and state legislatures, Hispanics were not only part of the electorate but visible choices in the voting booth. By early November, unexpected outcomes in nationally watched elections drew more attention to the growing political sophistication and strength of the Hispanic community.

"This process of a more engaged Hispanic electorate has been in the making for some time," stated Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera, Chairman of the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force. "In New York alone, a long history of strong grass-roots efforts have been magnified by the growing political strength of Hispanic elected officials and the vehicles they have helped to create to empower the communities they serve."

One example of such a vehicle is the annual Somos El Futuro Legislative Conference. Now heading into its 15th year, the conference has mobilized Hispanics in an effort to focus attention to issues of vital importance to communities across the state. "Each year the conference has built on previous achievements. The basic idea of bringing together political leaders, community leaders, and the private and nonprofit sectors to work on strengthening our state remains the foundation of the conference," stated Assemblyman Rivera.

In April of 2001, thousands of Hispanics again joined the events of the three-day conference as it looked to create a medium for public input on how the state should solve a variety of issues, including:

  The failure of the Rockefeller Drug Laws and how new attempts to reform the 30 year-old state policy would handle the problem of drug crimes and punishment;
  How the results of the 2000 Census would be used to redraw the state’s political districts and its impact on Hispanic communities;
  The consequences of four million immigrants having settled in New York State since 1990, their impact on the state’s economy and the need to formulate public policies to meet their needs;
  Continuing to call on the United States military to stop the 60 years of the militarization of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques;
  Cleaning up contaminated vacant and underused industrial sites as the first step for urban centers in efforts to build strong regional economies;
  Examining the disproportionate government funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment in Hispanic communities;
  How bilingual education should be strengthened in order to make sure that the programs have teachers, resources and the leadership they need to succeed; and,
  A review of the impact of the new standards of the New York Regents exams and what they will mean to the already high drop-out rates of Hispanic students.

Other workshops were held on issues ranging from strengthening the administrative structure of nonprofit organizations to a review of financial aid programs available to college students and a panel discussion on how minority businesses could better access government contracts and the bidding system.

The Somos El Futuro Legislative Conference also served as a stage to acknowledge the significant contributions of Hispanics in New York State. Labor, business, civic, political, and youth leaders were part of the 2001 awards recipients. A detailed list of awards recipients can be found on the Somos El Futuro web site.

"The 2002 Somos El Futuro Legislative Conference will surpass other years’ conferences, both in quality of workshops and in the number of attendees, which has hovered around 10,000 each of the last few years," stated Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera. "It is an exciting year as well as an important one for our communities as political districts will be redrawn, elections for governor and other state political leaders will be held, and problems with the national and state economies need to be resolved. These issues will also increase the public interest in the work of the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force," continued Rivera.

Task Force Awards Scholarships to High School Seniors

Continuing what is now a tradition for the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force, Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera has announced the winners of the 2001 Angelo Del Toro Scholarships for High School Seniors. "This is the 14th year that these scholarships have been awarded by the Task Force and it is a great pleasure to know that they will help to finance the education of bright and promising Hispanic students," stated Task Force Chairman Rivera.

Latino Legislators Joined by State Comptroller H. Carl McCall at Somos El Futuro Winter Conference

State Comptroller H. Carl McCall joined Hispanic elected officials from New York and across the country during the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force’s Winter Conference in Puerto Rico last November.

According to Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera, Chairman of the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force, "this conference was a very exciting and important event as it assembled elected officials from throughout the United States to discuss issues of national importance."

The conference is a joint effort of the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force, the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) and the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO). These groups represent Puerto Rican, Mexican-American, Cuban American and Dominican elected officials from across the country. Over 200 Hispanic legislators from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming joined 80 Puerto Rican legislators to develop a national Hispanic Agenda.

Major issues discussed included economic development concerns with international trade agreements such as NAFTA, GATT, and the Caribbean Basin Initiative, health care issues, and inter-Hispanic relations. The event took place on Thursday, November 8th through Tuesday, November 13th in San Juan Puerto Rico.

Want 2002 Conference Updates? Join our E-mail News List

Stay up-to-date on the 2002 Somos El Futuro Legislative Conference workshops, events and related news via-email. The New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force will issue periodic updates on conference activities, keynote speakers, special events and other important news. To get this service, send us an email message, requesting to join the 2002 Conference updates news list. The message should be sent to info@somoselfuturo.org.

Your presence is requested at the 15th Annual Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force’s Somos El Futuro Legislative Conference which will be held on Friday, April 19th through Sunday, April 21st of 2002 at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, New York. Mark your calendar, save the date and make plans to attend.

Watch your mail for 2002 Conference agenda and workshop information. Additional information will also be available on the Somos El Futuro web site or by calling (518) 455-5102