Expect him to receive strong “Latino”** support in November.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, speaking Saturday to the nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization, urged its members to campaign hard for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, saying the presumptive nominee was their best hope for reforming federal immigration policies.
In his address to thousands attending the National Council of La Raza conference, Villaraigosa criticized the Bush administration for what he called its “selective enforcement” of immigration laws. He said that the federal government should focus its efforts on “criminals instead of working people,” and that current enforcement practices unfairly tear families apart and punish small businesses. Instead, he said, authorities should be going after illegal immigrants who commit crimes.
Both presidential candidates are scheduled to address the three-day La Raza conference — Obama today and McCain on Monday.
Before introducing Villaraigosa to the thousands attending the conference Saturday, La Raza President Janet Murguia urged members to be respectful of both candidates, reminding them that La Raza is a nonpartisan organization.
Villaraigosa said he had no problem taking sides.
** There is nothing “Latin” about Mexicans or any other group in the southern hemisphere. A person native to ancient Rome or its Empire is Latino; A person who is descended from the ancient Romans is Latino; A person whose native tongue is one descended from Latin, such as a (European) Spaniard or Italian can be considered Latino. Relating to the language spoken in ancient Rome or relating to the script of the language spoken has nothing to do with Mexicans or their identity.
A more accurate term to decribe LaRaza’s members is mestizo. This refers to the tri-ethnic heritage of Mexican peoples (African, European, and indigenous or Indios) Person of mixed racial origin.
La Raza boosters
Allstate Insurance Company
American Airlines
American Express Company
American International Group, Inc.
Amgen Foundation
AstraZeneca
Bank of America
Best Buy Children’s Fund
Bridgestone Firestone Trust Fund
Cardinal Health
Catholic Healthcare West
Chevron Corporation
Citi
Clear Channel Communications
The Coca-Cola Company
Comcast Corporation
ConAgra Foods, Inc.
Coors Brewing Company
Cox Communications
Chrysler Corporation Fund
Darden Restaurants Foundation
Diageo NA
Eastman Kodak Company
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Fannie Mae
FedEx Corporation
General Mills, Inc.
General Motors Corporation
Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Harrah’s Entertainment
Hershey Foods Corporation
Hess Foundation, Inc.
J.C. Penney Company, Inc.
Johnson & Johnson
Kraft Foods, Inc.
The Kroger Co.
Lowe’s
Marriott International, Inc.
McDonald’s Corporation
The McGraw-Hill Companies
Mercedes Benz
Merck & Co. Inc.
Merck/Schering-Plough
MetLife Foundation
MGM Mirage
The Microsoft Corporation
Miller Brewing Company
Morgan Stanley
Northrop Grumman Corporation
PepsiCo, Inc.
Prudential Financial
Qwest Communications
Rockwell Automation
Schering-Plough
Schneider National
Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Silicon Valley Foundation
Sodhexo
Southwest Airlines
State Farm Insurance Companies
Time Warner Inc.
United Parcel Service (UPS)
Verizon Communications
Wachovia
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Waste Management, Inc.
Wells Fargo
The Williams Company
Wilmer Cutler Pickering, LLP
Xerox Corporation
For all inquiries about corporate partnership with NCLR, contact:
Ron Estrada
Tel: (202) 785-1670
Email: restrada@nclr.org