LULAC and NCLR Launch the 2012 Cambia Tu Futuro Awareness Campaign

May 30, 2012

Contact: Dahida Vega, dvega@lulac.org
202-833-6130

Coalition works to close the digital divide by hosting town halls in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Cincinnati, and Orlando

Washington, D.C. – The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) have embarked on a campaign aimed at educating communities and raising awareness on the importance of broadband internet access among the Latino community, a top priority for the coalition. To ensure that local communities are informed on the benefits and options for increasing their access to broadband internet, the coalition is hosting a series of town halls around the country aimed at engaging the community in a discussion on the need for broadband internet access.

The initial campaign was launched with a showing of the Cambia Tu Futuro Public Service Announcement (PSA) at the LULAC Legislative Conference and Gala on February 15, 2012. The campaign will continue its efforts with town halls currently scheduled nationwide in key communities like Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Cincinnati, OH; and Orlando, FL.

The first of these town halls will be held on May 30th in Los Angeles in partnership with the PUENTE Learning Center; followed by a town hall in Chicago on June 11th in collaboration with the Instituto del Progreso Latino and then proceeding to Dallas on July 26th for a town hall with the LULAC National Educational Service Centers, Inc. Dates for the town halls in Orlando and Cincinnati will be announced soon. The town hall sessions will feature screenings of the PSAs and presentations from local internet service providers on the local options for high speed internet.

“LULAC is committed to ensuring that the Latino community fully appreciates the importance of having access to broadband internet in their daily lives,” said LULAC National Executive Director Brent Wilkes. “At present, the disconnect is primarily due to a lack of engagement and appreciation as to the vital role broadband internet plays in a person’s professional and personal life. Initiatives like the 2012 Cambia Tu Futuro Awareness Campaign are critical because they highlight the many benefits of broadband access, such as enabling students to do their school work, complete college applications and apply for financial aid. It also enhances an adult's ability to manage money, conduct job searches, undergo job trainings, and even take English language courses. Initiatives like these help make the Internet relevant to the Latino community.”

Unfortunately, research shows that only 45% of the Latino community has broadband internet access at home, as compared to 65% of white households. Our goal is to increase broadband internet access to an additional 33% of Americans. The PSAs were produced by LULAC and NCLR and with the support from the Broadband Opportunity Coalition, and feature the many benefits of broadband internet. The PSAs will continue to air through the end of 2012 on our partner stations and cable providers, including Univision, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS, Comcast, AT&T, and Hulu.

“LULAC’s members and NCLR’s Affiliates work every single day to improve the lives of millions of Hispanic Americans and they know firsthand the importance of access to the latest technology is to that work,” stated Janet Murguia, NCLR President and CEO. “Our networks are our strongest partners and our best link in getting this vital information out to the community.”

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LULAC - is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 900 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.lulac.org.

NCLR - the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Latinos. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.