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March in D.C. to Support 96 Years of U.S. Citizenship for Puerto Ricans

March 1, 2013

Contact: Paloma Zuleta, 202-833-6130, PZuleta (at) LULAC . org

WASHINGTON, D.C. - This Saturday, March 2, 2013, LULAC National joins LULAC councils from Puerto Rico and the citizens of Puerto Rico in celebrating the 96th anniversary of the Jones- Shafroth Act that granted U.S. Citizenship to the people of Puerto Rico. A march celebrating Puerto Rican citizenship will start on the steps of the U.S. Capitol at 9am and end at Lafayette Park across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House.

“As an organization that has consistently fought to ensure that the 3.7 million American citizens residing in Puerto Rico are able to exercise their full rights as U.S. Citizens, LULAC will march in solidarity with the people of Puerto Rico tomorrow,” stated LULAC National President Margaret Moran.

Although, LULAC started 84 years ago in Corpus Christi, Texas, we now have 147 LULAC councils established in Puerto Rico. In addition, many members living in the mainland United States can trace their roots back to Puerto Rico. LULAC reaffirms its commitment to the Puerto Rican people and vows to aid Puerto Ricans to make certain their voices are heard in Washington, DC.

We ask that you join us in Washington D.C. this weekend as we continue our work to ensure equal rights for all U.S. Citizens. Although granted U.S. Citizenship, Puerto Ricans lack proportional representation in Congress and the right to vote for the President of the United States.

In addition, many of our members in Puerto Rico will be participating in a march taking place in San Juan at 9 am on the same day. Town hall meetings are also taking place in Orlando, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; and San Antonio, Texas. These town hall meetings will shed light on Puerto Rico’s status and the need to advocate for equal rights for all U.S. Citizens.

We hope that you will be able to join us tomorrow morning at 9am at the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (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