CPLC Action Fund is about advocacy, action and advancement

11th Aug 2020

“In the final analysis it doesn’t really matter what the political system is. … We don’t need perfect political systems; we need perfect participation.” – César Chávez, civil rights and labor movement activist

There are many forms of participation but perhaps the most effective method remains voting. An estimated 103,000 Latino youth in Arizona will have joined the electorate age between 2018 and 2020, according to the U.S. Census. The 2020 election will have an estimated 1.2 million potential Latino voters in Arizona, with 430,000 Latinos currently eligible to vote but not registered to join the voter ranks. That dynamic must change.

Chicanos Por La Causa Action Fund, a 501(C)(4) nonprofit for advocacy, social change and equity, is all about change for a more empowered Latino community. Latinos represent Arizona’s future, and our nation’s future. Nearly a third of Arizona’s 7.17 million residents are Latino. By 2030, Arizona will be a minority-majority state, largely driven by the increase in the Latino population. The nation will follow suit about 15 years later.

Already there are more Latino children in Arizona’s K-12 schools than non-Latino white children, and with Latinos disproportionately living in poverty, the importance of education, workforce development and opportunity are underscored – not just for the Latino community but for Arizona’s collective future. As Latinos go, so goes Arizona.

CPLC Action Fund sees the 2020 election as a opportunity for systemic and transformative change for Latinos, the underserved and the working class in regard to Chicanos Por La Causa core values: Health & Human Services, Housing, Education, and Economic Development. Advocacy is the engine to get us there, increased voter participation is the driver, and CPLC Action Fund-endorsed candidates and campaigns will help pave the way in both the short term and long run.

We are about dialogue and action, partnerships not partisanship, and measureable advancement and positive outcome. Our time is now.

- Joseph Garcia, Executive Director