With chants of “The people united will never be defeated!” hundreds marched toward the Colorado Capitol to commemorate Latino/a Advocacy Day, demanding legislation that addresses environmental justice, tenant protections, access to healthcare and better education for their children.
For Alex Sánchez, one of the organizers and president of Voices of the Mountains and Voices United Action Fund, it was an opportunity to fight for the rights of Latinos.
“It’s important that we advocate for our rights and tell our legislators what we need to succeed in this country and this state,” he said.
The annual event has been taking place since 2007 and over the years has involved over 5,000 participants. Armed with the Latino Policy Agenda, the group meets for two days to identify concerns and political priorities and, on the third day, brings them to state representatives, said Aura Bolanos Perea, strategic director of the Organization for Opportunity and Reproductive Justice for Latinas of Colorado.
“This Latino Advocacy Day has been happening for 18 years. It’s crucial to be here, in the heart of Colorado, in Denver, at the Capitol, to advocate for the interests of our community and give it a voice,” Bolanos said. “We found that Latinos want safer communities, free from gun violence, access to jobs for all, and the ability to make decisions about their bodies. These are the issues that matter to us and why we’re here at the Capitol.”
For Mateo Lozano, the lack of representation is a significant problem.
“Forty percent of the population is Latino; we should have 40% in the legislature,” he said.
For Lozano, the issue of immigration is crucial to the movement.
“We need to be strategic in how we address legislation that benefits us. President Biden has been granting work permits to new generations of immigrants arriving here, which is positive. But they have forgotten or ignored the generation that has been here for almost 30 years without a work permit. We need at least a work permit to be able to work and navigate systems with dignity,” he said.
This year, the group is advocating for seven bills based on the survey and feedback from community members, said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, who represents Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin counties in District 57.
The seven bills are:
- HB 24-1338, related to environmental justice
- HB 24-1323, allowing students to use objects of cultural or religious significance in graduation ceremonies
- HB 24-1298, regarding protections for mobile home residents
- SB 24-94, creating additional protections for residential tenants
- HB 24-1098, concerning what constitutes a just cause eviction
- SB 24-34, on access to school healthcare
- HB 24-1134, making adjustments to existing fiscal expenditures
The movement still has much to do, but Bolanos will continue to advocate for Latinos’ needs, – and to take their message even higher.
“We’ll have this Latino advocacy conference, and then we will go to Washington, D.C. in September to advocate to our federal representatives on the issues that matter,” she said.