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Oregon Lation Agenda for Action

In Oregon, Latinos represent almost 12 percent of the population, accounting for the fastest-growing and youngest segment of the state's population.

That is why issues such as education equity, health equity, greater participation in civic life, and tuition equity and access to higher education opportunities were among the top issues tackled at the biennial Oregon Latino Agenda for Action (OLAA) Summit. The event brought together almost 200 of the community's Who's Who: educators, students, business owners, public employees, and community leaders who gathered at Concordia University to talk about issues of concern to the diverse Latino community.



Addressing disparities and creating access for Latino students took centerstage at the conference. One in 5 students in Oregon K-12 schools are Latino. Yet, Latino students face numerous disadvantages: 61% live in poverty, and more than 1/3 are English Language Learners. In order for Latinos to create a path out of poverty, access to quality education is of utmost importance. A panel moderated by Carmen Rubio, Latino Network's executive director, discussed  the importance of parent engagement, investing in economically disadvantaged schools, and strengthening the pipeline of Latino administrators and teachers.


Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber talked about prioritizing education initiatives that would help close the achievement gap between Latino and white students. He lauded OLAA organizers for bringing together Latino community leadership to discuss strategies to address social inequities.



Arturo Vargas, Executive Director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), a national membership organization of Latino policymakers and their supporters, served as keynote speaker. Vargas talked about the power of the Latino vote in shaping the outcomes of elections throughout the country. In California, the NALEO Educational Fund’s programmatic activities include U.S. citizenship outreach and assistance, civic participation and integration, voter engagement, technical assistance to elected and appointed Latino officials, research on Latino demographic and electoral trends, and policy analysis and advocacy on access to the democratic process.

Big thanks to OLAA Chair Consuelo Saragoza for the opportunity to document the event and listen in to important community conversations. Looking forward to participating in future OLAA events.

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