As a vital component of our Civic Engagement organizing activities, the Our Voices, Our Vote campaign seeks to educate and motivate the Latino immigrant community to make their voices heard through the electoral process at all political levels. If we are to change the hateful rhetoric concerning immigrants of color and to dismantle a systemically and intentionally racist and exploitative immigration system, we must speak up and ensure that our story is heard and that our presence in and contributions to our communities are recognized by those who would represent these communities.
Beyond non-partisan voter engagement, civic engagement for Centro Presente means more than mobilizing those who are eligible to vote. As many of our members are still unable to vote, we explore what it means for immigrants to be actively involved in the civic life of their community. The activities we promote in this campaign include:
- Non-partisan voter registration
- Electoral forums with local candidates
- Educational workshops on governmental structures and democracy
- Citizenship classes & citizenship exam preparation
- Outreach work such as tabling, phone-banking and social media campaigns
