PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Latinos are the fastest growing segment of eligible voters in America.
Still, in Pennsylvania, analysts say they only make up a small percentage of those who cast ballots. A civic engagement event this weekend aimed to boost Latino political participation.
The grassroots organization Mijente is hosting Lanzate, a 3-day cultural and political festival in Philadelphia, featuring discussions of political ideologies and effective mobilization strategies, and also lessons in how to dance cumbia.
“This is something that is super new,” says Erika Guadalupe Nuñez, executive director of Juntos, one of the contributing organizations. “I'm so honored and excited that it's happening here in Philadelphia.”
This is the fourth event since the festival started in 2016. Nuñez says they’re specifically held after elections to encourage political participation in the future.
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“Latino people need to be a part of the conversation, because there's lots of conversations about us, without us, and that actually, is more harmful, and causes more systemic oppression than we realize,” says Nuñez.
She says the fact that Mijente is joining forces with Latino organizations in the city speaks to the importance of engaging Latinx communities.
“Just the acknowledgement that Philadelphia is a city that is, like, a critical ground with Latinx voters, Latinx community members, and sort of that they’re coming here to engage us and sort of what that means in terms of the type of change we can achieve within Philadelphia, but also in Pennsylvania.”
The event runs through Sunday at five locations across the city, including Taller Puertorriqueño, the University of the Arts, and the Sheraton Hotel in Logan Square.