My introduction to our state legislature was uncomfortable. While an undergraduate student at Arizona State, I served as a majority intern in the House of Representatives. The discomfort came from being a Democrat working for Republicans, and only one of two Latinos doing so.

I took the internship hoping to improve my chances of getting into a top-tier graduate school. I was equally immersed in the community and my studies and, while most of my fellow interns wanted to become lawyers, my dream was to become a social science researcher. I was certain there was a strong relationship between policy-makers and those who research social problems.

My motivations were my surroundings. The neighborhood I grew up in was the scene of demographic change and, along with it, the sights, sounds and smells of Maryvale were changing. Ice cream trucks still patrolled the block but now tamale vendors did too. The tunes of Van Halen and Michael Jackson were now occasionally drowned out by Ramon Ayala. Don’t get me wrong, growing up on the Westside there were always Latino elements, but now they were increasingly prevalent and Mexican. It made some folks uncomfortable, even those who recognized that we shared a heritage with our new neighbors.

Despite the changes, I was still comfortable in my ubiquitous John F. Long home. Still, I knew things could, and should, get better, much better. Our schools, neighborhood safety and economic position all needed to improve drastically to avoid slipping into irrelevance. At that point in 1995, I swore I’d never leave the ‘Vale; I wanted to be a servant to my community.  

My internship showed me immediately that I had it all wrong. I learned quickly that there was little connection between policy and research and, for me, that was very disappointing. But, I also learned that trust, diplomacy and efficiency are valuable qualities because most issues are too complicated to convey completely. You never know who your allies will be and, with regard to programs, cost always outweighs effectiveness.

Obviously, I got over being uncomfortable. My internship was over 17 years ago and I have worked in government relations full-time ever since.

If you’re wondering why it is important for you to know about the legislative process, I have two good reasons. In the first place, laws are more than policies; they are moral documents that convey a society’s priorities.  

Second, in order for the Latino community to make itself a priority, it must be engaged in improving our educational system, public safety and economic development. When you are not engaged, you forfeit your political power by making those who do engage in the process more powerful.

Legislative advocacy for Latinos is critically important because of the huge gap between our lack of civic engagement and our growing population. Arizona’s Latino population in 1980 was only 16 percent. Currently, Latinos make up 30 percent of Arizona’s population and, by 2030, Arizona’s population could reach “majority-minority” status. However, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, while Latinos are 17 percent of the population of the United States, they only comprise 10 percent of voters. Latinos could, however, account for 40 percent of the electorate by 2030. If Latinos increase voter participation to the level of other groups, the number of votes cast by Latinos could double in the next two decades.

To become engaged it helps to know the legislative process. As for how a bill becomes law, I could try and explain every nuance, but what readers need is an understanding of the legislative process that can be applied independently. There are two basic components to passing a bill: the introduction and the process. 

The motivation behind bills, much like my own motivation for applying for the legislative internship, isn’t always obvious or transparent. But there is always a problem, incident or disagreement behind the genesis of every bill. 

Bills can come from both malicious and positive intentions but, with 1,395 total bills introduced last year, the malicious can go unnoticed. Keep in mind that one person’s special interest group is another person’s advocate.  

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]]> http://latinopm.com/business/briefcase/every-latino-can-be-a-legislator-16800/feed 0 http://latinopm.com/business/movin-up/alarcon-named-presidents-professor-16815 http://latinopm.com/business/movin-up/alarcon-named-presidents-professor-16815#comments Wed, 08 May 2013 02:55:33 +0000 latinopm http://latinopm.com/?p=16815

Physicist, Ricardo Alarcon, earns post as President’s Professor for exemplary performance as teacher and mentor

Ricardo Alarcon was recently named President’s Professor and recognized during Arizona State University’s 2013 Faculty Excellence Awards. A professor in the Physics Department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Alarcon was honored for his substantial contributions to excellence in teaching, particularly through general studies and research mentorship. Alarcon is viewed as a pioneer in the use of digital teaching technologies in lecture classes, and he consistently earns favorable student evaluation scores. President’s Professorships honor faculty members who have made substantial contributions to undergraduate education at ASU. A variety of criteria are used to choose awardees, including mastery of subject matter, innovation in course and curriculum design, ability to engage students both within and outside the classroom, and scholarly contributions. Alarcon is a fellow of the American Physics Society, a leader in the field of nuclear physics and recently served on the National Research Council’s Committee on the Assessment and Outlook for Nuclear Physics.

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MaryAnn Guerra

Last month, the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce hosted the 55^th Annual Black & White Ball and Business Awards. Among those recognized for their leadership were: MaryAnn Guerra, Woman of the Year; Alfredo Molina, Man of the Year; and Israel Torres, Entrepreneur of the Year. The gala is one of Arizona’s longest running formal galas and honors the achievements of business and community leaders statewide. 

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Sergio Urquidi

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Hon. Tony Estrada

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) recently recognized ten individuals at their 24^th Annual LULAC Educational Awards and Scholarship Banquet in Tucson. Among the honorees for this year’s LULAC Presidential Citation Award were: Dr. Pepe Barron of Luz Social Services; J. Felipe Garcia of Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau; and Dr. Genie Favela of Sunnyside Unified School District. The Sheriff of Santa Cruz County, Hon. Tony Estrada, was also presented with the Soldado de Cuero Lifetime Achievement Award for more than ten years of leadership and service to the community. Proceeds from the banquet benefited the LULAC Council 1057’s efforts to send students to the LULAC Washington National Youth Leadership Seminar and provide scholarships via LULAC’s National Scholarship Foundation.

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Andrea Morales,

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Founded:

Number of employees: 2

Career highlights: I attended college at ASU and graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry. After receiving my degree, I worked in the non-profit medical sector for a bit before moving on to assisting in research at the University of Arizona Medical Campus in downtown Phoenix. After working in science for almost five years, the urge to become my own boss and thrive as an entrepreneur took hold, and I decided to look for open opportunities to fill this desire. I pitched the idea of starting up a small ice cream and cupcake shop to my father and he very much encouraged the idea, offered to help out, and even knew of a good spot for the business – directly across from the ASU Art Museum in Tempe. Since opening, we’ve been able to add pastries, coffee, tea and a small espresso machine, as well as Coca-Cola and Red Bull products to the menu. Every day, as we operate the business, we come up with new ideas that we hope we can incorporate at Flavor in order to keep it growing and thriving within the Tempe/ASU community.

Important business milestones: Making it for one year. It was a great relief. We learned a lot of lessons and took immense satisfaction when we made the one-year mark. We now have an idea of what to expect throughout the year. Our focus will continue to be serving the local Tempe and ASU community, offering our customers their unique Flavor of ice cream, coffee and beverages. It’s been such an experience getting to know the neighbors and creating strong friendships with them; getting their feedback and an open-armed welcome has been so rewarding.

Next business goal: Flavor started small and continues to grow – slowly but, thankfully, still growing. For our next big step, my wish is to add an oven in the shop so that we can start providing fresh-baked cookies, cakes, pastries and breads on site. There really is no substitute for that sweet aroma that comes from baking and I want the shop to constantly have a scent that people can directly associate with the Flavor.

Best business advice you have received: “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon – best to pace yourself.”

More information at: Facebook.com/FlavorOnMill; also on Twitter and Instagram @FlavorOnMill 

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Israel Barajas to direct Hispanic marketing initiatives nation-wide for Cox Communications

Israel Barajas was recently hired as the Phoenix Hispanic marketing coordinator by Cox Communications. In this role, Barajas will support Hispanic marketing initiatives across the country for Cox products and services. Until recently, Barajas served as the marketing communications coordinator for the Helios Education Foundation, where he developed and coordinated marketing, communications, advertising plans and strategies for both Arizona and Florida.

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Johana Lopez

Johana Lopez has been named the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix Youth of the Year award recipient, the Club’s highest honor. Currently a senior at North Canyon High School, Lopez will be the first in her family to graduate high school. She is a member of the National Honor Society, maintains a 4.3 GPA and has volunteered over 660 hours in the past year. Lopez serves as an after-school assistant at Palomino I Primary School and also volunteers as a counselor with the Camp Swift program, providing educational and summer camp activities for children. Each year, 22,000 youths benefit from the programs and services at the 12 Valley Boys and Girls Clubhouses, as well as through the Clubs’ outreach programs in local schools, juvenile detention centers and dental clinic. 

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