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Thursday, October 30, 2008
Most immigrant veterans from Latin America, Europe
Most foreign-born veterans in the U.S. Armed Forces are from Europe and Latin America, according to a new analysis by the Migration Policy Institute, a non-partisan research group in Washington.
The countries where the highest numbers of U.S. immigrant veterans were born include the Philippines — representing 12 percent of foreign-born veterans — and Mexico, birthplace to 11 percent.
Read more here.
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Groups protect “New American” voters
Labor unions, civil liberties groups and Hispanic organizations are gearing up to protect a unique segment of voters: new Americans.
A record 1.4 million people applied for citizenship in 2007 and another 480,000 followed this year.
If a large number of new citizens participate, they could influence a tight election — especially in the contested states of Florida, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada, experts say.
The AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest labor organization, is waging a campaign to help new Latino voters get to the polls and cast their votes. It’s part of a broader voter protection effort.
“Many Hispanics will be first time voters in this election, making them especially vulnerable to voter intimidation and misinformation,” said Arlene Holt Baker, AFL-CIO executive vice president.
The union’s effort includes a Spanish-language radio ad campaign featuring actor Edward James Olmos that details voter protection issues. The union is also distributing thousands of Spanish-language voter “Bill of Rights” cards in several states, including Ohio, Virginia, Florida and Nevada.
Read more here.