National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) Los Angeles Office

The NALEO office is located on 1122 West Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. NALEO stands for National Association of Latino Elected Officials. For many years, there had not been many Latino elected officials. However this changed in 1962, when Edward Roybal was elected to Congress. He was the first Latino Congressman elected since the 1800s. Edward Roybal founded NALEO in 1976 as a place where Latino issues can be discussed and to be an inspiration to future Latino leaders as well. This site is interesting because it not only provides services to newly elected Latino officials but also helps out Latinos in the surrounding areas.

NALEO is also comprised of the NALEO Educational Fund. Since 1981, NALEO Educational Fund has been the leading organization that has provided Latinos with a wide range of services such as citizenship and other public services. And NALEO has made significant progress to help the Latino population within the state of California. NALEO is involved in educating and encouraging the Latino population to become involved in the civic life but also help Latino officials make policies that advance Latino civil engagement. NALEO also serves as a tool for newly elected Latino officials in understanding issues that affect the Latino community in California. NALEO is also involved with citizenship. NALEO runs a campaign called “Ya es el hora! Ciudadanía!” (It’s Time, Citizenship). The campaign takes the form of a workshop. This workshop occurs in many cities around California and helps legal permanent residents become citizens. This campaign has proven to be the most successful in having Latinos become citizens. It is estimated that Latinos now consist of half the population of people being naturalized. And NALEO has helped more than a million Latinos apply for citizenship. And many Latinos have preferred taking this route rather than going through the INS. Because of this program, NALEO has been successful in reversing the perception of Latinos not becoming citizens.

NALEO is also involved with a campaign that encourages Latinos to vote called, “Ya es el hora! Ve y Vota!” (Its time, go and vote!). This campaign was successful in registering 25,000 Latinos to vote. This campaign proved successful when more than 11.1 million Latinos voted during the last presidential election. The NALEO office in Los Angeles, California has proven to be a very resourceful place for Latinos. It not only comprises of Latino elected officials who are concerned with Latino rights but also provides inspiration for young Latinos. The organization also serves as a platform so Latinos can be more educated about civic engagement, and to assist them with their process of naturalization and voting.

Photograph Courtesy: Associated Press


Sources:
“History of NALEO”. NALEO. ND. Web. 21 April 2012.
Jimenez, Manuel. “Citizenship Programs Help Ease the Process”. Los Angeles Times. 29 April 1993. Web. 21 April 2012. “NALEO at a Glance” NALEO. ND. Web. 22 April 2012.
Yu, Corrine. “NALEO Holds Naturalization Workshops for Citizenship Day”. Civil Rights.17 April 2009. Web. 22 April 2012.

Pictures by: Stephanie L.
Submitted By: Raquel P, Stephanie L, and Albertina B.