by José de la Isla
José de la Isla
The Republican and Democratic presidential nominees, Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama, will address an audience of more than 2,300, including some 40 Congress members, at the 31st Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s annual awards gala on Sept. 10 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the nation’s capital.
This year marks the 40th anniversary since President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed the first Hispanic Heritage “Week,” a celebration which is now a month-long observance around the country.
CHCI’s 31st Public Policy Forum and Gala, stretching from Sept. 7 10, is themed “Power to Make the Difference.”
On quadrennial years, as is this one, festivities and presidential politics punctuate the gathering’s significance. CHCI president Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.) emphasizes that Latinos will play a pivotal role in November’s election. The conference is an avenue exploring its public policy approaches and increasing Latino capacity to impact society and the nation.
Featured events include a tribute to Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a reception commemorating the release of the U.S. Latin Jazz Music postage stamp and a earlyrecognition tribute over the passage of legislation to facilitate a national Latino museum.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) was formed in 1976 by the five Democratic members serving in Congress at the time: Herman Badillo of New York, Baltasar Corrada of Puerto Rico, Edward Roybal of California, and E. “Kika” de la Garza and Henry B. González, both of Texas. They set out to monitor legislative and governmental activities affecting the Hispanic community, then barely a fourth of its current 50 million population, including 4 million residing on the island of Puerto Rico. Today, of the 102 Senators and 425 members of the House of Representatives, Congress has 30 Latino voting members plus one non-voting member representing the island’s interests. Of that total, all but four of the Hispanics are Democrats.
In 1981, the Caucus decided to form the non-profit Institute to raise funds for non-political purposes. In 1985 the fledgling Institute’s board of directors expanded to include business persons from the private sector and community leaders from across the country, along with members of Congress. Today they target policy links to local, state and national levels. Many of the sponsored activities include leadership development and training of talented young Hispanics.
The conference this year includes a “Reyes (Kings) of Comedy” night, with performances by five popular Latino and Latina comedians, and concludes with its gala, which is one of Washington’s foremost, formal annual gatherings. Proceeds from the CHCI’s $500-a-ticket banquet and other events support the Institute’s scholarship and capital-based internship programs, staffing needs and other activities.
Since 1986, 30 to 34 young people have participated in internships from the Institute each year. Twenty-five public-policy fellowships going to university graduates and young professionals have been awarded since this fellowship program began in 1981. Two of the awards went for study in Mexico. A separate scholarship program, begun in 2001, made about 150 undergraduate awards this year.
[José de la Isla writes a weekly commentary syndicated by Hispanic Link News Service and carried in English through Scripps Howard News Service and in Spanish to member-periodicals of the National Association of Hispanic Publications, among other outlets He is author of The Rise of Hispanic Political Power (Archer Books, 2003)] ©2008
