La Liga: Weekly Newsletter
April 14, 2020

Issue No. 9
LULAC.org

Hello,

We focus on the impact of COVID-19 on Latinos and our essential food workers, how you can watch our Town Hall from last week, and the Latino Census Week.

Here’s what else you should read in this issue:

1. Latino Flash Pitch under “Empower Through Access”
2. LULAC Council Spotlights under “In Latino News”
3. Let's celebrate Latino culture! under “Highlights At Hand”

By Diego Tum-Monge

JUMP AHEAD

• LULAC In Action
• Empower Through Access
• In Latino News
• Highlights At Hand

COVID-19 and Our Workers

We are tracking the latest developments of a COVID-19 outbreak in the nation’s meat packing industry and its costly impact on Latino workers.

In Greeley, Colorado four employees have died so far while dozens more tested positive for coronavirus. In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Smithfield Foods, the world’s biggest pork processor, on Sunday said it is shutting down a pork plant indefinitely. In Iowa, meat packing workers say they too face danger from being forced to work too close together.

Domingo Garcia, LULAC President and Joe Hendry, Special Advisor to the President are in contact with company owners and representatives of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union in an effort to strike a deal that protects workers and re-activates production safely.

COVID-19 Latino Impact Town Hall
Wednesday, April 8

LULAC hosted a virtual town hall on the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on the Latino community. At this event, we provided an overview of the government response and planning, how our communities can stay safe and healthy, and what government relief programs are available to individuals and small businesses. Read WFAA’s coverage and breakdown of the town hall conversation.

Our special guests included:

• Joaquin Castro, U.S. Congressman, TX 20th District
• Genoveva Ollervides O'Neil, M.D, Clinical Faculty Physician, University of Washington School of Medicine
• Ramiro Cavazos, USHCC President & CEO

See the highlights of the Town Hall in the report by Astrid Méndez, reporter from KTNV Action News. Watch the full recording on our LULAC@Home website, under the “featured video” section.

Follow LULAC on social media and never miss our notifications for live events!

Latino Census Week of Action
April 13 – April 18, 2020

Join NALEO Educational Fund, the ¡Hágase Contar! campaign, Mi Familia Vota, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), Voto Latino, UnidosUS, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), Latino Justice PRLDEF, and United We Dream along with media partner Comcast NBCUniversal Telemundo, Latino Broadway Talent, and co-sponsors: Census Counts campaign and Partnership for America’s Children for a Latino Census Week of Action. Throughout the week of April 13–18, we encourage partner organizations to join us in reaching out to Latino communities across the country to ensure they get counted in the 2020 Census. Latinos are among the hardest to count communities in the country; of the one million young children who were missed in the 2010 Census, 40 percent were Latino children under five.

Additionally, we also know that Latinos are diverse in their ethnic and racial background, immigration status, languages they speak, and communities in which they live. Currently, Latinos represent the fastest-growing demographic in the country, and according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the community could make up more than 21 percent of the total U.S. population by 2030. This is why it is critical that our growing community receive its fair share of resources, which is based upon an accurate count of our population. Yet, ensuring a fair and accurate count remains an uphill battle, particularly in the face of the public health crisis brought on by the coronavirus (COVID-19). However, LULAC, NALEO Educational Fund, Mi Familia Vota, MALDEF, Voto Latino, MALDEF, UnidosUS, LCLAA, United We Dream, Latino Justice PRLDEF, FIRM, and local ¡Hágase Contar! partners throughout the country are dedicated to this Latino Week of Action. Let’s join together and re-double our commitment to making sure our community is accurately counted in the 2020 Census!

Submit your local event or stay up-to-date with our LULAC Calendar.

Latino Flash Pitch
Funding Available for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Are you or someone you know an aspiring entrepreneur or starting off venture capitalist? Do you need money to fund your marketing plan for your awesome idea? Look no further! LULAC is continuing to take applications for its Latino Flash Pitch application! Please follow the link below and apply! Updated dates and changes will be out soon!

Link: LULAC.org/technology/latino_pitch/

Access from AT&T

Now, more than ever, it is important for you to be connected to the Internet to stay in touch with your family, friends, work and school. A new program called “Access” from AT&T is offering you an affordable way to stay in touch by expanding eligibility requirements and offering two months of free internet service to new customers who order Access by 4/30/20 ($5/mo. or $10/mo. + taxes and fees thereafter, depending on your speed).

More details at att.com/access or call (855) 220-5211. Or go to Att.com/acceso for Spanish.

Download and share the information here: Englsih / Spanish

*Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T Internet services. Not all speeds available in all areas. Pricing subject to change. Service subject to Internet Terms of Service at att.com/internet-terms.*

Reminder: LULAC National Programs

In-person activities for all LULAC National Programs are suspended until further notice. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other national public health officials are providing guidance which LULAC is taking into consideration to protect our communities, members, and staff.

LULAC will continue to diligently deliver fresh, innovative programs so that we can work to provide the same level of support and enthusiasm that has guided our organization for the past 25 years. Thank you for your patience!

For questions or assistance, contact [email protected]

Support these programs and others by donating today!

Upcoming Elections

Many states have taken measures to protect citizens from exposure during the COVID-19 outbreak. Here are the latest updates and what you should keep an eye on.

Wyoming Presidential Caucuses

Registered Democrats in Wyoming received mail-in ballots and must send them in before the deadline on Friday, April 17. Wyoming Democrats had canceled in-person caucuses, previously scheduled for April 4, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wyoming will not hold Republican presidential caucuses.

Up next… Ohio. Read the Ohio State Secretary’s response to frequently asked questions.

News and Updates

"We are in trouble": Undocumented farmworkers help feed America but aren't eligible for aid amid coronavirus

Monday, April 13; CBS News described: “undocumented farmworkers like Jesús Zuniga won't be receiving anything despite their essential role growing and harvesting crops sold in grocery stores across the U.S.”

City’s Undocumented Latinos, Many on the Front Lines, Feel Abandoned Amid Pandemic

Saturday, April 11; City Limits shared the story of Rosalba, an undocumented immigrant from Puebla, Mexico. She has COVID-19 symptoms and has very little options to support her family in New York.

How to Save Black and Hispanic Lives in a Pandemic

Saturday, April 11: The Editorial Board at the New York Times wrote: “States and cities should do everything possible to quickly remove the barriers to care for all disadvantaged populations.”

Education levels of recent Latino immigrants in the U.S. reached new highs as of 2018

Saturday, April 11; The Pew Research Center reported: “The educational attainment of recently arrived Latino immigrants in the United States has reached its highest level in at least three decades”

DOH: Hispanic community disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in Washington

Day, April 11; KXLY stated: “The Washington State Department of Health is now reporting a breakdown of COVID-19 cases and deaths based on ethnicity. According to the most recent report from Thursday, the state’s Hispanic community is disproportionately affected by the disease.“

White House points to hopeful signs as deaths keep rising

Friday, April 10; AP News detailed the latest from the White House efforts around COVID-19; which included a potential slow in the spread of COVID-19, the formation of a new “Opening our Country” task force, and fears of lifting restrictions too soon.

Local Council Spotlights

San Benito Young Adults

Tuesday, April 7; BenitoLink reported: “The San Benito County [LULAC] Young Adults Council collected 150 bags of food and over $300 in monetary donations during its food drive for farmworkers and their families on April 4.”

Northwest Arkansas

Tuesday, April 7; Rey Hernandez, of the Northwest Arkansas LULAC Council, voiced concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on undocumented workers and the local Latino community.

LULAC in the News

Coronavirus could 'decimate' Latino wealth, which was hammered by the Great Recession
Sunday, April 12; NBC News

In Nebraska, meat plant workers are afraid to go to work — but can't afford to stay home
Friday, April 10; NBC News

Spanish-speaking immigrants aren’t getting enough information about the coronavirus from government, groups say
Thursday, April 9; The Dallas Morning News

You Can Shield Your Credit Report From Late Payments During the Virus Crisis. Here’s How
Thursday, April 9; NBC Bay Area

Americans Will Get Stimulus Paychecks Soon. Undocumented Workers Get Nothing.
Wednesday, April 8; The Union Journal

Fight to protect Latino workers as positive COVID-19 cases rise among community
Tuesday, April 7; WFAA

Our Press Releases

Read our latest press releases published at LULAC.org.

Do you have a special story? Connect with us via email!

Latino Discovery Hub
Look here to find new authors, stories, artists, podcasts, and social influencers who helped shape the identities, cultures, and thoughts of your fellow readers.

This week is about: CULTURE

3 Hispanic foods to make while sheltering in place
Have you made one of these yet?

Oklahoma State University’s “The O’Colly” shared these great cooking ideas: tortilla de patata (Spanish tortilla), mole con pollo (mole sauce with chicken), and empanadas de fruta (fruit empanadas).

HBO spotlights queer Latino artists
New shows and TV series to add to your list.

These include “Todxs Nosotrxs” (“He, She, They”), “La Serenata” (“The Serenade”), “Slipping into Darkness” and “Pepito”.

“‘At a time when the most personal stories are also the most universal, the diversity of our storytellers is more important than ever,’ stated Jackie Gagne, VP Multicultural Marketing at HBO.”

Check our Remezcla.com to see more stories about Latino culture!

Tell us how you’re celebrating Latino culture via email.

Engage with us online.

Use @LULAC and #LULAC for a chance to be in the next issue of La Liga!

That’s it for this now. Stay safe and connected!

WHAT’S NEXT?

• You can also watch our full recording of last week’s COVID-19 Latino Impact Town Hall on our Youtube channel.
• Share your story: What is your situation? Do you have a tip for others? Share it with us on social media or contact us via email.
• Look ahead: We have various upcoming events by LULAC and our partners. Stay up to date with our LULAC Calendar.

Did a friend share La Liga with you? Sign up to receive it here.

What do you think of the newsletter? What would you like to see? Email us with your suggestions or questions at [email protected].