County Executive’s Latin American Advisory Group

Year In Review

June 26, 2010

Office of Community Partnerships

Retreat Last Summer

Latino Public Safety Workgroup

Activities: Holds monthly meetings with the Chief of Police. Met with the County Executive in October and May on Police issues relating to immigration.

Outcome: on-going advocacy on Police arrest policies regarding immigration. Improved oversight of handling of internal affairs cases involving undocumented residents.

LAAG Participating members: Grace Rivera-Oven, Carmen Delgado-Votaw, Teresa Wright, and Henry Montes, Celia Rivas

Preventing Immigration Scams Workgroup

Activities: In order to be prepared as a County for the upcoming immigration reform, a workgroup was created to plan a series of activities. These include:

Work with Catholic Charities, local Police and State Attorney to prosecute high profile crime (DONE). The goal was to send a message that immigration fraud will not be tolerated in Montgomery County.

Launch public education materials (flier and bus ad) (IN PROGRESS)

Work with community providers to hold legalization clinics when reform is passed

Preventing Immigration Scams Workgroup

Outcomes: high profile prosecution and Spanish language informational flier for low literacy residents

LAAG Participating Members: Enid Gonzalez-Aleman, Celia Rivas, Marlon Vallejo-Valencia, Lorna Virgili

Latino Youth Collaborative

Activities: Identity conducted a study of 1,000 youth. The findings showed that 50% of the youth were not doing well and approximately 13% were involved in extremely high-risk behaviors and had no protective factors. Identity joined other Latino youth-serving organizations to form the Latino Youth Collaborative. Together, they advocated to County Council, MCPS Board of Education, and the County Executive to commit to work together to come up with recommendations to address the crisis affecting Latino youth.

Latino Youth Collaborative

Outcomes: A steering committee of high-ranking county officials and community leaders was formed. Three workgroups were formed to come up with specific recommendations in the areas of Social Integration, Policies, and Responsive Services. Final recommendations are due this July and a the report will be released in September/October.

LAAG Participating members Henry Montes (one of three co-chairs), Carmen Larsen (Rosalinda Delgado), Ja’Bette Lozupone, Ana Lopez, Teresa Wright.

Sister Cities Program in Morazan El Salvador

Sister Cities Program in Morazan El Salvador

Activities: The County Executive decided to start a Sister Cities Program in Montgomery County. A year ago, a community meeting was held to get input as to the countries and cities to consider. There was much support for establishing a Sister Cities relationship with a department in El Salvador. Over the course of the year, a Sister Cities board and non-profit was established. The County is currently exploring the department of Morazan in El Salvador as well as a city in China and a city in Israel.

Sister Cities Program in Morazan El Salvador

Outcome: an exploratory trip is planned for August 7-14th. A delegation of 16 people including several high school age youth is traveling at their own expense.

LAAG Participating members: Evelyn Gonzalez-Mills, Nestor Alvarenga, Doris Depaz

Local Small Business Reserve Registration Workshop

Activities: The Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce worked with the Office of Procurement to plan a seminar where local small businesses would be registered and oriented to the Local Small Business Reserve Program

Outcome: approximately 10 community members were registered and 10 others participated in the orientation.

LAAG Participating Members: Carmen Larsen (Rosalinda Delgado) and Hispanic Chamber

Budget Advocacy

Activities: The group advocated to the County Executive for county funded programs including the Latino Health Initiative, workforce and small business development, and services for Latino youth.  

LAAG Participating Members: almost all members

Outcome: analysis pending

Budget Meeting Jan. 2010

Census 2010

Census Outreach

Activities: Complete Count Committee Latino press conference Faith-based event Bus tour and 3 festivals/rallies were organized in

Gaithersburg City Hall, Wheaton mall, and at the Langley Park/Takoma Crossroads

Spanish language Census flier Spanish language cable and radio shows

Census Complete Count Committee

Census Outreach

Outcomes: 78% mail back participation in Montgomery County. Fairfax Co VA 76%, DC 69%, PG 71%, National 72%. 2% difference translates into a 200 million dollar difference

LAAG Participating Members: almost all (Carmen Delgado Votaw, Hjarman Cordero, Henry Montes, Agnes Saenz, Rev. Simon Bautista Betances, Pilar Torres, Lorna Virgili, Nestor Alvarenga, Teresa Wright, Carmen Larsen, Monica Barberis-Young, Daniel Parra, Grace Rivera-Oven, Celia Rivas).

Latino Census Press Conference

FY10 Presentations/ Meetings

Steve Silverman, DED Director James Stowe, Human Rights Director Duchy Trachtenberg, Council Member Great Seneca Master Plan Language Access Plan for County Government Latino Leadership Summit Report Budget Meeting with OMB Leadership Workgroup Report OHR Meetings on Taskforce follow-up and furloughs Code Enforcement Public Education Campaign

Events

Hispanic Heritage Month Kick-off event with Pew Hispanic Center

“Ama Tu Vida” Hispanic Heritage Month Health Fair and Soccer Tournament

World of Montgomery Festival Census Festivals

Hispanic Heritage Kick-off Event

Hispanic Heritage Health Fair and Soccer Tournament

Hispanic Heritage Month Poster

Preview for FY2011

Latino Youth Collaborative Sister Cities Gilchrist Center Decentralization and re-design Immigration Reform and Local Enforcement

Thank you for all of your great work and support!