Grace Lopez, Mi Familia Vota

Q - tell us what Mi Familia does? A - Mi Familia Vota is a civic engagement campaign, non-partisan, for the hispanic community in the State of Colorado. We register hispanic voters and educate them about what is going to be on the ballot. Q - (it seems like) every one to two generations there is a backlash against an immigrant community, whether it was the Irish, the Italian, or Eastern European, or the Chinese, the same source of attraction existed, for those workers as today - jobs and businesses that want cheap labor, and nothing has changed. We need to have a sensible comprehensive immigration reform program that is both humane and also works to get everyone on the same page. What are some of the things you try to educate the community on, to educate on the immigrant's positive impact on the community? A - Immigrants put in millions of dollars in our economy, social security, consumption taxes are paid in, they are putting money into the system and they are not withdrawing it. Our long term goals are to get 20,000 new hispanic voters, and that they have the (HAVA) Help America Vote Act voter protections. We are hoping also to build a movement and we are offering civic participation training to local groups around the state and getting their members more involved in civic participation and electoral work. Our website is www.mifamiliavota.net.