villescas research, media & instruction, llc 

voto latino presents...

august 18: latino students can help shape the 2012 presidential election [link] 

Organized Latino groups on college campuses represent one of the most underutilized networks of potential community organizers that if properly cultivated by the major political parties could feasibly double the under 30 Latino vote and mobilize thousands more new Latino voters in their hometowns and regions surrounding their college campuses.

There are approximately 1.7 million Latino students under 30 years of age currently enrolled in undergraduate programs throughout the country. Given their location in key states, cultural sensitivities, bilingualism and, above all, their social connectedness, each political party should recognize that today's Latino undergraduate is valuable both as a new voter and as an ideal community organizer. Promoting their organizational development, regardless of party affiliation, will ultimately yield increased Latino voter turnout because the social capital of one Latino undergraduate student is directly related to a range of potential Latino voters:

• Eligible adult voters in their family
• Neighborhood friends and families
• High school seniors in their hometown
• Latino students enrolled at their campus
• Latino student organizations, fraternities and sororities on campus and across their region
• National Latino alumni networks
• Their extensive networks of friends on Facebook and other social networking sites

The next academic year provides every Latino student with a chance to take advantage of a unique moment in history and contribute to producing the highest Latino voter turnout in a presidential election by simply activating and applying their social capital. Latino student organizations, fraternities and sororities should prepare their calendars to conduct a series of events that link members of the campus community and local Latino residents with a balance of candidates pursuing elected office, campaign representatives and political activists. If Latino students take advantage of the semesters ahead to enhance their community organizing skills by collaborating with either party during the early phases of the presidential campaign, they will gain a multidimensional foundation of experience that will mutually benefit their student organizations, local political parties and regional enclaves of potential Latino voters.

Political campaign strategists should seek out Latino student organizations and their emerging leadership base throughout this academic year. Two semesters of organizational training, access to party resources, additional funding to carry out Latino-oriented events and inclusion in regional GOTV planning will increase the ability of campaigns to produce a wave of highly educated liaisons who can mobilize Latino high school seniors, their peers on campus, their families back home and even their extensive social networks on-line to register to vote and to vote in next year's election.

Beginning this fall semester with Hispanic Heritage Month, Latino student leaders and their campus organizations can use this time to promote awareness and new understandings of the diversity of issues as well as opportunities that the burgeoning U.S. Latino population will present for the 2012 election. By the Dia de los Muertos, long-standing and newly-formed Latino student organizations can become highly visible entities on campus. And by the holidays, members of these student organizations can carry out events that link high school seniors and families from their hometown to new developments unfolding at their undergraduate institution.

Latino students can also share and consolidate their research on Latino identity, history and contemporary issues of contention with audiences far beyond their immediate classroom environments through their various on-line social networks. Finally, during the spring semester of 2012, Latino student organizations can host debates with current students, faculty members and alumni as well as local candidates and supporters of various campaigns.

Through the expansion of Latino student organizations, fraternities and sororities, this new generation of Latino undergraduate students can establish an organizational infrastructure that can mobilize thousands of Latino voters in the 2012 presidential elections and beyond. Within one academic year, a wave of Latino student leaders can apply their accumulated social capital to inform voters, coordinate voter mobilization and magnify awareness about complex issues that are important to their peers and other local residents.