Last week, the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program shared our “4 Ideas for 4 Years” on Twitter. Motivated by the inauguration, we listed four actions that both political parties should consider during the Trump administration. Acting on these ideas would not only benefit the Latino community but the United States as a whole. To start, though, political parties need to better understand the Latino community. Our executive director Abigail Golden-Vazquez explains why here.
Consider the opportunities that Latinos really want.
Addressing issues of opportunity and equity will be at the heart of America’s success. We believe so strongly in this that our program focused our 2016 America’s Future Summit on reimagining opportunity in a changing nation. This video shares just how to do that. To understand that further, a recent Nielsen survey reveals what issues Latinos find most important in bringing opportunity to their communities and what Republicans and Democrats should know when shaping policy that addresses equity.
Visit Latino communities across the country.
Latinos are often seen as a monolithic group and their contributions to society are not always well understood. Latinos are extremely diverse in upbringings, perspectives, political views, and religious beliefs, and they have an important role to play in their communities and the country. To explore the diversity and contribution of Latino communities in the US, our program visited El Paso, Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Truly understanding the Latino community — its distinct characteristics and immeasurable potential — can help expand the perspectives of all politicians.
Promote strategies that better civically engage Latino millennials and all Americans.
The country can only benefit from an increasingly engaged population. Our program wanted to understand how to keep civic action from falling short, particularly among Latino millennials. These five projects offer innovative ways to increase the civic participation of Latino millennials and all Americans and deserve the attention of leaders and elected officials across the country.
Improve the growth rates of Latino owned businesses.
Economic advancement is key to the prosperity of the Latino community and America as a whole. Our program is prioritizing economic advancement as our newest policy focus and will start off by diving into why Latino-owned businesses aren’t accelerating at the same rate as other businesses. We hope that our programming will start new conversations and will foster connections and ideas for increasing Latino economic advancement. We believe that adopting these ideas and considering new viewpoints will enhance the responsiveness of all government to the Latino community and the country as a whole.
You can stay up to date on our work by subscribing to our newsletter.
