Is it possible for communities or elected officials to stop the estimated 270 people killed or injured by a firearm each day in the United States?

Today, more than 270 million firearms are owned by Americans. That translates into nearly 90 out of every 100 Americans own a gun. Last year alone, the U.S. military sold $50 billion in weapons; early last decade, we became the world's largest exporter of weapons.

Read the entire published opinion authored by The Latino Society President: http://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Letter-Fewer-firearms-fewer-shootings-3785507.php#ixzz28G3MfqLJ

With chronic unemployment, mortgage foreclosures, and a worsening economy, Americans all across the nation have begun to occupy public spaces as a means of peaceful protest to voice their anger at the corporate greed that is blamed for creating the nation's economic woe.  Latino activists are joining other grassroots organizations as the movement grows across the nation.

In this video, watch as Latino community leaders in Washington Heights, Manhattan, declare their dissatisfaction with crumbling infrastructure, growing number of poor and hungry in New York State.

Click here to watch video of Latino protest!

Challenges and Choices: The Rising Epidemic of Childhood Obesity in the Hispanic Community

Register today for this free webcast and view it now!
https://us.reg.meeting-stream.com/100611_130pm/

In this online forum, you will hear from experts in pediatric health care, public policy, and physical fitness about the rising rates of obesity in the Latino community and across the nation.

According to the US Center for Disease Control, 60% of Hispanics will develop obesity and Type 2 Diabetes in their lifetimes.

38 % of Hispanic children 18 and younger rank highest among all obese and overweight groups; this problem stems from a lack of access to healthy food and supermarkets and safe parks and neighborhoods to exercise. Learn more about this public health epidemic and what can be done to address this problem.

Listen to local and national leaders working to reverse this health care crisis: Hon. Naomi Rivera, Member of Assembly Standing Committee on Health Hon. Andrew J. Lanza, Member of Senate Standing Committee on Education Dr. Elena Rios, President of National Hispanic Medical Association, Donovan Green, Physical fitness/martial arts expert & Trainer to the Stars

The webcast is made possible by Time Warner Cable, The Latino Society of New York and
the National Hispanic Medical Association.

September 28, 2011  --  The spread of poverty across the United States that began at the onset of the Great Recession and accelerated last year hit one fast-growing demographic group especially hard: Latino children. More Latino children are living in poverty—6.1 million in 2010—than children of any other racial or ethnic group.

This marks the first time in U.S. history that the single largest group of poor children is not white.

For Latinos, this negative milestone is a product of their growing numbers, high birth rates and declining economic fortunes. Among Latino children living in poverty, more than two-thirds (4.1 million) are the children of immigrant parents while the other 2 million are the children of parents born in the U.S.

Read more here!

While New York is estimated to have surpassed the 20 million resident mark in the Census taken last year, the state will lose two congressional seats and continues to see a decline in influence.  Close to 1 in 5 New Yorkers is Latino and the State has the third largest Latino population in the nation. Yet New York only has two Latinos in Congress out of the current 31 representatives. Based on our current population figures, there should be as many as 6 Latinos from New York in Congress.

At the state legislature level, there are currently only 17 Latinos in office. Based on current population figures, the New York State Assembly should have almost 30 Latinos and the State Senate should have 12, for a total of 42 of the current 212 members of the state legislature. It is obvious that there is a dramatic under-representation of Latino elected officials. New York must now begin the process of drawing new political districts as required by law.  The Latino community should watch this process very carefully to ensure the under-representation of our communities is not allowed to continue for another decade.  The interactive graphic provided below by US Census gives a detailed national perspective on population growth and shifts.

On November 29th, The Latino Society of New York delivered a brief position paper to Governor-Elect Andrew Cuomo and Lt. Governor-Elect Robert Duffy.  Twelve recommendations were submitted outlining key structural and systematic changes needed in order to allow for the talent in our communities to participate in meaningful and important roles in the new administration.  The recommendations are strongly supported by 18 state and national organizations with long histories of advocating on behalf of Latino communities (see list below).

With over 81% of the state-wide Latino vote supporting the Cuomo/Duffy ticket and with 87% of the Latino vote in New York City casting their votes in support of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's pledge to rebuild New York, there is high hopes and great expectations in our communities for the success of the Cuomo Administration. We wish them well.

Governor Mario Cuomo on several occassions said that when Hispanics fight for better housing, and fight for better education and for better health care, we were fighting for all New Yorkers. Today, with well over four million Latinos living in New York, the poetry of those words is more true than ever.

Read the complete text of A Latino Agenda: Recommendations to Governor-Elect Andrew Cuomo & Lt. Governor-Elect Robert Duffy. Click link below to download document and list of supporting organizations.

View December 6, 2010 Press release of statewide Agenda unveiling events by clicking below.

Time Warner Cable & The Latino Society of New York
Host Free Webcast:
In this webcast you will hear from experts in higher education, public policy and commerce about the state of the Hispanic community and access to higher education. Learn more about the challenges faced by the Hispanic community in attaining higher academic achievement and ways that policymakers and advocates can improve college success rates; which nationally now stand at only 1 in 10 Hispanics earning a college degree and about 50% of those enrolling in public college in New York graduating in 6 years.


View Webcast by clicking here!
Streaming video of the forum will be available online for a few more weeks and on your On Demand channel from Time Warner Cable.

Pictured above in the studios of the Time Warner Cable headquarters are:
Gustavo Rivera, Professor of Political Science at Pace University and Candidate for NYS Senate
Fernando Laguarda, VP of External Affairs & Policy Counselor, Time Warner Cable
Raul Huerta, PhD, Senior EOP Advisor, SUNY Morrisville
Joseph Gomez, former President of the Urban League & Greater CR Minority Contractors Association
Veronica Cruz, Former Adjunct Professor, University at Albany School of Public Affairs & Policy

The Latino Society of New York, has released their letter to Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Carl Paladino, asking him to show respect for New York's largest and fastest growing ethnic minority. 

The strongly worded letter warned that Mr. Paladino's campaign is antagonizing Latino voters who in the past have supported Republican candidates for Governor and Mayor of New York City.

Read the complete text of the letter, which includes current US Census data on the dynamic growth of Latino communities across New York. Click link below to download letter:

The letter which was released to the press on September 24, 2010 questions Mr. Paladino's pejorative remarks about immigrants and calls them insulting and misleading. According to the letter, they fail to take into account the huge economic benefits created for New York State by its Latino communities.

Two key events in our nation’s capital this week will focus on Latinos and education, including the October 19th President’s Executive Order Signing Ceremony. Both events can be viewed live online via webcasts at the links provided below.
 
You can join thousands nationwide in watching key Education Department and Administration officials, and national Hispanic education, community and business leaders as they share their expertise and resources to assist communities in expanding education opportunities and improving education outcomes for Hispanic students during the October 18th National Education Summit.
 
As the largest and fastest growing minority group in the country and in the pre-K-12 public education system, the future of our nation’s competitiveness is inextricably linked to improving the education attainment of Hispanics. 
 
National Education Summit Live from Organization of American States
Monday, Oct. 18, 2010, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
View it live at http://livestream.com/OASLive
 
President Barack Obama Executive Order Signing Ceremony Live from White House
Tuesday Oct. 19, 2010, 1:00 pm
View it live at www.whitehouse.gov.