March 28, 2024
Archive

New England Latino activists plan gathering in Portland

PORTLAND – Activists from New England are gathering Saturday to develop ways to improve the quality of life for Latinos in the region.

“We don’t want people to tolerate us, we want them to give us equal treatment under the law in health care, welfare education and labor – give us workplaces that are safe from hazards same as anybody else gets,” said Ben Guiliani, executive director of the Maine Migrant Workers Advocate Group. “Those are the goals.”

Organizers say the Portland event will mark the first time Latino activists from throughout the northern region have held such a meeting.

The coalition met for the first time last week, and organizers expect a larger, more diverse group at this weekend’s meeting.

Maine is an ideal location because of the number of migrant workers and other Latino residents who have chosen to live in the state, said Laura Medrano, vice president of the League of United Latin American Citizens in the Northeast.

“We have an influx of people and we are trying to strategize to address their needs,” Medrano said.

Those needs can include getting a driver’s license or opening a bank account, mundane matters that can be difficult for people who don’t speak English or don’t have Social Security numbers. Other goals include increasing parents’ involvement in school activities despite language barriers and ensuring safe conditions for those who work in the restaurant, cleaning and farming industries.

Many of these issues have been addressed in other states with larger Latino populations, such as California and Texas, Medrano said, but receive little attention in the Northeast.


Have feedback? Want to know more? Send us ideas for follow-up stories.

comments for this post are closed

You may also like