Enlaces News #8 (November 2004)

NALACC Promotes “A Transnational Vision—
Rooted in Community”

In recent decades immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean have struggled to find a voice within civil society. On a national level, organizations that serve mostly second or third generation Latinos often touch on some of the issues of concern to immigrants, but tend to strongly emphasize domestic policies. In the countries of origin, civil society groups tend to see immigrants either as victims (of globalization or poverty) or as sources of revenue, but rarely as partners. Immigrants themselves have tended to organize at a very local level, with just a few scattered successes in building national networks.

As a result, despite the fact that immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean represent the largest foreign-born group living in the U.S., their voices are often absent or underrepresented in the decision-making process, even for policy initiatives that will have profound effects on their communities, here in the United States and in their country of origin.

This is not a trivial problem because immigrants bring a unique perspective to national and international policy debates. Issues that affect communities across national borders such as migration, economic development and health care can look quite different when viewed through a transnational community lens. The immigrant leadership summits that took place in Washington, D.C. in February and May of this year, marked a turning point for organized Latino immigrant groups seeking a national voice (see summit reports at www.enlacesamerica.org). By the end of the second summit, participants called for a new alliance that would advocate for the interests of the Latin American and Caribbean immigrant community. The new entity, called NALACC, National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities, attracted fifty founding member organizations. Reflecting on the immigrant summits and NALACC, Marcia Soto, of Durango Unido—a Mexican organization based in Chicago, explained her willingness to volunteer for the new alliance: “Through NALACC you meet people from so many countries, who are making an effort to listen to and understand one another in order to advance a common goal: creating better opportunities for immigrants.”

History of NALACC
Thirty days after President Bush reminded the nation that our immigration laws are broken and antiquated, representatives of Latin American and Caribbean immigrant-led organizations from around the country, held an “emergency” first immigrant community summit on February 9th and 10th, 2004. The summit grew out of a conviction that the time was ripe to press for reform of current immigration laws. Participants included thirty representatives of immigrant communities from Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. After two days of dynamic dialogue, panel discussions and workshops, participants returned to their communities with a better understanding of the legislative climate in Washington, as well as a joint declaration outlining the necessary components of a comprehensive immigration policy reform.

Inspired by this first gathering, a second meeting was organized for early May. Representatives of more than sixty organizations attended the second event, and met with White House officials to share their perspective on immigration policy reform. These two summits provided a platform for communicating the specific needs of Latin American and Caribbean immigrant communities to the media and members of U.S. Congress. Especially those relating to immigration policy reform, but also including policy issues that impact the quality of life of their communities in the United States, in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In June, a steering committee appointed in May held a weekend retreat to lay out a vision for the future of the summits. The committee had a mandate to create “a permanent space for joint action and advocacy” and by the end of the weekend the outline of a new organization was born. NALACC will have an inner membership circle comprised of immigrant-led community organizations representing people from Latin America and the Caribbean. An official launching ceremony for NALACC will take place this Fall, but its members are already carrying out a coordinated campaign asking elected officials “¿Qué Pasa?” (What’s up?) with promises made for immigration policy reform by both presidential candidates.

NALACC’s Future
Participants hope that NALACC will provide member organizations with a platform for developing coordinated advocacy campaigns at the national level. Marlon Gonzalez, Executive Director of GUIA–Miami, and member of the steering committee, sees NALACC as an enormous step toward building “a democratic process that, for the first time, is bringing together people that have the power to form a strong grassroots base, and to truly represent the interests of Latino immigrants at the national level.”

NALACC will grow as it welcomes new member organizations that share its vision of a national and international policy environment that will support dignified and sustainable livelihoods, for immigrant communities in the United States and for their communities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Over the next few months, NALACC will reach out to other groups organized by Latin American and Caribbean Immigrants that are serving the needs of these communities.

“We have a transnational agenda that includes better immigration
policies so immigrants can live dignified lives in the U.S., and development policies that build a better future for our families in the South”

For more information on this effort please visit www.enlacesamerica.org or contact mlemay@enlacesamerica.org.