The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) has announced that its upcoming 2019 National Convention “Movimiento LULAC: 90 Years of Building Power & Transforming Communities Across America!” will be held July 10-13 at the Wisconsin Convention Center in downtown Milwaukee.
“We are extremely excited to mark this moment in our history with this year’s national convention and expo in the great city of Milwaukee, a long and dear friend of LULAC,” said Sindy Benavides, CEO of LULAC, in a statement. “This community reflects the strides that are being made when people are willing to come together to embrace diversity, inclusiveness and the many potential synergies these can generate for the future.”
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) was founded in 1929 in Texas to serve as an advocate for the Constitutionally-guaranteed rights and freedoms of Latinos in the United States and to also encourage civic participation as a duty for Latinos in their local communities, especially in the areas of public education, job opportunities and economic advancement including access to housing and health care. More recently, other issues have also been added to LULAC’s core mission including advocating for seniors and military veterans, seeking equity for women in the workplace and championing the rights of the LGBTQ community.
LULAC is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future.
“LULAC is taking action daily from New York to California, Washington State to Florida and Puerto Rico defending the rights of Latinos in the United States and confronting racial bigotry as we did recently in Dallas,” said Domingo Garcia, national president, in a press release. “Recently, a woman threatened to sic Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Latinas working a food truck on a public street so LULAC met that hatred with kindness taking free tacos and a mariachi serenade to the woman’s neighborhood along with the powerful reminder of what America’s true values really are – liberty and freedom for all. Our video went viral and has now been seen all around the world.”
The 2019 LULAC National Convention & Expo also signals the legacy organization’s official start of the ramp up to the 2020 U.S. Census. Members throughout the United States are already engaged in orientation and coordination meetings with other community-based groups including churches, nonprofits and elected leaders to ensure the highest participation level possible among Latinos who are considered a “hard-to-count” segment of the population. The Upper-Midwest Region is making the census one of two main priorities for 2020.
Invited VIP speakers for this year’s national convention include: Former President George W. Bush, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, President of Mexico Manuel Lopez Obrador, U.S. Representative Alejandria Ocasio-Cortes, Senator Kamala Harris and others.
