HML, MAPA and Southwest Voter to Hold 2nd District County Supervisor Candidate Forum

ADVISORY

Thursday, May 15, 2008
For Immediate Release

Los Angeles, CA –The Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) and Hermandad Mexicana Lationamericana (HML) joins Southwest Voter Registration Education Project to host a candidate forum for the 2nd District County Supervisor seat to replace outgoing Supervisor Yvonne Burke. The election is Tuesday, June 3rd.

Who – Latinos and other voters living in the 2nd supervisorial district

What – Candidate Forum with Councilman Bernard Parks and state Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas

When – Saturday, May 17, 2008; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where – Lennox Middle School, 11033 Buford Avenue, Lennox, CA 90304

Why – This is the only large, predominantly Latino forum of its kind for this important election.

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Nativo V. Lopez is currently the National President of the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) and Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana (HML), which requires of him full-time advocacy for the civil, human, labor, and immigrant rights of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and Latinos throughout the United States. He has dedicated his life to these causes since his years as a high school student where he founded the first student movement organization, United Mexican American Students (UMAS). He was born in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles in 1951 to Mexican American parents, and is of both eighth-generation native U.S. born and immigrant stock. Nativo met the legendary immigrant organizer, leader, and advocate, Humberto “Bert” Corona, in 1971 and worked with him in various capacities for thirty years with the organizations Center for Autonomous Social Action (CASA), Hermandad Mexicana, and MAPA. He was a lead organizer in the 2006 pro-immigrant marches and was part of the creation of the National Alliance for Immigrant’s Rights (NAIR) in Chicago, Illinois. For more information, go to http://nativolopez.blogspot.com/.

The Mexican American Political Association, an advocacy organization, was founded in Fresno, California in 1963 and has chapters throughout California. It is dedicated to the constitutional and democratic principles of political freedom and representation for the Mexican, Mexican-American and Latino people in the United States. For more information, visit the MAPA website at http://www.mapa.org/.

Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana (National Mexican Latin American Brotherhood), an advocacy organization for immigrants, was created in 1951 to achieve the development and integration of Latino immigrants that live in the United States. It is dedicated to improving economic and social opportunities of immigrants and their families, and maintains that a better future for children is an inalienable right. For more information, visit the HML website at http://www.hermandadmexicana.org/.

The Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP) is the nation’s largest and oldest Latin voter participation organization. Its mission is to empower Latinos and other minorities by increasing their participation in the American democratic process. SVREP does this by strengthening the capacity, experience and skills of Latino leaders, networks, and organizations through programs that consistently train, organize, finance, development, expand and mobilize Latino leaders and voters around an agenda that reflects their values. Thus, SVREP's motto: "Su Voto Es Su Voz" (Your Vote is Your Voice). For more information, visit the SVREP website at http://www.svrep.org/.