Unprecedented Citizenship Campaign ¡Protégete!…¡Ciudadanía Ya! Launches

Effort Will Encourage More Than 755,000 Eligible L.A. County Residents to Apply for Citizenship

LOS ANGELES – November 10, 2015 – In an unprecedented multi-sector partnership, major Los Angeles immigrant rights organizations, leading Spanish-language media and the City and County of Los Angeles have joined forces today on a coordinated campaign to promote citizenship.

¡Protégete!…¡Ciudadania Ya! (Protect Yourself! Citizenship Now!) aims to inform, educate and assist L.A. County’s estimated 755,000 residents who are eligible to naturalize. In light of recent naturalization rates decreasing across the United States, the campaign partners saw a need to revitalize and re-educate the public about the benefits of citizenship, including increased income and stronger protections under the law. The effort was inspired by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Step Forward LA initiative, which brought together nonprofits and city and county governments around the goal of promoting greater immigrant integration.

“Los Angeles area residents need the involvement, engagement and protection of their elected representatives as they navigate the naturalization process. We are committed to providing them with the resources and support that they need,” said Mayor Garcetti. “This unprecedented partnership will be a model for collaboration around the state and the country.”

The campaign will hit the airwaves today on major Spanish-language media outlets and go to the streets to educate eligible residents about the process and expand access to trustworthy services in every corner of the region. These outlets serve unique roles in the Latino community, playing both informative and empowerment roles. This is the first time that all Spanish-language outlets have come together in a campaign as partners.

“Helping our communities thrive in the United States is a core part of who we are as a mission-driven company,” said Univision Los Angeles Senior Vice President and General Manager Luis Patiño. “This historic collaboration will help listeners and viewers in the Los Angeles-area understand the benefits and rights that come with U.S. citizenship, including an opportunity to have your voice heard through voting in local and national elections.”

Phone banks will be open for viewers to get information on how to become a citizen and make appointments at workshops that will take place throughout the county.

“We are partnering with other trusted L.A. nonprofit organizations to leverage our collective resources to reach eligible residents in L.A. County,” said NALEO Educational Fund Executive Director Arturo Vargas. “By providing assistance with the process and increased access to free and low-cost support with the application, our aim is to dramatically increase the number of naturalized citizens over the next year.”

The campaign is led by a strong coalition that includes Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis; the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), the Council of Mexican Federations (COFEM), Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles (AAAJ-LA); and Spanish-language outlets Azteca America, Entravision, Estrella TV/Liberman Broadcasting, La Opinión, Telemundo 52 Los Angeles KVEA, Univision Radio and KMEX 34 Univision Los Angeles.

The campaign is made possible through funding support from a partnership between the California Community Foundation and Juntos Podemos/Together We Can.

For more information, please visit ciudadaniaya.info.

CONTACT
Taleen Ananian
tananian [@] calfund [.] org
(213) 452-6203

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