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PRESS STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 8, 2006
Contact:
Ali Noorani, MIRA
(617) 835-1402 - cell
Shu Ohno, MIRA
(617) 350-5480 x204
We Voted … Again
Boston, MA – Making good on their challenge "Today We March, Tomorrow We Vote," new American voters across Massachusetts, and the United States, left their mark on the political landscape by voting Pro-Immigrant.After a full year of an emotional, often times misleading, immigration debate that included massive marches, Congressional sham hearings, and a Fence Act that all sides dismissed as political posturing, power shifted dramatically to favor pro-immigrant Congressmen across the country. Congressman Charles Bass (R-NH) was soundly defeated after hosting an August 2006 Congressional "hearing" on immigration issues in Concord, NH (Congressman Bradley of New Hampshire was also defeated). Likewise, in Arizona, anti-immigrant hardliner J.D. Hayworth (R) was ousted by Harry Mitchell (D).
In Massachusetts, the 2006 campaign for governor and legislative offices was riddled with fear mongering anti-immigrant slogans. Republican candidate for Governor, Kerry Healey, drew spurious leading links between undocumented immigrants, access to drivers licenses, and their "ability to melt into society and board an airplane." Deval Patrick soundly defeated Healey by 21 percentage points.
In Everett, MA, Steven Smith’s opponent printed anti-immigrant ads in local newspapers, only to lose every precinct in the run for the open seat. In Brewster, MA, though he was repeatedly bludgeoned by his opponent for his votes in favor of immigrant issues, Democrat incumbent Cleon Turner was victorious. In what was a very tight race, Turner doubled his margin of victory from his win in 2004. Additionally, Pam Richardson, the candidate for the late Deb Blumer’s seat in Framingham, handily beat two anti-immigrant candidates garnering 4200 votes.
No legislator who voted in support of the In-State Tuition bill on January 11, 2006 was defeated in spite of a blanketing of the airwaves by opposition.
While turnout statistics are still being generated, anecdotal reports make it clear that communities of color, and the immigrant community, voted in record numbers across the country. In fact, today’s Wall Street Journal front page highlights the growing clout of the Hispanic vote.
"’Bash an immigrant, lose an election,’ carried the day in Massachusetts," said Ali Noorani, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. "All across the commonwealth, and the nation, New American voters joined with their allies to vote Pro-Immigrant. The result is a new political landscape that provides tremendous opportunity for immigrants and citizens to lead America to a better place."
"Neighbor 2 Neighbor statewide mobilized minority and low-income and inspired by fact that the candidate stood for issues they struggled with on a daily basis," said Allison Kennedy of N2N. "They felt empowered to vote because they felt discrimination via the negativity of campaigns. A crucial piece of mobilizing voters and organizing volunteers was the easily highlighted differences between candidates. This gave people confidence in the power of their vote."
Below is a sample list of organizations across Massachusetts who completed Get Out the Vote work in the past weeks.
MA New American Voter Engagement Activities, November 2006
Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N)
Location: Fitchburg, Lynn, Salem, Worcester, Springfield, Holyoke
Contact: Allison Kennedy; 508-615-8964 (cell) or 508-754-6866
Activities: Voter registration; Canvassing; GOTV calls; voter education; transportation to polls
Coalition for Social Justice (CSJ)
Location: Brockton, Fall River, New Bedford
Contact: Dan Gilbarg, (508) 982-8157
Activities: Voter registration; canvassing; GOTV calls; voter education; transportation to polls.
ONE Lowell
Location: Lowell
Contact: Victoria Fahlberg (978) 761-9952 (cell), (978) 654-6957
Activities: Voter registration (over 200); canvassing; GOTV calls; voter education.
Cambodian American Voter Project
Location: Lowell
Contact: Sidney Liang (978) 746-7829 or Sophal Meas 978-758-8547
Activities: Voter registration; canvassing; GOTV calls; voter education
Centro Las Americas
Location: Worcester
Contact: Ivette Moore (508) 340-9832 (cell), (508) 798-1900 x267
Activities: Voter registration; canvassing; GOTV calls; voter education; transportation to polls
Student Immigrant Movement
Location: Everett and Revere
Contact: Carlos Saavedra and Patricia DeOliveira, 617-350-5480 ext 200 or 219
Activities: Youth implemented campaign, voter registration; GOTV calls and canvassing; voter education
Anti-Displacement Project
Location: Springfield
Contact: Caroline Murray 413-219-1108 (cell) or Saulo Colon 203-536-5973 (cell)
Activities: Voter education, GOTV, canvassing
Civic Engagement Initiative (12 Organizations in the Greater Boston Area)
Primary Contact: David Ortiz at MassVOTE (508) 345-4995 (Cell) or (617) 542-8683 x204
Local Contacts:
Edwin Argueta (EBECC) 617-567-2750
Gladys Vega (Chelsea Collaborative) 617-889-6080
Marcos Garcia (CORES) 617-623-5322
Karla Zevallos (REACH) 781-891-0724 x101
Candidate forums; canvassing; voter education; drops; GOTV calls; transportation to polls
Voters in Action
Location: Lawrence
Contact: Isabel Melendez, 978-764-0514
Activities: Voter registration (over 1,000 this year alone); canvassing; voter education via radio; GOTV calls
Asian Center of Merrimack Valley
Location: Lawrence
Contact: Karen Sheridan, 978-683-7316
Activities: Voter registration; canvassing; voter education materials; GOTV calls
Immigrant Assistance Center
Location: New Bedford
Contact: Helena Marques, (508) 735-1953 (cell) or (508) 996-8113
Activities: Candidate forums; voter education sessions (live and via local TV); GOTV postcards to over 7,000 Portuguese-speaking voters; transportation to polls
Center for New Americans
Location: Northampton
Contact: Jim Ayers, 413-587-0084
Activities: Voter education materials and sessions
Centro Presente
Location: Cambridge, East Boston, Chelsea, Somerville
Contact: Jessica Durrum, 617-251-6844 (cell) or 617-497-9080 x14
Activities: GOTV calls to Latino voters.
Brockton New American Action Committee
Location: Brockton
Contact: Juliana Badaro, 774-259-6272 (cell)
Activities: Successful campaign to get "Vote Today" sandwich boards for the city; Distributing voter education guides; Supporting GOTV efforts
Brazilian Immigrant Center
Location: Allston, Brighton, Everett, Somerville, Framingham
Contact: Fausto de Rocha, (617) 783-8001 ext.7
Activities: Voter registration; GOTV calls
BRAMAS
Location: Framingham
Contact: Ilma Paixao, (774) 232-3483 (cell)
Activities: Voter registration; GOTV effort for Brazilian voters
Welcome Project
Location: Somerville
Contact: Warren Goldstein-Gelb, 617-623-6633
Activities: GOTV calls to Latino and Haitian voters.
Irish Immigration Center
Location: Statewide
Contact: Sister Lena Deevy (617) 542-7654
Activities: Distribute voter education materials; GOTV calls to Irish voters.
Association of Haitian Women
Location: Dorchester
Contact: Carline Desire (617) 287-0096
Activities: Distribute voter education guide, GOTV conversations with program attendees
Russian Community Association of Massachusetts
Location: Statewide
Contact: Sergey Bologov, (617) 285-2227 (cell)
Activities: Voter education, GOTV calls, rides to polls
Berkshire Immigrant Center
Location: Pittsfield and surrounding area
Contact: Hilary Greene, (413) 445-4881 x1
Activities: GOTV calls to Latino voters
Centro de Desarrollo Dominicano
Location: Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, Hyde Park
Contact: Magalis Troncoso, 617-541-4029
Activities: Voter education for Latino voters
Brazilian Women’s Group
Location: Allston-Brighton, Somerville, Malden, Medford, Watertown
Contact: Heloisa Maria Galvao, 617-635-6547
Activities: Voter registration, voter education, and GOTV
Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS)
Location: Cambridge, Somerville, Allston, Dorchester, Lowell, Framingham
Contact: Celia Valada, (617) 864-7600
Activities: Voter education for Portuguese-speaking voters, including media outreach, flyer distribution, voter registration
Cape Cod Immigrant Center: Throughout the Cape
Location: Voter education activities, GOTV calls
Contact: Judith Martinez, cell# (508) 685-8143
Activities: Voter education, GOTV
Agencia ALPHA:
Location: Greater Boston Area
Contact: : Patricia Sobalvarro, cell #(617) 653-1731, Damaris Lopez, 617-962-3417
Activities: Voter registration, voter education distribution and forums, GOTV calls
ROCA:
Location: Chelsea
Contact: Marina Rodriguez, (617) 889-5210 x208, Julio Villagram, Cell # (339) 222-0105
Activities: Voter education guides distribution, voter ed forums
LUMA:
Location: Greater Boston Area
Contact: : Lucy Pineda, cell# (617) 416-1064
Activities Voter registration, voter education forums, voter ed distribution, GOTV calls to Latino voters
Immigrant Information Center:
Location: Greater Boston Area
Contact: : Vilma Galvez, (781) 405-7895
Activities: Voter registration, voter education materials and forums, GOTV calls
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA)
Location: Statewide
Contact: Ali Noorani, (617) 835-1402
Activities: Registering 1,015 new citizens to vote; GOTV support for the new citizens; Voter education materials mailed to 18,000 people; providing resources and voter lists to member orgs for GOTV.
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MIRA works to advocate for the rights and opportunities of immigrants and refugees. In partnership with its members, MIRA advances this mission through education, training, leadership development, organizing, policy analysis and advocacy.