New Report Underscores Power and Potential of Immigrant Voters
Two Press Conferences (in Washington and via Telephone) Will Discuss Report’s Findings, With Reactions from Immigrants and Those Registering and Mobilizing Immigrant Voters this Fall
October 18, 2004
Washington , DC – Analyzing census data, the Immigration Policy Center (IPC) of the American Immigration Law Foundation, will release an analysis that illustrates the growth of the immigrant electorate as well as the increasing size and power of Latino and Asian/Pacific Islander American (APIA) voters. The report, POWER AND POTENTIAL: The Growing Electoral Clout of New Citizens, is part of the IPC’s Immigration Policy In Focus series.
Among the report’s key findings:
¨ In 2000, there were 10.7 million adult new citizens in the United States, 6.2 million of whom were registered to vote and 5.4 million actually voted. These numbers have only increased since the last presidential election.
¨ Although new citizens in general have lower rates of voter turnout than natives, new citizens who are registered to vote have higher rates of voter turnout than natives who are registered to vote.
¨ Newly naturalized citizens accounted for more than half of the net growth in persons registered to vote between 1996 and 2000.
¨ The number of Latinos and APIAs who became U.S. citizens, registered to vote, and actually voted increased substantially between 1996 and 2000, while the number of non-Latino Whites registered to vote declined by 0.5 percent during this period.
¨ The votes of new citizens are particularly important in “battleground” states – such as Arizona, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Washington – where victory or defeat in an election may be decided by relatively few voters.
The report was written by Rob Paral, a researcher who specializes in analysis of America’s immigrant communities who is a Fellow with the Immigrant Policy Center
Responding to the new report’s findings, experts on immigrant, Latino, and APIA voters will discuss the implications for the November election, on-going campaigns, and the growth of political power and civic participation in immigrant communities.
In-Person Press Conference, Washington, DC – 1:00 p.m.
WHEN:Wednesday, October 20, 2004; 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
WHERE: National Press Club, Murrow Room ( 529-14 th Street, NW, 13 th Floor)
WHO: Rob Paral and Benjamin Johnson, Report Authors, Immigration Policy Center
Eliseo Medina, International Vice President, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and a Member of the Steering Committee of the New American Opportunity Campaign
Janelle Hu, National Campaign Coordinator, APIAVote 2004
Clarisa Martinez de Castro, Director of State and Local Policy, National Council of La Raza
A voter who will be voting for the first time
Telephonic Press Conference – 3:00 p.m. Eastern
WHEN:Wednesday, October 20, 2004; 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
HOW: Dial 1- 800-441-0022 and ask for the Immigrant Vote 2004 Teleconference
WHO: Rob Paral and Benjamin Johnson, Report Authors, Immigration Policy Center
Christina Lopez, Deputy Executive Director, Center for Community Change, an organization registering and mobilizing voters in immigrant and low-income communities nationwide.
EunSook Lee, Executive Director, NAKASEC National Korean American Service & Education Consortium in Los Angeles, an organization conducting voter registration and voter mobilization in the Korean and Asian community.
Jorge Mursuli, National Director, Mi Familia Vota, an organization that has registered 73,000 Hispanic voters in South Florida.
Clarisa Martinez de Castro, Director of State and Local Policy, National Council of La Raza, moderator.
Copies of the report can be obtained at the IPC web site on Wednesday morning: http://www.ailf.org/ipc