Latinos make up 17 percent of the U.S. population. But they only hold one percent of elected offices, reports Texas Standard.
And one group is hoping to change that. The Latino Victory Project’s goal is to develop a pipeline of Hispanic leaders to run for future open seats. These Latino elected officials will then address policy issues important to the Hispanic community.
The initiative was started by architect Henry R. Munoz, III, and actress Eva Longoria. Munoz says the biggest challenge for young Latinos is feeling a sense of empowerment. He added that Latinos are a community left behind. “There’s real civic engagement in Latino communities,” he said, “but we don’t know the way.” And that’s why mentoring young Latinos interested in politics is so essential.