My involvement on the issue of cultural competence and access to language smart service delivery began when my family arrived in the mainland United States, in New York City. I was eight years old and was thrown into the semi-bilingual school systems of New York, Newark and Elizabeth.

Yes, my family moved around; a lot. By the time I graduated high school I counted 13 different schools in three states not including schools in Puerto Rico. The one thing that amazes me the most is the resilience of my parents to navigate the system by using the pre-existing communities of Puerto Ricans and Cubans (they were the main Latino population at the time) to survive. How did those communities learn to survive? They learned from other pre-existing communities before them, such as Italians, Irish, and Chinese, to name a few. The truth is that regardless of the existing support structures at the time and now, Latino communities continue to struggle with a system that needs fundamental change.

As a professional I have sat on many conference planning committees, cultural competence boards, government and nonprofit commissions all dealing with access to services by the Latino community. Time and again we have discussed and determined the need for culturally competent and community sensitive services to the Latino community; there have been reports and recommendations on what to do and how to do it. Through the years one thing has remained constant: the actual drive of culturally and linguistically competent services into the Latino community are spotty at best. I find myself, reliving and rehashing the same issues year-to-year and hoping for a different outcome. However, I am usually disappointed in the actual results.

I am always intrigued by the reasons “professionals” give for their “inability” to penetrate the Latino community. The first, of course, is the amount of money it would take to serve this community at 100%. This is also the most troubling answer as it purports to separate the Latino community from the general service delivery system. In reality, it is probably less expensive to rework the system to be culturally and linguistically sensitive, than to continue service delivery in “reactive” and “crisis” mode. Individuals who need services will get them, one way or the other. The question is whether they will receive the services in an emergency setting or as part of a routine or preventive schedule. When evaluating how agencies or councils serve the Latino community it may be wise to look at the overall cost savings that society would garner from preventive and routine service delivery. How do we get to a point where it is not about the initial investment but the eventual outcomes?

The second response usually involves a “fairness” question in the minds of those in charge. Sometimes, it takes on a historical approach, such as, “Well, when my grandparents came from X country they didn’t have bilingual services or materials in their language.” The other and more common answer is, “You know if we do it for one group then we’re going to have to do it for all groups.”

The truth is that many of us were not here when someone’s grandparents came to the shores of a country that promises equality and justice for all. But I do know that even then there were established groups such as the Sons of Norway, which was formed in 1895 in order to protect the rights of Norwegians living in the United States. The group also allowed Norwegians to purchase insurance as only natural born U.S. citizens were allowed to purchase insurance at the time. The initial charter and rules called for all the groups’ communications to be in the Norwegian language.

Hungarian Americans were also forced to start their own clubs and societies, many church-related. The reason was discrimination and the inability to integrate into existing services and structures. New Brunswick had the highest percentage of Hungarian Americans in the U.S.; it was referred to as “the most Hungarian city in the United States” according to the New Jersey Encyclopedia.

Polish Americans also began their lives here by fleeing the persecutions their country was undergoing in the late 18th century. Divided by Russia, Germany, and Austria, Poland was under threat of losing its culture and language. Therefore, many fled to the United States to save the culture and language, which they knew and loved. They established banks, newspapers, churches, clubs, and businesses for and by Polish people. It is easy to forget that many who came to the shores of this country were discriminated against and ridiculed because they spoke a different language and had a different culture. This is really no different than what Latinos are going through today with one exception: many of these groups came here before Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.

The reason why “real change” in linguistic and culturally competent services does not happen is often cited as money. Money seems to be the driving force in many of the decisions made about service delivery. However, the overall cost of not delivering services in an appropriate and culturally competent manner will surely lead to increase cost and inappropriate service delivery.

If money is the answer, then let us imagine all that will be saved by educating people in a language they understand. Remove the guesswork most non-native speakers undergo at mainstream agencies, doctors offices, disability organizations and other institutions by following one of these vetted recommendations:

– Translate materials into Spanish and other languages in order to increase the availability of information to the diverse communities. This would decrease the lack of misinformation about services and programs offered by agencies, councils and others. This would include: web pages, resource directories, pamphlets, and other media such as Public Service Announcements, and direct outreach campaigns.

– Increase the number of individuals who are Latino within boards, advisory groups, councils, and search committees.

– Increase the amount of Latino staff to ensure a diverse place reflective of the people served.

– Provide cultural competency training staff, board members, and volunteers in order to better serve all communities.

– Incorporate the use of technology such as language lines to communicate with Spanish speakers when native speakers are unavailable.

– Include Latino-related topics in conferences, workshops, webinars and trainings.

The New Deal was a first step in the transformation of government to what it is today. It sought to restructure the type of services and way in which individuals could qualify for them. This system to some extent is what many of us have inherited. Today, Latinos need a “New Deal”, from the government that serves us. Many claim to believe in the “inclusion and immersion” of Latinos into all aspects of their departments, agencies, councils and not-for-profits. However, they refuse to lift a finger to change how they serve this same group. This in the face of overwhelming statistics that Latinos are and will continue to be the largest minority group in the United States, for many years to come.

(Javier Robles is currently the President of http://www.thisabled.com/, a disability website and consulting service.)

French poet Paul Valery once wrote, “The problem with our present times is that our future isn’t what it used to be.” Valery understood that our perception of present conditions is forged by how we perceive our future.

Today, our perception of our future is made uncertain by turmoil in the financial markets, an economic slowdown and rising unemployment. And because we live in a region where the financial services sector is so concentrated, it is natural for us to be less optimistic about our economic prospects than we were two years ago.

Under these circumstances it has become commonplace for analysts to question whether the Finance Insurance and Real Estate (FIRE) sectors in the New York Metropolitan Area will emerge in tact after the current financial storm. Because of a number of important demographic, historical and economic reasons, we believe that the New York Metro economy and FIRE sector will prove to be more resilient than they may appear to be from today’s vantage point.

While we all have been intently focused on the turmoil in the financial markets, of greater concern are the underpinnings of the economy. Job creation is considered to be a major indicator of economic health. We need to add about 100,000 new jobs a month to keep pace with population growth. However, the US economy has lost an average of 84,000 jobs every month since December 2007.

For the 12-month period ending August 2008, private sector employment in New York City rose by 31,000, or 1.0 percent, to 3,196,100 total jobs. The manufacturing (-6,700) and financial activities (-5,300) sectors lost the most jobs over the year. Although the crises at Lehman Brothers and AIG appear to be working out so as to avoid immediate large-scale layoffs, the continued financial sector turmoil guarantees that job losses on Wall Street will climb rapidly over the next few months.

For the 12-month period ending August 2008, New Jersey private sector employment declined by 12,100 private sector jobs, to 3,455,900 total private sector jobs. The state saw its largest declines in construction (-4,800), manufacturing (-10,500) and financial services (-9,500).

What is striking about these numbers is that New York City and New Jersey employ about the same number of people (New Jersey employs about 300,000 more). An important point that we tend to overlook is the extent to which New Jersey’s and New York City’s economies – and commercial real estate markets – are intertwined.

Through the third quarter of 2008, the commercial and industrial real estate markets have appeared to show signs of weakening but not of breaking. In New York City, 2008 leasing activity reached 15.7 million square feet at the end of September, as compared to 18.3 million square feet at that time last year. The overall vacancy rate has risen during the past 12 months, to 7.4 percent from 5.7 percent. Still, the number of large deals (100,000+ square feet) through the first three quarters of 2008 was up compared to last year, from 17 to 28, and Class A rents continue to climb – up to $92.57 per square foot in Midtown.

In New Jersey, office leasing in the state’s northern and central counties totaled 6.8 million square feet at the end of the third quarter, as compared to 7.6 million square feet at that time last year. The overall vacancy rate was up, from 16.4 percent to 17.8 percent. In Northern & Central New Jersey combined, the number of large deals (100,000+ square feet) through the first three quarters of 2008 was down compared to last year, from 27 to 14. Class A rents have held steady, registering at $30.02 per square foot at the end of September 2007 and at $30.09 per square foot today.

AGGLOMERATION ECONOMIES AND URBANIZATION

For 200 years, New York City has been the largest city in the U.S. and continues to outperform most cities in the world. New York is one of the few major cities in the United States with a larger population today than it had fifty years ago. And its economy remains robust.

In absolute terms, NYC’s $1.13 trillion is second only to Tokyo’s (GDP of $1.19 trillion) among all cities. There are only 14 countries in the world with bigger economies than New York City’s. And though the city has a reputation for a high cost of living, the average New Yorker can buy more than counterparts in London, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

The basic concept of “agglomeration economies” is that production is facilitated when there is a clustering of economic activity. The existence of agglomeration economies is central to the explanation of how cities increase in size and population. This concentration of economic activity in urban centers is the reason for their existence.

They can persist and grow throughout time, only if their advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

The tendency of a critical mass of people to attract more people to a region is the central idea of urban economics, and nowhere is that idea more obvious than in New York. Its initial advantage as a port attracted manufacturing and services to cater to the mercantile firms and to take advantage of low shipping costs. Scale matters because it allows producers to save on the costs of supplying goods and services.

Stock markets tend to be few in each country, often unique, and located in the largest cities. Typically, much of the economic activity relating to the stock market takes place in large cities. These facts suggest that agglomeration economies are as important in the financial markets as they are in manufacturing. In other words, productivity is enhanced for stock market workers and firms located in a large city.

The attraction of finance and business services to New York reflects the city’s advantages in facilitating interaction and in spreading information and innovation. By some estimates, transportation costs for goods have declined by as much as 95 percent over the 20th century; but there has been no comparable reduction in the cost of moving people.

Another factor that will serve to sustain New York and densely populated New Jersey is the global trend toward urbanization. This trend is as old as civilization itself but has accelerated with the industrial revolution of the 19th century and has further accelerated during the last 50 years. Within the next five years, half the population of the world will, for the first time, live in cities.

While cities can generate concentrations of poverty, crime, pollution and congestion, on balance, people lead more successful lives in cities. Cities are important not only as economic centers, but also as centers of culture, art, information and innovation. Cities prosper and grow because, on balance, their advantages outweigh their disadvantages.

At times, citizens and policy-makers in New Jersey tend to underestimate the importance of New York City to our state’s prosperity and well-being. We often view New York as a competitor. It is important that we behave as if the future of NJ is inextricably bound to that of NYC, because it is.

The good news is that with a $1.13 trillion economy, significant agglomeration economies, and critical mass, New York will thrive in the 21st Century and beyond. It behooves the region to harness the forces that have allowed New York City be a dominant actor in the world’s urban and financial stage.

Last week was one of the most historic weeks of the centuries; Republicans failed to vote on the famous $700-billion Wall Street bailout plan as the Dow Jones experienced one of its worst weeks in seven years, only to celebrate the approval of the bailout plan days later. Indecision and confusion were in the air. To top it off, we had the anticipated debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden, which was very impressive. Biden seemed prepared and was more direct with his responses while Palin held her own and brought back the hope to the Republican party.

As a result of such an exciting week, I am anticipating tonight’s debate. The back and forth bickering between Obama and McCain has been very entertaining, but I am particularly interested to see how well they balance their ability to clearly answer the question while being responsive to the people. This of course means that they will need to show that they are capable of capturing the essence of what is really being asked. I really don’t know what to expect. This is a great opportunity for both candidates to reinforce why they are the better choice.

With only a few weeks from the election, America is at the edge of its seat trying to predict what is going to happen. Some people are still swaying back and forth, seeing promised changes from both parties. Who will win? Will there really be change? How will our new President have an impact on the world?

I guess we will have a better idea tonight at Round Two of the Presidential Debates!

Sarah Palin’s performance at last night’s VP Debate was very impressive. She held her own against an experienced US Senator. She was effective at putting Joe Biden on the defensive early and often. And like the proverbial pit bull, she held on tight to message with confidence, attacked hard on topics she wanted to cover and did not let go for the entire 90 minutes. Frankly, she owned the first few moments of the debate. I guess practicing by the creek really does work.

McCain should be proud of her performance. I was proud she did not fall on her face. I was glad they both kept me intrigued for the entire time. I can’t say that about last week’s debate. And I was thrilled Biden fought back and addressed some of her false attacks because when someone clearly lies about you, you set the record straight. Period. Obama should do the same.

But she also got away with a lot. She did not address McCain’s role in deregulation policies as a direct cause for the financial crisis but blamed predatory lenders only. She did not address McCain’s plan to tax our health benefits, not one word. Oh and by the way she wants to expand the power and role of the vice president. Why wasn’t she asked to explain? What would she do with this increased power? I’d be interested in knowing prior to the election. And I think others would as well.

So is it enough? She did enough to clean up her image. She did enough to at least show she can hold her own. But to win the election? To change the game? I guess it depends on where the majority stands. Substance or style. Issues or likeability.

I just can’t wait for tonight’s debate! Like many of you, I will be glued to my TV, snacks and drink in hand, rooting for my second favorite Senator. I am so impressed with Joe Biden. I watched his interview with Tom Brokaw weeks ago on “Meet the Press.” He is just brilliant. The depth and breadth of his foreign policy knowledge and the thoughtful manner in which he explained the Iran/Afghanistan conflict.

Much has been made of Palin’s lack of qualifications and knowledge of foreign policy, even lack of knowledge regarding issues that are her supposed strength, energy. And, honestly, its been so much fun watching the SNL skits. But make no mistake, she is a formidable debater. This is not a one on one interview, a conversation about issues where it’s obvious she gets nervous and cannot articulate her thoughts. Or even worse, its clear she just does not know the answers. My guess is that tonight will be the most scripted we ever see her. A 2-minute monologue essentially. The moderator (and that’s another story) cannot interrupt, giving her (and Biden for that matter) full reign to give her prepared mini-speech.

Its gonna be a fun and interesting night. I’ll give you my thoughts tomorrow.

Many of us know from our school years that if you do not pay attention to class during the school year, you are going to feel it during the final exam at the end of the year. Cramming for a final exam can be a painful experience. Now imagine that your final exam is the vice presidential debate set for this Thursday between Republican Sarah Palin and Democrat Joe Biden. According to the McCain camp, Sarah Palin will be sequestered to McCain’s ranch in Arizona where she will be surrounded by her political “teachers” to help her cram for her final exam a.k.a. the Vice Presidential Debate.

It has been widely reported by well-known Republicans that Sarah’s one-on-one interviews with ABC News anchor Charlie Gibson and CBS News anchor Katie Couric were disastrous. Again, these are Republicans saying this. When Palin did a “Take-2” with Katie Couric, this time with John McCain at her side, it made the interview appear as though McCain was a defense attorney ready to interrupt his client Sarah Palin in the event that she says something that could be politically troublesome.

As a result, Sarah Palin is now sequestered in Arizona and will not be seen publicly again until the debate on Thursday. Don’t get me wrong, she is doing the right thing by cramming for the debate. After all, she is totally unprepared. But cramming can only get you so far. Even if she crams enough to perform decently in the debate, we know that most crammers will forget what they studied within days of the final exam. In other words, the reality of Sarah Palin’s lack of attention on national and foreign policy issues may possibly come back to haunt the McCain campaign again before Election Day. So much cramming reiterates to voters that she is seriously deficient in the qualities needed to be a Vice President, to say nothing of President of the United States. Did McCain REALLY put “Country First” in his pick of Sarah Palin?

Good luck with your exam cramming, Sarah!

Today, September 22, I feel the joy of an 8-year-old child and the sadness of a widow. Joy comes for several reasons. For one, it is the day I was brought into this world by a beautiful mother who prayed to have me. See, she attempted to have a child for nearly 10 years, but doctors kept telling her she could not have kids. It was not until New Year’s day that she bowed on her knees and begged the Lord to give her a child. She did not care if she had to raise them by herself or if she did not have enough money to sustain them. She just wanted to outpour her love and be a mother. Sure enough her prayer was met.

On February 14^th (Valentine’s Day) she discovered her pregnancy and was in shock. She went for testing every week, but always it showed positive. A few months later, I was born and the entire neighborhood celebrated my coming for they considered me a miracle baby. Ironically, she named me Eliana, which is Greek for My God has answered or Fulfilled promised. She was unaware of the meaning till yesterday.

Today is also Monday, which happens to be my favorite day of the week. It was also the weekday I was born. Why do I like Mondays? Perhaps because it marks the beginning of my week and I love to think of what is in store for me. Every time of think of beginnings I get excited. Weird, I know.

Today is also the beginning of fall, which happens to be my favorite season. Fall is perfect. It’s the time for fuzzy socks, light jackets, delicious teas, apple and pumpkin picking, and eating scrumptious food. It is also a time to start caving in and spending some quality time with…..THE SELF.

Today I turn 22, and it is the 22^nd day of September. Not to mention that we are in the year 2008, and eight is my favorite number. (Read my blog: “The number 8”) Since I am so big on numerology I decided to analyze the number 22. According to the worldly famous Wikipedia (not the best, I know) the number is significant in numerology because it is often called the “Master Builder” or “Spiritual Master in Form”. This number includes all of the attributes of the number 2, twice over, and also those of the 4 (Four being the number of creation or world impact). It is said that people who are 22 find themselves feeling as if they live in two worlds, one which is overwhelmed by the mundane, and the other by the fantastic.

This is precisely where the sadness comes. For more than a month I have been feeling a pull, more like a burden, in my spirit. The best way to describe it is this. It is as if my spirit knows of something coming and feels how overwhelming it is, and it causes me to feel burdened. To paint it another way, it is as if I am carrying the sorrows of people I have yet to meet, or crying the tears of those in pain. It is like a spiritual division problem dividing my joy into pieces of perfect love and vulnerability. Or, it is like being a puppet and being pulled by those near me who are thirsty for more of life.

According to prophecy, October is the month of “going through,” and November the month of surprises. I feel it. I smell it. I breathe it. Certainly, I already started going through many emotions. I get highs like a butterfly flying in the sky and I get lows like a caged bird waiting for its death. Ironic enough, the joy I have is more powerful than that which is slowly eating me away and I know I am ready for this new season.

I just came back from a luncheon of the Essex County Democrats. That is part of that this convention is all about; going to receptions during the day, meeting people in between events and at around 4pm going to the convention hall to listen to party leaders speak about their vision for America. For those of us who are first time delegates, the receptions give us the opportunity to learn from the pros about what to expect and also build relationships for the work that we have to do when we get back home.

Nevertheless, going from place to place has been a nightmare. Don’t get me wrong, Denver is a beautiful city, but the transportation network, although available for conventioneers, is a hassle. The security perimeter for the Pepsi Center (where the convention is being held) is almost a half-mile radius, which means that there is a long walk before you get anywhere. I am happy to say that I have gotten rid of my nice shoes, and have chosen to walk on my comfortable walking flats. Despite the fact that I would like to look as fashionable as Michelle Obama (and I suspect she does not have to walk as much as I do) I have decided to put on the flats and keep on walking.

I am having a great time especially yesterday when the roll call for the votes was taken and we had to listen to all the states make their pledge. When the time for NJ came up, Governor Corzine announced that all 127 NJ Delegates were voting for Barack Obama. At that moment, the whole Pepsi Center went crazy with excitement. It was a statement of unity and Governor Corzine did the right thing by announcing that as NJ Democrats we are all behind the Obama. I personally felt that the roll call vote was more a power move by the Clinton camp, than an effort to heal the party.

However, I must admit that once President Clinton spoke my doubts of his support for Obama ended. He made it clear that he was there to support Obama, calling him fit to lead this nation. Biden also demonstrated that he can hold his own and that he is ready to help Obama lead this country.

Today, on the anniversary of the “I have a Dream” speech given by Rev. Martin Luther King, we will hear another inspirational speech by a man that personifies the dreams that Rev. Luther King spoke about: that a man should be judged by the content of his character and not the color of his skin. Obama will once again inspire this great country to continue to live to the “Dream” that gave him a shot to become the first ever African American president. Rev. King’s dream is the same for all of us; opportunity for all of us to achieve our God given talents.

History is being made today, but the biggest historic moment will be on November 4th when we elect Barack Obama to become the next President of the United State of America.

I hope you are all watching the speech tonight. Denver will be abuzz with thousands of people pouring into downtown. I will be at Invesco Field and will be listening carefully to his platform, his dreams and most of all, his vision for a better and a more perfect nation.

Whenever death may surprise us, let it be welcome if our battle cry has reached even one receptive ear and another hand reaches out to take up our arms.
Che Guevara

I know, I know, it’s been a long time since I’ve written on my LatinosNJ.com blog. However, as you will read in a few minutes, it has been a busy summer. While there are many places to start, I will try to start as close to the beginning as possible. While the above quote may sound strictly revolutionary it can also be used in every-day context. That is the context I will try to use it in on this blog.

The beginning of the summer started out like any other summer. Mainly planning vacations and dealing with some health issues. As many of you know, I am a quadriplegic and use a motorized power chair. What some of you may not know is that as a quadriplegic, I do not have the use of my stomach muscles. The stomach muscles are basically what keeps you from falling forward as gravity is constantly pulling your body down. Even when sitting if I go forward too much I may leave the comfortable point where gravity is not affecting me and fall forward on to my knees. Needless to say ever since my accident in 1983 I have had a constant battle with gravity. (Of course as I get older I have another different type of battle with gravity but that’s neither here nor there).

One Sunday afternoon when my wife was dropping off our daughter at a birthday party, I strolled out in my power wheelchair from our dining room to our patio area. I am not sure if it was my Puerto Rican style of driving a wheelchair (insert speeding ticket joke here) or the threshold between the dining room and the outside patio, but the chair went straight, and then the top half of my body fell forward and on to my lap (basically, I ended up with my head between my knees). At first, it appeared to go slowly like the leaning tower of Pisa. I almost thought, as I’ve done thousands of times before, that I could catch myself and straighten up. But I didn’t. It was one of those moments that I sometimes think about but never really expect.

I did not mention before that when a quadriplegic falls forward without the use of stomach muscles they are pressing up against their diaphragm, which basically controls breathing. As I was falling forward I felt my body losing all muscle control. I sat there for the first few minutes struggling to get up, but it was no use. In fact, it probably made it worse. Funny thing is that just a few minutes before, I was talking to my wife on her cell phone. She was on her way back to the house but was still about half an hour away. When I fell forward she was probably about 15 minutes away which does not seem like a great deal of time. Except when you are pushing on your diaphragm it becomes very difficult to breathe. After a few minutes I realized something –I was going to die!

I felt my inability to breathe growing stronger and could no longer hold my body up. I fell further forward on to my legs and knew that I would not be able to breathe for much longer. So what does a person think about when they know the end is at hand? I did what every former Catholic converted to Lutheran who eventually questions his faith does - I accepted the truth of my mortality. Then, I prayed that my daughter would know a good future, that my son would find what has been looking for since his birth, and that my wife would live a long and healthy life. I asked that my two sisters, my mother, and father live greater lives then they had seen to date. It is funny that when you accept your demise you can only think of others. Death is the great equalizer in matters of humankind. Whether you’re rich or poor, black or white, Latino or not – you will one day have to face death. Don’t get me wrong; I was pretty scared! I really started thinking about all those Catholic sermons, but in the end I realized things are what they are and it was too late to change. I prayed that I had done the best I could, and everything went dark.

I woke up for a minute inside an ambulance, then I was out again. I finally was coherent in the emergency room. Eventually, after four days of testing, I got the green light to go home. I was fortunate that despite how close I came to the end, I left the hospital with no physical repercussions. However, the event did impact my life in other ways.

I am grateful for every breath I have, and always wear my chest strap when alone in the house so that I can avoid a similar situation from happening again. It impacted my wife as well. It took her almost a week before she could bring herself to tell me what happened after I blacked out. Eventually she told me that when she came home she looked for me in the house but could not find me. Then she went outside, and found me slumped over in my wheelchair. She picked me up and said my lips and tongue were blue. I was not breathing. She ran and called 911. She told me that she thought she lost me. When she came back I started breathing again. While on the phone with the operator, she kept rubbing my scalp with her nails (one of my most sensitive areas) and touching my face, kissing me and talking to me, saying my name and trying to get a response, but there was nothing. She was incredibly frustrated with the ambulance because it seemed to take forever. The operator kept telling my otherwise mild-mannered wife to “calm down” as she was yelling at the operator to tell the ambulance driver to hurry up. Finally, the emergency people came and she was screaming at them to move faster. Again, she was told to calm down. She let them know never to insult her by telling her to calm down while her husband is in this situation, and then told them to hurry up again.

Amy is really the rock to which I anchor my crazy ship. Everyone in our lives helps us grow a little, but the people who have died have helped to makes us grow immensely. I feel that death has chased me my entire life and, like Che Guevara, “I welcome it” if I have touched at least one other person through my life here.

Peace.

Copyright J. Robles 2008

The last two days at the Convention have been electrifying! Both Michelle and Hillary’s speeches made it clear that this Democratic Party has two women who are amazing in their own right, who can hold their own in terms of policies and who are inspiring and transformational leaders.

On Monday, Michelle showed us that her family is just like any other family working hard to build a better future for their children. In that way, I believed she connected with Latino families. We have the same aspirations as everyone else: a good education for our children, good jobs and opportunities for economic growth. That’s the message that Latinos need to hear…we are in it together and we will win together!

Hillary showed us that the issues that she has fought so hard to champion are the issues that she will continue to fight for with Obama as President. I predict that she will be our champion for universal healthcare; it’s an issue that she loves and she knows how to fight for . . . she will continue to be our leader in the Senate and in the Democratic party!

Our NJ Delegation is inspired to fight for those issues for working people in NJ. Issues like a living wage for workers, the right to organize into unions, the right to have healthcare and a pension . . . those are the issues that matter to all working people in NJ.

Latinos voices were heard on the floor of the convention loud and clear; several Latino members of Congress spoke about the differences between Obama and McCain. They set the record straight that although McCain did talk about immigration reform, he is now being a real maverick by denying his support for his own immigration stands. Unfortunately, it looks like Senator Menendez will not speak on the convention floor; that was a lost opportunity for the Obama campaign as he is a respected voice for all Latinos in the US. However, I believed that he remains committed to making sure Latinos know that the real McCain is not what Latinos need to build their American dream.

We are all committed to make sure Obama wins NJ!