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Change Makers

Turned off by political rhetoric, Latino Millenials seek new ways to make difference

The Millennial Generation, born after 1985 and emerging in a time of political change, economic uncertainty, and war, is becoming a recognized force. They’re young, engaged in their communities, and looking for ways to become civically involved.

That’s the consensus of Millennials Talk Politics: A Study of College Student Political Engagement, a report released in November by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE).

The report is based on a 2006-2007 study of nearly 400 students convened in 47 focus groups on 12 four-year university campuses throughout the nation. Participants were asked to discuss their civic and political attitudes and experiences. Seven percent of the students in the study self-identified as Latino.

According to the report, political candidates should take notice of Millennials, as they are among young voters who will make up a quarter of the voting population in the 2008 elections.

Millennials could be a tough nut to crack because they recognize the importance of being educated and involved citizens, but discard much of the information available to them because of its polarizing and partisan nature. They are turned off by intensely combative political debate; some see voting simply as a symbolic gesture, the report says.

Still, there are plenty of Millennials out there who are interested in making an impact on their communities.

Luis Avila, a politically active twenty-something says now is an exciting time for young people to be interested in politics and civic engagement.

Avila is an Arizona State University student who will graduate in December with a Bachelor of Arts degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in communications and Spanish. He is active in the local human rights and political scenes. A Mexico native, he has lived in Arizona for seven years.

“We are all using technology more. Facebook and MySpace play a big role in civic engagement and prompting activities,” he says. For example, text messaging was recently used to mobilize Phoenix-area youth to get involved in activities relating to immigration reform, and new media, including online blogs, is pushing youth to participate in the political process, he says.

Avila says a hunger strike in which he participated last year to advocate for the DREAM Act was publicized through the Internet and online blogs. Also, a related immigration reform event was the subject of more than 500 comments generated through Facebook, MySpace and blogs, he says.

In addition to online sources, where do Latino youth get information about politics and current events? “We watch a lot of mock news shows, like the Daily Show and Colbert Report. We know who (Iranian President) Ahmadinejad and (United States Vice President) Dick Cheney are,” he says.

Avila says he personally reads local news publications and The New York Times to keep up with current events for a show he hosts called El Break, a bilingual public affairs program that airs on Latino Vibe 95.1 FM from 8 to 10 a.m. on Sundays.

Hot-button issues

The 2008 presidential election is particularly interesting to youth, Latinos and others alike, Avila adds. “The candidates are attractive for youth. For example, Barak Obama is really appealing and has a big following at ASU. He speaks to youth.”

Education, immigration and world affairs are other top issues for Latino youth.

Avila knows about education. He is a member of the Dream Team, a local higher education advocacy group that talks to students and parents about developing good learning habits, financial aid, immigration issues that will affect students, English as a Second Language, and Prop. 100.

“Issues important to youth include the war in Iraq. We all have friends or family in Iraq or who have been there. We ask, ‘Who’s to blame for going to Iraq and who can help to effect change in that area?’ ”

In Arizona, the focus is on immigration issues affecting young Latinos who were brought to the United States as children. “Why youth? Because a lot of them don’t have the street smarts to go back to Mexico,” he says, referring to those who risk being deported despite long-term residency in the United States.

Global change and global climate also are big issues, in part due to Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, Avila adds.

While issues abound, Avila says role models and input about what direction to take are lacking.

“In the Hispanic community we have a gap between the Old School generation – the generation that called itself Chicano – and the new generation. There hasn’t been a campaign to inform Latino youth about historic precedents of our community. Interest among youth now is self-generated and not so motivated by role models,” he says.

A concerted effort to bring Latinos of all generations together is needed, he says.