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Tuning Into the Latine and Puerto Rican Communities<\/strong><\/p>\n The first of several listening sessions, dubbed Tu Voz, Tu Influencia \u2013 which means \u201cYour Voice, Your Influence\u201d \u2013 took place in November 2023 in New London at the Hispanic Alliance of Southeastern CT, a nonprofit that advances Hispanic contributions to the state\u2019s southeastern community. That session was followed by events in Hartford, UConn Waterbury, and in New Haven. More than 100 residents participated in these sessions.<\/p>\n During this time, the three co-organizers also planned the summit event, called \u201cBuilding a Better Future: The Latino and Puerto Rican Policy Agenda Summit,\u201d inviting local and state officials, including Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz. \u201cWe wanted it to take place before the beginning of the legislative session so that it could actually help guide the agenda building process,\u201d says Werkmeister Rozas. State legislators and local municipal leaders were among the approximately 150 people in attendance.<\/p>\n During the daylong summit, speakers and panelists discussed a range of issues affecting Latine communities across the state, including housing; access to health and mental health; education; voting and civic engagement; and language and linguistic justice.<\/p>\n Venator Santiago pointed to the burdens of high rents and mortgages for Puerto Ricans who might spend up to half of their salaries in housing costs.<\/p>\n Language barriers linked all of the issues. \u201cIn the listening sessions, there were repeated concerns about educational disparities as a result of the language barrier, as well as difficulty accessing quality health and mental health care due to lack of Spanish-speaking providers or qualified translators. [Community members] often feel marginalized and powerless when navigating English-dominant systems and are often ignored, misinformed or misunderstood as a result of cultural imperialism embedded in all systems,\u201d says Werkmeister Rozas.<\/p>\n Continuing the Conversations<\/strong><\/p>\n Werkmeister Rozas, Venator Santiago, and Oyanadel will continue to collect data through listening sessions in other parts of the state. They are planning to host another summit in Fall 2024. The co-organizers have also applied for grant funding to support their research and policy-building efforts.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are very excited about the response and information gathered and plan to gather and share the recommendations that were obtained in the summit panel sessions, as well as the results from the listening sessions in a report,\u201d Werkmeister Rozas adds. \u201cWe would also like to continue conversations with local and state legislators in terms of what might help them with building their own policy agendas.\u201d<\/p>\n While the work continues, the summit was a notable step forward. “The Latino Summit has not only marked a significant milestone in our collective journey towards empowerment but also established a new benchmark for meaningful dialogue and action,\u201d says Oyanadel, CWCSEO Latino & Puerto Rican Policy Director. \u201cThrough the unwavering dedication and passion of every participant, we have transformed aspirations into concrete legislative priorities. This achievement proves that together, we can create mechanisms for a future that both honors our rich heritage and addresses the challenges that lie ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the fact that a majority of Latinos in Connecticut do not participate in politics, Venator Santiago hopes the summit was \u201can opportunity to begin a conversation on how to develop a collective agenda for the state.\u201d<\/p>\n The summit event was highlighted in a report by NBC Connecticut<\/a>.<\/p>\n