LATINOS TO OBAMA: JUST PASSING
WASHINGTON - The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a nonpartisan Hispanic association, today gave the Obama administration a just-passing overall grade for six areas it said are critical.
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Two years after issuing its quadrennial Hispanic Public Policy Agenda in 2008, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda assessed the progress made in addressing the major public policy issues facing the Hispanic community nationally, and took note of the work that remains to be done.
The report looks at the areas of education, civil rights, immigration, economic empowerment, health, and government accountability.
Much of the progress made during the two years evaluated by this report has since been placed at risk due to budget proposals that would dramatically roll back federal investments in programs that play an important role in advancing the Hispanic community and the nation.
"Immigration is clearly an area where we say Obama overpromised and underdelivered," said Lillian Rodriguez Lopez, Chairperson of NHLA and President of the Hispanic Federation.
She said Obama has deported more Hispanic people than any other president, overshadowing other accomplishments.
"The last seven months have been disastrous," said Lopez.
The NHLA report mentioned improvements in education such as an initiative to improve Hispanic education in science, technology, engineering and math.
Hispanics, the largest and fastest growing minority population, now number 50.5 million or 16.3 percent of the total population.
Access to adequate healthcare also has improved for Hispanics, the largest uninsured group in the country, according to Elena Rios, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association.
Preventative care for conditions like diabetes and obesity and expansion of Medicaid will include many Latinos, she said.
The NHLA report found the Obama administration has hired more Latinos into top positions than any previous administration but concluded that challenges remain for Hispanic representation.
Hispanics are faring the worst in the recession, suffering the greatest percentage of job losses and reduced wages among minority communities, according to the NHLA.
