Blog | The LIBRE Initiative

Is this the year state lawmakers finally expand educational opportunity?

January 14, 2022

Around the country, lawmakers will be returning to state capitols to begin tackling legislative priorities. Those always vary from state to state, but there are inevitably concerns that are widely shared in many parts of the country. This year it’s clear that education reform will be front-and-center in much of the U.S. The ongoing pandemic … Read More

What is the Biden Administration’s plan to reduce crisis level immigration backlogs?

January 10, 2022

The LIBRE initiative joined a coalition of over a dozen organizations in a letter calling on the Biden administration to publicize a plan to streamline processing at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and to disclose how it is spending the over $400 million that it received in congressional funds. As national attention on immigration continues … Read More

The LIBRE Initiative celebrates 10 years of efforts to build stronger communities

December 22, 2021

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the founding of The LIBRE Initiative. Back in 2011, a small group of activists launched an organization dedicated to building a stronger Hispanic community. They knew that in the ongoing debates over policies that affect America’s Latinos, an essential voice was missing: one that came from Hispanic neighborhoods … Read More

LIBRE’s grassroots leaders reflect on what Glenn Youngkin’s win means for Hispanics

November 12, 2021

Around midnight on Thursday, October 28, heavy rains and strong winds rolled into Virginia. By Friday morning, parts of Northern Virginia and the Washington metro area were hit by what the Washington Post called the “worst coastal flooding in years.” But that wasn’t the only storm brewing in the region. The LIBRE Initiative was out … Read More

LIBRE-Virginia staff and volunteers out doorknocking in support of Glenn Youngkin

Why Glenn Youngkin is the clear choice for Virginia’s Hispanics

October 27, 2021

By Michael Monrroy When former Governor Terry McAuliffe declared during a debate that parents should not “be telling schools what they should teach,” he perfectly captured the difference between himself and his rival in the 2021 contest for Virginia governor, Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin believes strongly that Hispanic parents, and every Virginia parent, should have a … Read More

New poll reveals Americans support these key immigration reforms

October 22, 2021

Across our nation, voters are tired of the status quo at our border and with our immigration system. A new poll reveals that voters are very supportive of legislation that tackles key components of broken immigration system: Strengthening security at the border A pathway to citizenship for Dreamers A streamlined agricultural guest worker program that … Read More

How lawmakers can make education more responsive to the needs of New Mexico families

October 20, 2021

New Mexico families — both Hispanics and others — are concerned about the education students are receiving in this state. The legislature has worked for years to try to improve academic outcomes and help students to succeed, but progress has been disappointing. A number of states have addressed such concerns with reforms intended to increase … Read More

Hispanic Heritage Month: Why we come…and why we succeed

October 14, 2021

Ever wonder why Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated over two separate months — from September 15 to October 15? It’s a nod to the bipartisan roots of the event, which recognizes Hispanic Americans’ achievements and their contributions to their adopted country. The celebration began in 1968 when President Lyndon Johnson signed legislation declaring the seven … Read More

How the ‘infrastructure’ bill’s taxes and regulations could hurt Hispanic entrepreneurs

October 5, 2021

The Hispanic community is a key driver of the American economy. There are 29 million Hispanic workers in the U.S. And as of 2019, we contributed $2.7 trillion to the economy – equal to the 7th largest economy in the world. Hispanics will account for 78 percent of labor force growth from 2020 to 2030. … Read More

From terror to triumph: How an eight-year-old boy escaped from Cuba and became a champion of liberty

September 30, 2021

While growing up in Florida, Alian Collazo didn’t necessarily hide the story of his harrowing escape from Cuba in 2003. But he didn’t broadcast it either. Alian still had loved ones inside Cuba, and he frequently visited them as soon as he was allowed a travel visa. That all changed — somewhat ironically — in … Read More