+ SHAPING THE AMERICAN POLICY AGENDA

The NALEO Educational Fund’s Policy, Research and Advocacy program seeks to promote policies which further Latino access to the political process, and to provide the public with accurate and relevant information about Latino political engagement and impact.

Our Program and Issues

The NALEO Educational Fund provides national leadership for important public discussions on the key issues affecting Latino participation in our political process, including immigration and naturalization, election reform, the Census, and the appointment of qualified Latinos to top government executive and judicial positions. Additionally, policymakers at all levels of government rely on the Fund’s expertise to ensure that the perspectives of the Latino community are incorporated into their policy proposals. The NALEO Educational Fund also conducts civic research that provides the public with invaluable information about Latino political engagement and impact.

Naturalization and Immigration

Since its inception, the NALEO Educational Fund has worked to ensure that our nation’s naturalization process is fair and accessible to our newcomers. We provide information to policymakers in Congress and the Administration about the impact of U.S. citizenship policies on Latino civic engagement. We also monitor U.S. citizenship examination practices, advocate against application fee hikes, and promote policies to improve the quality of services to applicants.

Election Reform

The NALEO Educational Fund is a leading proponent of policies that enhance Latino access to the electoral process. We advocate for stronger voter education and bilingual pollworker recruitment programs. We also work to ensure that jurisdictions comply with federal requirements to provide language assistance to Latino voters.

Census

The NALEO Educational Fund has always actively promoted a full count of every Latino in the decennial Census. Now that Latinos are the nation’s second largest population group, it is even more critical that the Census Bureau collects reliable data about our community. We work closely with the Bureau to develop practices and programs that produce the most accurate information possible about the Latino population.

Latino Appointments

Our nation continues to be enriched by the wealth of talent and skills Latinos bring to public service. The NALEO Educational Fund advocates vigorously for the appointment of qualified Latinos to top positions in the executive and judicial branches of government.

Civic Research

The NALEO Educational Fund produces several publications which educate policymakers and the public about Latino political progress. These publications include:
The National Directory of Latino Elected Officials, our comprehensive listing of information about the growing number of Latinos serving the public in elected office.
Our election publications, including the bi-annual Latino Election Handbook, and our Latino Election Profiles. These resources provide critical data about Latino participation, incisive political analysis, and lively descriptions of the key races involving Latino candidates.

Our Naturalization Bulletins, Legislative Updates, Policy Briefs and other reports provide information about key policy developments affecting Latino engagement in the political process.