New York City is the first home for Hispanic Federation. Always has been and always will be. But over the last several years HF has started to bring its services and expertise to other states where Latino communities are facing serious social, economic and political challenges. In 2015, we made a number of important strides toward increasing our national presence including, most significantly, opening an HF office in Orlando to serve the growing Latino population of Central Florida. “Florida’s Latino community is undergoing a major demographic transition,” said HF President José Calderón. “Central Florida is becoming an important Latino hub in the state with the third largest Latino population in the United States, and with that transition we saw a need for the kinds of services and advocacy HF knows how to provide. We’re really excited about HF’s future in Florida.”
In addition to providing services in Florida, HF also led other important national initiatives:
Economic justice for Puerto Rico: As Puerto Rico has endured its most significant economic crisis since the Great Depression, HF has taken a leadership role organizing the Puerto Rican diaspora and allies in a concerted campaign to help the island stave off financial collapse.
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Hispanic Immigrant Integration Project (HIIP): There are more than 18 million Latino immigrants in the United States and they are eager to integrate into their communities. In partnership with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), HF provided nearly 6,000 immigrants across 8 states with citizenship support, family-based petitioning, and application assistance for deferred action from deportation and work permits.
Environmental policy advocacy: HF continues to increase its leadership on global environmental issues. In 2015, we helped articulate a Latino agenda around climate change and other pressing environmental issues. HF also mounted a major advocacy campaign in support of the reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a critical piece of legislation that preserves green-spaces in Latino communities across the nation.
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Zumbando en el Barrio: Zumba® has become a global exercise phenomenon that uses traditional Latin dance to great aerobic effect. HF’s Zumbando moved from New York to Los Angeles and from Miami to Houston, helping 2,000 individuals participate in our healthy lifestyles workout sessions.
