WEARETHE FUTURE—PEFmembers surround state ComptrollerTomDiNapoli at a labor breakfast held during the annual Somos el Futuro conference inAlbany inApril.


By SHERRY HALBROOK PEF was well represented this year at


the 24th Annual Somos el Futuro Legislative Spring Conference held April 1- 3 in Albany. The labor breakfast April 2 was a


highlight of the event for PEF members because Vice President Pat Baker was among several leaders in New York honored by the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. “I felt very privileged to be honored by


them for my commitment to advancing labor rights and the human rights of all people,” Baker said. “It was a very special recognition for me because I feel so strongly workers’ rights must be respected regardless of race, gender or ethnicity. All people deserve fair and safe working conditions and that’s what I try to fight for every day.”


The BAKER www.pef.org


conference is named Somos el Futuro, which means “we are the future.” The theme of this year’s event – “Esta en Nuestras Manos (It’s in our hands): Achieving Hispanic Empowerment” – was chosen to coincide with


MAKING PEF SHINE—Making PEF’s presence felt at the annual Somos el Futuro conference are PEFVice President Pat Baker,Region 12 Coordinator Connie Batts, Secretary-TreasurerArlea Igoe,Division 192 Leader Marion Fox and Exec.Board member Migdalia Ramos-Ensslin.


the conference’s Inaugural College Scholarship Program, as well as the release of the 2010 U.S. Census results that show Hispanics are the fastest growing minority group in the state. “The future of Hispanics is truly in our


hands,” state Assembly Member Felix Ortiz, chair of the Puerto Rican-Hispanic Legislative Task Force, told those attending the conference. “The Task Force was created nearly a


quarter century ago to investigate the under-representation of Hispanics in New York State. As the census data begins to be published, our challenge remains the same. With 50 million Hispanics in the United States, it is our duty to give this large segment of the population a voice,” Ortiz said. PEF Executive Board member Ed Diaz,


chair of PEF’s Hispanic Committee, was a panelist for a workshop on diversity in the workplace. PEF member Angel Luis Acosta, Executive Board member on the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), was a panelist for a workshop on affordable housing for middle-income taxpayers. The mission of Somos el Futuro is to


create opportunities for Hispanics through participation in the public-policy process. Every year the conference provides an intense weekend of workshops, exhibits, debates, a mock state Senate session, a youth leadership institute and numerous social opportunities. Participants engage legislators and one another on countless important public policy issues and how they relate to New York’s Hispanic and Puerto Rican communities.


The Communicator May 2011—Page 17


—Photos by Richard Dillard Baker honored at annual Hispanic legislative event


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