CALDWELL, Idaho — More than 13% of Idahoans are Hispanic and almost a quarter of Idaho's Hispanic population lives in Canyon County, which makes them an important demographic in the upcoming caucus and election.
- PODER of Idaho is a non-profit organization focused on empowering the Latinx community by elevating their voices.
- PODER of Idaho hosted a listening session where Hispanic Idahoans shared the issues most important to them. The top priority was immigration, followed by education and the economy.
- María Gonzalez has been a community activist since she was 17 years old and works to teach people the importance of voting.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
"In order to really count and be counted it is really critical…important that we vote," said community activist, María Gonzalez.
Leaders in Idaho's Hispanic community say political participation within the Hispanic community is often low in Idaho.
"The voter registration card is not Spanish…so step number one is to get registered to vote and that's not in Spanish that's in English. So there's a barrier for participation right there," said Executive Director of PODER of Idaho, Estefania Mondragon.
María Gonzalez has been a community activist since she was 17 years old. She was the director of the Idaho Latino Vote project for many years and served on the board of the Idaho Hispanic Caucus.
"To truly be heard and represented in the fullest broadest way it's important to vote," said Gonzalez.
María works to teach people the importance of voting.
"People pay attention to voters."
"It's for everyone but especially for those of us that are considered or perceived as a minority," said Gonzalez.
PODER of Idaho is a non-profit organization focused on empowering the Latinx community by elevating their voices.
Recently, the group hosted a listening session where Hispanic Idahoans shared the issues most important to them.
The top priority was immigration, followed by education and the economy.