Latino Group Supports Marriage Equality; NC Faith Group Urges Legislators to Embrace the DREAM

Latino Civil Rights Group Backs Marriage Equality Resolution. Members of the largest Latino civil rights group in America, La Raza, are the latest organization to come out in favor of marriage equality. According to the group’s vice president Eric Rodriquez, the vote was cast on June 9 and featured little opposition from any of the group’s members. “There was discussion for that period of time, but everyone felt really strongly that supporting what we had already put out there in terms of our statement was the right thing to do,” Rodriguez said. Former National Council of La Raza (NCLR) Board Chair Danny Ortega also supported the motion, which he said drew debate amongst members though no one opposed the decision. “We had a discussion about this and clearly some people had more questions than others, but at the end... it was unanimous,” Ortega said. The group’s decision comes at the heels of a similar endorsement by the NAACP in favor of marriage equality, and the historic endorsement President Obama made same-sex marriage. Current NCLR President Janet Murguia might have alluded to the group’s endorsement when she commended the President’s decision to support marriage equality, thanking him for his, “historic remarks expressing support for marriage equality.” Rodriquez stated that the Board felt that Marguia’s remarks were correct, and that they felt it necessary to firmly support the movement toward equality. “The board in essence validated that and said we fully support Janet’s position,” Rodriquez added. “Consistent with that belief they expressed for themselves the belief that marriage equality is consistent with the mission—the civil rights mission—of our organization.” [LGBTQ Nation]

 North Carolina Catholic Group Urges State to DREAM. Members of Sisters of Mercy gathered last week to urge their lawmakers and leaders to pass the DREAM Act, which would provide educational opportunities to undocumented immigrants. The group has said that they are using their calling from God to help bring the issue to the state’s attention. “Advocating in this way has proved to be beneficial in the past,” said Sister Paulette Williams. “They’re part of our country, we’ve already educated them, why waste that education?” added fellow Sister, Rose Marie Tresp. The DREAM Act would grant undocumented high school graduates who grew up in the United States a pathway to citizenship if they complete either two years at an accredited college, or serve in the military. Some residents of Charlotte, North Carolina have joined the cause, like Viridiana Martinez, who graduated from high school with honors only to find out of her dreams of higher education was out of reach due to her immigration status. “We are an asset, we want to contribute, why not let us, why not let us work and do all the things we want to do to make this country better,” Martinez said. Sisters of Mercy has said that this issue is of vital importance, as it is a human rights cause, and is the right thing to do morally as well. “They did not break the law, someone else broke it on their behalf, they aren’t at fault for this, I don’t think we need to punish the children for the sins of the fathers,” says SOM member Sister Tresp. [WCNC (Charlotte)]

 California City Favors Education Over Handout to Football Team. Santa Clara County shocked the Bay Area after siphoning $30 million in tax funds from a new stadium planned for the San Francisco 49ers to go to depleted educational causes instead. Officials said that they would rather spend the money on teachers, rather than provide another handout to billionaire sports owners. The team and city tax collectors have argued that the action is illegal given that voters already allocated the money via a referendum. “Let’s be real: That stadium is going to get built whether or not you get this $30 million,” said county tax collector George Putris, who proposed the motion, which passed by a 4-3 majority in the council’s vote. [San Francisco Chronicle]

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