Category: Uncategorized

OneAmerica Votes Leaders, Juan Monje and Rudy Cureno, traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to attend The People’s Presidential Forum – a forum created by Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada Action (PLAN Action) and People’s Action. OAV is an affiliate of People’s Action, a national network of community organizing groups.

OneAmerica Votes endorses I-1000, the Affirmative Action and Diversity measure, brought to the ballot by Referendum 88. OAV also recommends a no vote on Tim Eyman’s Initiative 976. With I-1000, we have an opportunity to address historical and ongoing discrimination, ensuring that our public institutions are diverse and accessible for all.

When a federal district court ordered the City of Yakima to create a new election system on the federal Voting Rights Act, communities across Washington State took notice. The Cities of Pasco and Wenatchee went further than most, recognizing that their at-large election systems violated the voting rights of Latinx citizens by diluting their votes through racially polarized elections.

Relentless attacks on immigrant and refugee communities under the Trump Administration are energizing a movement to create change at the ballot box in Washington State. Immigrants, refugees, and people of color are stepping up to run for office at record levels, and in communities across Washington State, grassroots community members are looking ahead to this fall’s elections.

Anticipating a crowded primary election in August, and reviewing news reports that big businesses are already pouring a lot of money into the City Council elections, OneAmerica Votes decided to partner with Civic Ventures and Working Washington to launch the Civic Alliance for a Progressive Economy (CAPE).

In 2018, OneAmerica established a new partnership with New American Leaders to host the Ready to Lead® candidate training program in Washington. This training program is specifically designed for first and second generation immigrants and people of color who want to run for office or work in politics. It identifies the immigrant experience as an asset in civic leadership.

On May 16, 2019 Yakima resident, community leader and DACA recipient, Rocío Carrión, along with a group of campaign supporters, symbolically filed to run for office Yakima City Council, District 1. “I believe it’s time for me to run for local office. I am a DACA recipient who is passionate about representing the people in my community."

A state’s tax code is a representation of its values. Unfortunately, our state’s tax code reveals an ugly truth: immigrant and refugee communities and low to middle-income communities like ours are not a priority. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy published a comprehensive report on tax fairness in all 50 states.

With OneAmerica Votes leading the way, people like us are creating a movement to claim our power at the ballot at the local, state, and federal level. We knocked on 9,800 doors. We made 8,700 calls. We registered 1,200 voters. We elected 22 out of 29 OAV-endorsed candidates. Victories for OAV-endorsed people like us – pro-immigrant, progressive legislators.