Delaware Latino Summit scheduled for Nov. 3

The Delaware Hispanic Commission will dedicate its upcoming summit to encouraging civic engagement among Latinos of all walks of life.

The Third Annual Delaware Latino Summit, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 3, will unite elected officials, state agency and community leaders, and for-profit executives with the goal of engaging in dialogue about how to improve the quality of life of all Latinos in Delaware through political and non-political processes. The event will be held at Delaware Technical Community College in Georgetown.

“Given that this is an election year, we definitely want to encourage voting, but we also think it is important to talk about the many other ways that we could all improve civic life in our community,” said Javier G. Torrijos, chair of the Delaware Hispanic Commission.

The summit’s panel discussions will focus on two key needs: revamped funding for English Language Learners (ELL) and improved access to health care for individuals who are not English-proficient.

The summit strives to further the commission’s Hispanic Public Policy Agenda, which is a blueprint for advancing the Latino community in the areas of economic development, civil rights, health and social services, government accountability, immigration reform and education.

About 83,000 Hispanics reside in Delaware, according to the Pew Research Center’s tabulations of the Census Bureau’s 2014 American Community Survey. Some 49 percent of Hispanics in Delaware are eligible to vote, ranking Delaware 19th nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote.

In addition to discussion, the summit’s marketplace will feature the products and services of Latino business owners. Sponsors and exhibitors will also present information and goods.

The Delaware Hispanic Commission, whose members are appointed by the governor, meets bi-monthly to address the most important needs of the state’s Latino families.

Event registration is available at hispanic.delaware.gov.