Hillary Clinton and several of her surrogates will attend this week’s League of United Latin American Citizens convention shortly before the GOP’s political convention. Donald Trump and his representatives won’t be coming to the convention, though he was invited, but his camp never responded.
Brent Wilkes, executive director of LULAC, an organization with a long history of political engagement, said the conference will underscore the difference between LULAC’s and the Latino community’s vision for the country versus what Trump has laid out. “I hope people see ours as a much better vision,” Wilkes said, “What we are talking about is this idea of unity, diversity and opportunity being important.”
Clinton’s appearance will come Thursday, two days after her joint appearance at a New Hampshire rally with Bernie Sanders. The group’s convention is geared around its vision of opportunity, going beyond the policy and politics often the focus of Washington, D.C. conferences, Wilkes said. Many of attendees are LULAC members, but it also draws area residents, federal workers and young people.
The convention includes training workshops for federal workers, a job fair and expo open to the public that runs Wednesday through Saturday and workshops and panels for young people. Wilkes said LULAC, which is non-partisan and does not endorse candidates, believes the two Democratic candidates more than any other candidates have catered to the Latino community in this campaign and developed progressive platforms on immigration, health care and education. “We think they are really engaging the Latino community,” he said.
The conference has a packed entertainment lineup with appearances by Tejano legends Little Joe y La Familia; A.B. Quintanilla and the Kumbia All Starz, the band led by Selena’s brother, salsa and bolero singer Gilberto Santa Rosa; “Orange is the New Black” actor Diane Guerrero, actor and entertainer Rosie Perez and actor Edward James Olmos.
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