Can you suggest any specific strategies that local governments should consider when seeking to engage Latino populations?
Oscar Rios: Reach out to people where they live and work. Speak to them in their language and about issues they care about. In Watsonville, we have a community outreach team, through our Parks and Recreation Department, that goes into communities to provide information, develop relationships and help residents organize to be more involved. We can also help them develop skills such as how to run meetings effectively. Residents become more prepared to help their own communities, whether the issue is neighborhood cleanup or public safety. Sal Tinajero: First, partner with your local school district leadership. Latino parents are connected to their children’s schools, and this is a vehicle for two-way communications with Latino residents. School district-city relationships are not always the best, but our experience in Santa Ana suggests that good working relationships support access and dialogue with newcomer communities. Providing such “safe” and comfortable public spaces where issues an
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