Empowerment

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) announced that José Villarreal of San Antonio, Texas has been elected as Chair of the NCLR Board of Directors, a 32-member group made up of representatives of community-based organizations, the corporate sector, academia, and elected officials.

The NAAHP announced that it officially kicks off its grassroots campaign to reach the 35 million Hispanics nationwide.

The National Board of the American Civil Liberties Union voted unanimously to appoint Anthony D. Romero, a Ford Foundation executive and public interest attorney, as the sixth executive director in the institution's 81-year history.

Carlos Santana and his wife Deborah, in recognition of their ongoing work with The Milagro Foundation, which they founded in 1998, will be honored with UCLA's Cesar E. Chavez Spirit Award. The "Cesar E.

According to news reports, the Census Bureau will report shortly that the Latino community experienced a 60% growth rate during the 1990s and that the size of the Hispanic population is at virtual parity with that of the African American population.

Esperanza exists to help meet the needs of communities in Latin America.