Tampa, Florida - On Friday, key White House officials held a summit with Tampa Bay Hispanic leaders at the University of Tampa to discuss issues impacting the Latino community.
"It sends the message they do care, they want to hear from us," says Sylvia Alvarez, Executive Director of Housing and Education Alliance, Inc.
The Latino community is the largest and fastest growing minority group -- more than 50 million strong, according to 2010 census. Florida has reportedly the third largest number of Latinos, at about four million. Growth estimates indicate between 2005 and 2050, Hispanics will make up 60 percent of the nation's population growth.
"These are Hispanic issues, but they are issues in general that affect all of the population. You have housing, education, immigration topics that impact all of Florida," says Tampa City Council member Yvonne Yolie Capin.
Stop and speak to Latinos in Tampa's Hispanic community and the issues that are eating away at them may sound familiar.
Cresencio Suarez says what's needed the most is jobs, especially construction jobs.
The latest unemployment numbers show a half percent drop among Hispanics from 11 to 10.5 percent, while the overall unemployment rate is down to 8.3 percent.
According to the PEW Research center, the Hispanic community as a whole has lost 66% of its net worth.
"They have suffered disproportionately in this downtorn economy," says Francisco Sanchez, the Under Secretary for International Trade at the US Department of Commerce. A Tampa native, Sanchez says the President's job creation plan is based on an economy built to last.
"It's focused on manufacturing, it's focused on energy and workers having the tools and skills to succeed and it's focused on the renewal of American values of fairness and opportunity for everyone," explains Sanchez.
Hispanic leaders say another area impacting Latinos is housing. The summit is a chance to hear problems and solutions.
Alvarez says, "We've got to get the banks to wake up. They've got to do more and deeper principal reductions. It's the best thing that can happen for all of us." Alvarez says it's one way to help keep people in their homes.
Educating Hispanics is also a top concern. One in five of all public school students are Latino and graduation rates show 40 percent of Hispanics drop out of high school.
Nio Cuervos from Tampa says, "Some kids can only make it through high school, can't get into college. Either they don't have papers or don't have the money. If you want to have a more educated population, you've got to give the choice to go to school, study something to better them."
Tampa resident Shirley Eceiza says Hispanics want to contribute their part too. Eceiza says, "We want politicians to consider us not for a vote, but part of the community to grow. We give so much and we can give more if given the opportunity."
This is the White House's 13th Hispanic Community Action Summit. Four more are scheduled this year.
Hispanics are expected to play a big role in the November election. An estimated 21-million Latinos will be registered to vote.
So far, only 60 percent of Latino citizen adults are registered to vote. That's a distant third to Whites and African-Americans, who average around 70%.
Isabel Mascarenas