Reviewing 2006

Arlington County Board Member J. Walter Tejada's work on engaging a voter registration drive along side the immigration discussions, was among the highlights of 2006 according to the Arlington Connection.

The Connection reported that "Tejada joined elected Latino officials from across the region to promote a voter registration drive, with the goal of getting tens of thousands of Spanish-speaking citizens to the polls this past November for the first time. Throughout the summer and fall, Tejada and other Latino activists canvassed Arlington neighborhoods speaking to residents about the importance of voting."

Voter Mobilization in November!

Arlington County Board Member J. Walter Tejada spoke out about the impact of voter registration in the Latino community in Virginia in the recent Congressional elections, to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Tejada said, "We are more encouraged from the results we had in the last elections. In some areas, Hispanics voted against candidates who opposed illegal immigration. Instead, they voted for many moderate Democrats who supportcomprehensive immigration changes Hispanic voters also largely voted against candidates who support construction of a fence at the Mexican border and mass deportation. If you propose anti-immigrant legislation at the national, local and state level, you will pay the consequences."

The article also noted that exit polls nationwide showed about 70 percent of Latinos voted Democrat. In Virginia, 17,653 immigrants became citizens, ranking it eighth in the nation in the number of naturalized citizens in 2005.