Who is the Latino Congress?

The Latino Congress is a nonpartisan broad-based network of grassroots organizations who come together to build collective power to ensure the fair treatment and equal opportunities of immigrants since 2002.

The Latino Congress utilizes the organizing model of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), the nation's largest and longest-standing network of local faith and community-based organizations. The IAF created the modern model of faith- and broad-based organizing and is widely recognized as having the strongest track record in the nation for citizen leadership development and for helping congregations and other civic organizations act on their missions to achieve lasting change in the world.

What does the Latino Congress do?

The Latino Congress builds relationships across the lines that often divides our community.  Fosters capacity in the Latino community through leadership development, and generates spaces for the immigrants to come together and participate in common agendas of change in a collective and disciplined action at a local, state and federal level.

Want to become a Member?

The Latino Congress welcomes and seeks new grassroots member congregations, community centers and other organizations that are ready to challenge their members in an effort to build new relationships, become leaders, and assume greater power and significance in the public arena of North Carolina. If your congregation or institution is interested in joining or learning more about our work, the staff would be happy to meet with you to present the process of participation. Email [email protected] for more information.

The North Carolina Congress of Latino Organizations (The Latino Congress) is a nonpartisan broad-based network of grassroots organizations dedicated to building collective power and ensuring the fair treatment and equal opportunities of Latino immigrants in North Carolina.

Since its inception, the Latino Congress has organized multiple collective public actions with average participation at each of more than 1,000 leaders from across the state. The actions are public negotiations with decision makers at different levels which are focused, but limited to,  farmworker rights, immigration reform, access to health care and education.

OUR WORK

The Latino Congress is a vehicle for the development of leaders, community organizing, public action and non-partisan electoral work. We generate collective power by bringing together several local chapters formed by diverse grassroots religious congregations, community centers, unions, non-profit institutions and their leaders. Those institutions are often the most stable and trusted local Latino networks in communities.

We sustain our relationships through individual one-to-one conversations, house meetings and listening campaigns. Chapters engage hundreds of leaders in local campaigns that improve the quality of life in their communities at the local level. All local chapters unite around a collective state/national agenda which is built with input from thousands of grassroots leaders.

Latino leaders engage in careful collective planning and research and initiate strategic action around issues that have been identified. Actions often involve thousands of our members during disciplined and public negotiations with key stakeholders, policy makers and public officials on the issues that impact our families the most.