A Bright Light in Challenging Times
For years, Arizona was ground-zero for anti-immigrant sentiment and legislation, particularly following the passage of the SB 1070 “show me your papers law.” Ten organizations banded together to form One Arizona, aimed at promoting full electoral participation of Latino citizens, particularly among infrequent and first-time voters. This evaluation demonstrates how One Arizona’s voter engagement efforts have consistently increased turnout, are changing the way Latino and other citizens view democracy and take part in it, and are nurturing a new generation of collaborative activist leaders. It also tells us that effective, data-driven strategies, along the targeted capacity-building support, provided the soil in which the coalition could thrive. While this evaluation is now several years old, its lessons are still relevant.
The evaluation was conducted by Shiree Teng, who brings 30+ years of experience as a social and racial justice practitioner to her work as an evaluator, and Professor Tom K. Wong, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego, whose research has been used by policymakers both in the U.S. and in Mexico, as well as by organizations that serve immigrant communities.
Author: One Arizona
Date: October 2016
Location: onearizona.org
