Tell a Friend; Recruit a College Student! Internship Applications are Ready
Applications for the 2009 Ford Motor Company CHLI Leadership Program are now available online at www.chli.org. The application deadline is Friday, February 20, 2009. The six-week program begins June 15, 2009 and ends July 24, 2009. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents of Hispanic or Portuguese origin, enrolled in a four university or two year community college.
Eight undergraduate students will be selected to become part of the internship program in Washington, DC., and will be placed with institutions and members of Congress who share the goals of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI). The program focuses on advancing the Hispanic community's diversity of thought through research, briefings, reports, events, and other activities. Click here for more information and to apply.
The Ford Motor Company CHLI Leadership Program is made possible by the generous support of the Ford Motor Company.
CHLI Spotlighted as Executive Director Nominated for Hispanic Leadership Award
CHLI Executive Director Octavio A. Hinojosa Mier was nominated for the prestigious 2008"Lider" of the Year Award, sponsored by MillerCoors. Hinojosa Mier was one of fourteen national Hispanic leaders who have been nominated. Lupe Barrera, of the National Latino Peace Officers Association, won by receiving the most online votes. CHLI congratulates Lupe Barrera and salutes her leadership on behalf of our community.
Nominees were selected for their leadership and desire to make a difference in their communities. These individuals, ranging from national figures to individuals who are driving forces in their local community, were nominated by MillerCoors' Hispanic partner organizations.
CHLI appreciates the support of all its friends who voted for Octavio. We are proud of his nomination!
On the Hill....
FCC Chairman Addresses
Challenges and Opportunities
for Hispanic Media Owners
In one of CHLI's most notable
congressional briefings, the Chairman of
the Federal Communications
Commission, Kevin J. Martin, joined more
than 50 government staff and others to
address key challenges facing Hispanic-owned media outlets. These include: access to capital, media consolidation, availability of spectrum, and the digital transition set to take place on February 17, 2009.
Given that Hispanics are the nation's second largest demographic group,
numbering 45.5 million, growing
media outlets must continue to diversify
programming in order to focus on this
group. Spanish-language television has
seen double-digit growth in advertising,
demonstrating a niche market for media
outlets as well as advertisers.
Other representatives from Spanish-
language TV, radio and print outlets
discussed how they broke into the
market and what is needed to
sustain the company and continue to
grow in an ever competing (and
expensive) bi-lingual media market.
In the community...
CHLI Partners with D.C. Non-Profit to Promote Creative Writing and the Arts for Hispanic Youth
The CongressionalHispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) partnered with Young Playwrights' Theater (YPT) on Monday, October 27, 2009 to present Celebrating Community: A New Wrtiers Now! event in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
The plays were written by students in the Young Playwrights' Theater In-School Playwriting Program and examined the role of family and community. Students in the program learn to take their stories and use creative expression to write the screenplay.
The staged reading, which was free of charge and open to the public, was held at the GALA Hispanic Theatre in Washington, DC. Prior to the event, CHLI hosted a catered reception sponsored by TD Bank Dupont Circle in order to provide a space for students, family, and community members to interact before the performances.
Stay tuned! Upcoming news and events for CHLI
February 20, 2009
Ford Motor Company CHLI Leadership Program application deadline. Application for the six-week internship program in the summer of 2009 can be found here or online at www.chli.org.
March 27, 2009
CHLI Future Leaders Conference at the University of Texas at San Antonio. This one day event will feature prominent speakers as well as leadership and professional development workshops for our nation's rising Hispanic stars! Click here to register for the conference.
May 13, 2009
CHLI Fifth Annual Gala Dinner and Awards at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, DC. Celebrating CHLI's five-year anniversary of advancing the Hispanic community's diversity of thought.
Support CHLI - Donate Today!
Your generous contribution will support CHLI's programs and initiatives to advance the diversity of thought and empower the U.S. Hispanic community.
Click here to make a secure online donation. For checks, please make payable to the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute and mail to 734 15th ST, NW, Suite 620, Washington, DC 20005.
Thank you!
Dear Friends,
As the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI)commemorates its five- year anniversary, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some of the organization's accomplishments.
Since its founding, CHLI has helped to empower the U.S. Hispanic community through:
Leadership. CHLI focuses on Hispanic youth and young professionals mainly through two programs: 1) the Ford Motor Company CHLI Leadership Program, which brings students to Washington, DC each summer for rewarding internships on Capitol Hill, and 2) the CHLI Future Leaders Conference, which was first launched in 2007 and will reach new audiences this spring at the University of Texas at San Antonio on March 27, 2009. These successful initiatives have provided hundreds of Hispanic youth with tools to become leaders in their communities.
Corporate Responsibility. CHLI hosts informative events that highlight the many ways Hispanics can succeed as senior corporate executives, board members, and small business owners. As an active member of the Hispanic Associationon on Corporate Responsibility (HACR), CHLI aims to demonstrate how Corporate America and the Hispanic community can effectively work together.
Public Service. CHLI was founded and continues to be guided by Members of Congress representing diverse areas of our country. CHLI seeks to inspire others to answer the call to public service by promoting careers in the federal, state and local government.
Transatlantic Relations. CHLI is unique in that it works beyond U.S. borders to foster constructive relations and pursue opportunities for growth and success among the peoples of the Americas and Europe. CHLI's strategic partnerships with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and multinational corporations have helped make possible an increased awareness of the importance of international affairs by the U.S. Hispanic community.
Please join me in celebrating this important milestone for the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI), and in supporting these and other CHLI endeavors in the future.
Cordially,
Lincoln Diaz-Balart
Chairman
US Hispanic Community Ideally-Positioned to Transcend Barriers and Contribute to Global Economy in 2009
Remarks by Octavio A. Hinojosa Mier, Executive Director
This past year has brought a host of new challenges to our nation, which have added to the hardships of the U.S. Hispanic community. As the country works to deal with a struggling economy and job market, as well as a new Presidential Administration, the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) will play an even greater role in advancing and empowering the U.S. Hispanic community. I invite you to take a moment to consider the significant contributions CHLI has made towards this effort, and will continue to make in the coming months and years.
Embracing Diversity of Thought
The Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) was founded on the basis of promoting diversity of thought within the U.S. Hispanic community. We are proud of the work and achievements we have made in promoting a culture of respect and appreciation for different viewpoints, which serve to enrich our public discourse on important national and international issues. Our programs and events have benefited both the U.S. Hispanic community and our supporters by increasing the number of Hispanic leaders in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors of the economy.
As our nation prepares to welcome a new Presdiential Administration, we welcome all efforts to increase Hispanic representation and participation at all levels of government. Having qualified individuals of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints, will allow us to better address the current economic challenges facing our economy. Now, more than ever, the U.S. Hispanic community is capable of transcending racial, ethnic, religious and economic barriers by celebrating and embracing our individual and collective differences as a community. The diversity of the U.S. Hispanic community is the source of our strength and vitality.
The Role of Hispanics in the U.S. and Global Economies
As the nation's second largest demographic group in terms of both population and purchasing power, Americans of Hispanic descent can play an even greater role in job creation and community investment, as well as opening new markets for domestic manufacturers and service providers.
With its purchasing power estimated to surge from $870 billion in 2008 to an estimated $1.3 trillion by 2015, the U.S. Hispanic community is ideally positioned to also the reap the benefits of greater international trade and market access to over 400 million Spanish-speaking consumers throughout the Americas and Europe. More than ever, gaining greater access to key economic partners such as Colombia and Panama is of outmost importance for both our community and country alike. Today, Americans of Hispanic descent must play an even greater role in strengthening our domestic economy so that we, as a nation of immigrants, may better compete at the global level.
Hispanics have the Potential to Contribute Greatly to Economic Growth
Due to its youth and growing numbers, the U.S. Hispanic community will increase its demand for consumer goods and services at a greater level than other demographic groups. Considering the competitive nature of the domestic economy, both American and foreign manufacturers have the potential of increasing their respective market share by aggressively pursuing the Hispanic consumer. It is interesting to note, for example, how a domestic retailer such as Home Depot and a foreign retailer such as Swedish-based IKEA have both recognized the economic benefit of selling and promoting their products in both English and Spanish throughout their stores in the United States.
With these opportunities at hand, Americans of Hispanic descent will surely continue to prosper and in turn benefit the nation as a whole with each individual's success. I look forward to your comments.
CHLI as an Opinion Leader....
CHLI is growing as an opinion leader in Washington, DC. This fall, CHLI Executive Director Octavio A. Hinojosa Mier spoke at several events hosted by government agencies, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions. Below are a few examples of CHLI's expertise on issues pertaining to the U.S. Hispanic community.
CHLI Addresses College Students on Role of Hispanics in the 2008 Presidential Eelection
During the 2008 Hispanic Heritage Month, Hinojosa Mier addressed the importance of the Hispanic youth vote and explained the dynamics of Hispanic voters in a panel discussion organized by the Organization of Latino American Students at George Washington University.
CHLI Addresses Scandinavian Journalism Students Regarding Race and Ethinicity in America
Hinojosa Mier joined a panel of multi-ethnic and mult-racial leaders in DC to address race and ethnicity in America. The panel was organized by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) for a visiting delegation of Scandinavian journalism students in the U.S. to learn more about the American multicultural experience from the presperctive of different ethnic and religious communities.
CHLI Speaks of Opportunities for U.S. Hispanics and Companies to Protect Environment
At a recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conference aimed at engaging the U.S. Hispanic community as partners in environmental stewardship, Hinojosa Mier made it clear that a growing number of Hispanics are thinking green - estamos pensando verde y ya es hora. He explained CHLI's belief in promoting and encouraging environmental stewardship and how it presents strong partnership opportunities between Corporate America, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.
Interested in Volunteering or Interning at CHLI?
Contact Yisel Cabrera, Manager of Programs and Operations at ycabrera@chli.org.
734 15th Street, NW, Suite 620 I Washington, DC 20005 I Tel: (202) 347-8280 I (202) 347-8303 I www.chli.org
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Applications for the 2009 Ford Motor Company CHLI Leadership Program are now available online at 
In one of CHLI's most notable 
The Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) partnered with Young Playwrights' Theater (YPT) on Monday, October 27, 2009 to present Celebrating Community: A New Wrtiers Now! event in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. 
