Oye Mi Canto! campaign

For the 2005-2006 school year, Hispanics make up 1.7 percent of UGA, which is actually a higher percentage than any previous year. Although we are clearly underrepresented as a group on campus, we make up for our low numbers with our high spirits, ambitions, and hopes.

Tuesday, November 8 is Election Day, and although this is not a presidential election year, education, health care, and immigration are issues of great concern to Georgia residents. These topics hit very close to home for many Latino students on campus and for residents throughout the Athens community. As a result, members of the Latino student body felt that we should do something to demonstrate our unity and pride in our heritage.

For this reason, the Hispanic Student Association has organized the "¡Oye Mi Canto! Campaign. In an effort to make this a community building event, for Latinos on campus, we have solicited the support and leadership of Students for Latino Empowerment and Lambda Theta Alpha Latina Sorority, to organize a campaign committee. We have also solicited the support of community and educational agencies within Athens and Atlanta, in an effort to involve the larger community.

Our goal is to show UGA and the Athens community that there is a significant Hispanic presence and that we are proud of who we are and the contributions we are making to society. We have designed a campaign t-shirt that will be distributed the week before Election Day to Latino students, faculty, staff, and community members, as well as anyone else who is interested in supporting our cause. Our vision is that every Hispanic individual and Hispanic supporter will wear the ¡Oye Mi Canto! T-shirt on Tuesday, November 8 as a visual declaration of our solidarity and community pride. As part of the campaign, the Latino student body is hosting an educational event at the UGA Tate Student Center from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Booths of University and community-based organizations will be present to disseminate information, some of which include facts sheets regarding Hispanic education, health care, and immigration, petition drives concerning pending national and state legislation as well as a Georgia voter's registration booth with the support from the Athens-Clarke County Department of Elections.

Jerry Gonzalez, Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials will be one of the featured speakers, along with select students who will be sharing their personal experiences in their efforts to realize the American Dream.

If you are interested in making a donation, hosting a booth, or would like more information, please email has-board@listserv.uga.edu.

Thank you in advance for your support and for your time.

Sincerely,
¡Oye Mi Canto! Campaign Committee