Vida Digna Coalition Launches Campaign to Address ITIN Inclusion at “Celebrating Victories, Building Power” Event
Mankato, MN – September 21, 2023 – The Vida Digna Coalition, which brings together COPAL MN, HACER, and LatinoLEAD, is proud to announce a transformative event – Celebrating Victories, Creating Power – to recognize our collective victories of the year, including the successful advocacy for Driver’s Licenses for All, Paid Family and Medical Leave, Cumulative Impacts Legislation, and more.
This event will take place on Thursday, September 21st, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Bridge Plaza, located at 201 N Riverfront Dr, Mankato, MN 56001.
The highlight of the evening will be the coalition’s launch of the One Economy for Minnesota! (OEM) campaign. This visionary campaign aims to create a Minnesota where ITIN-holders (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) are fully included as equals in the state’s economy, resulting in healthier, safer, and more stable communities for all who call this place home.
ITINs are issued by the IRS to individuals without Social Security Numbers (SSNs) to document an immigrant’s taxpaying history. In Minnesota, there are 81,000 undocumented immigrants, 21,000 of whom possess ITINs, with approximately 3,300 ITIN-holders who are homeowners. The issue at hand is that many businesses do not recognize ITINs, reducing access to essential services and making ITIN-holders more susceptible to wage theft and financial discrimination.
The OEM campaign will work towards the inclusion of ITIN-holders in both the private and municipal sectors. By demonstrating the universal positive outcomes of expanding access for ITIN-holders at the local level, the campaign seeks to provoke statewide policy change to ensure equal access.
Join us on September 21st at Bridge Plaza as we come together to celebrate our achievements and embark on this critical campaign to ensure that every member of our community, regardless of their immigration status, can live with dignity, access essential services, and build wealth for their families.
For media inquiries or further information about the event, please contact:
Rosie Thale | rosiet@copalmn.org
Clara Ugarte Perrin | claraup@copalmn.org
About COPAL MN
Established in 2018, COPAL is a member-based organization leading social impact initiatives to improve the quality of life for Latine families and communities. COPAL advocates for a legislative agenda and mobilizes Latine communities to take action on issues that impact our lives such as health care for all, dignity for workers, environmental justice, popular democracy, immigration and public safety, and education for all by building collective power, transforming systems, and creating opportunities for a dignified life. COPAL envisions a future where Latine communities thrive and are fully empowered to lead significant change in their communities and beyond.
About HACER
HACER’s mission is to provide the Minnesota Latino community with the ability to create and control information about itself in order to affect institutional decisions and public policy. HACER was created, first as a Program for Chicanos Latinos Unidos en Servicio (CLUES), in 1988, and then became an independent nonprofit in 1997. As an influential community leader organization, we look to
Ensure that a broad array of decisions that reach across the community are informed by accessible, culturally and linguistically competent research.
Bring the Latino narrative into public discussions of social issues.
Increase understanding of the diverse Latino experience among leaders and organizations of influence as well as community-based organizations.
Help grow generations of Latino leaders who will catalyze change in their communities and lead the charge to a better future
About LatinoLEAD
LatinoLEAD is a network of leaders working together to empower the Latinx community in Minnesota. We invest in individual development to strengthen our collective power — advancing our influence, growing our impact, and building coalitions for positive change.
Our work is advancing Latinxs into positions of leadership and influence by providing professional development, ensuring that Latinxs are using culture as an asset for their advancement.
Our work is activating our network and its allies to promote equity in their communities and beyond, and doing our part to provide resources according to our community’s unique needs.
Our work is to highlight a culture of achievement in Minnesota’s Latinx community — telling bold stories of our success and impact as one way to elevate our community and its influence.
Our work is to aid in the development of infrastructure and secure the space to thrive – one that encourages personal, professional and communal growth for Latinx people.
