Latino Group Hopes to Regain Clout

ANAHEIM — Despite a vastly improved financial picture, a new office in Washington and a small but growing number of Latino representatives on Capitol Hill, the nation’s oldest Latino rights organization is struggling to define itself in an era of shrinking tolerance for immigrants and diversity programs.

“Embracing Our Past, Defining Our Future”--the theme for the League of United Latin American Citizens’ annual convention here this week--looks to a time when the organization thrived with 100,000 members and a future in which goals are sharply focused, leaders said Monday.

Members of the league, which was formed in 1929 and has 600 chapters nationwide, will spend much of the week trying to craft a policy platform and decide how to become more effective advocates.

Once an important player in diversity politics, the league lost much of its clout and focus in the past decade and became mired in debt, several spokesmen said. But by lining up corporate sponsors and selling training programs to federal employees, the organization recovered its financial footing and has been making inroads in Washington politics.

In a sign of the group’s growing political clout, President Clinton granted a 20-minute audience with about a dozen league board members in Los Angeles Monday evening, following his appearance at a local elementary school.

Spokesman Roberto Alaniz said league President Belen B. Robles focused on education issues, particularly the high drop-out rates of Latino students and recent drives to eliminate bilingual education, and that she was pleased with the president’s response. Robles was not available for comment.

Education is a cornerstone of the policy platform that Robles is advocating, Alaniz said. Members will vote on the platform, as well as next year’s board of directors, on Saturday, the final day of the gathering.

Last year, the league put great effort into fighting attempts to reform immigration and welfare laws. But both bills passed easily. The group also tried mightily--and in vain--to prevent the elimination of affirmative action programs in California.

Welfare, immigration and affirmative action reform, along with community activism and membership building, will be covered in workshops this week and are sure to be taken up by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who will address the convention Thursday.

Bill Richardson, United Nations ambassador, and Henry Cisneros, president of Univision Communications, are scheduled to speak Friday evening.

Organizers said they expect 5,000 people, including delegates and their families, to attend the convention, which opened Sunday evening.

However, most delegates will not arrive until Wednesday morning when general workshops begin.

Monday and today, about 500 federal employees will be attending seminars and workshops given by the league’s National Training Institute on issues from promoting diversity to handling conflict on the job.