[EL] Latino Redistricting in NYC: Proposed State Assembly and Senate Districts

[Juan Carlos Ibarra]

*Latino Redistricting in New York City:*
*Proposed State Assembly and Senate Districts*
By John Garcia
LatinoJustice PRLDEF<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=hlnfsnbab&et=1108391655836&s=9712&e=001pXIape36MxWVVW9QkQO3xgipJdjGztoMV6VkIWaw3uil2jiS3KNXsFJKT8NGxvJmscS9E6c8apsAGhEmw67nGP7JsVEOfX4dx8qiNwb27cFiOUbfxxz2-Q==>(October
24, 2011)

*To download a PowerPoint of the proposed maps, click
here<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=hlnfsnbab&et=1108391655836&s=9712&e=001pXIape36MxVCnV6LZc8Dn8ZVVTuA0lrE1WdnzGeiJxIL1q6TciHFl8fD8gqT2iBnBg6du3WsrOV6NGjjwhiXhxQZ0tdYG7pQJf6kvEwFivGmEu517a2e9IzsilCSV17c4swiVyugFHQLv4RCD6ptw17EE4Fdbl2KByKZyQpukjwud5_rFOQ-YRLIZY6A7eSM4224D5GHrro=>
*

LatinoJustice PRLDEF is a 39-year old national pan-Latino nonprofit
non-partisan civil rights organization that protects and promotes the civil
rights of Latinos. It uses impact litigation, advocacy, and community
empowerment to advance civic engagement and equal participation.

This is the 4th decennial redistricting cycle wherein LatinoJustice will be
advocating for the voting rights of Latinos. Most of LatinoJustice PRLDEF's
civil rights advocacy and impact litigation is focused on East Coast
states. We have commented on redistricting plans, worked with community
groups to develop proposed maps, and litigated cases under the Voting
Rights Act.

Latinos are one of the fastest growing racial minority groups in the
nation, New York State, and New York City. The 2010 Census shows that in
New York City, Latinos constituted  27.5%  of the total population at
2,248,161 people.

A Unity Map proposing majority Asian, Black and Latino districts was
created after extensive engagements with community groups, community
leaders and elected officials and was submitted to the Legislative Task
Force for Demographic Research and
Reapportionment<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=hlnfsnbab&et=1108391655836&s=9712&e=001pXIape36MxXjmiz_HdEjVZUb_M1Zurb8jz-uhgrmyBLaGG6QkfsjZ7F-tiieX0tYaLF8jbiuaceJrRDJHUtpPs-lxVHeU43Ww5gdEYJZMu2Qo-zZDSaLqIUsMIH-RuPl>of
the New York State Legislature. It is a collaborative product we
developed with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
(AALDEF), the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College
(CUNY), and the National Institute for Latino Policy (NiLP).

The plan proposes to increase the total number of the state's Latino
majority State Assembly districts from 13 to 16 and the number of State
Senate districts from 5 to 7. [NiLP Note: This would increase the share of
majority Latino districts in the Assembly from 9 percent to 11 percent, and
in the State Senate from 8 percent to also 11 percent (based on the Senate
increasing its total seats from 61 to 62). Latinos make up about 12 percent
of eligible voters in New York State, with only around half (48 percent) of
the Latino voting age population in the state being eligible to vote due to
non-citizenship.]


*New York State Assembly *

There are currently 13 Hispanic majority State Assembly seats in New York
City. Under our Unity Map, we propose to create 16 Latino majority
districts in New York City.

In Manhattan, we have drawn two new majority Latino districts, District 68,
which encompasses the neighborhoods of East Harlem and the Upper West Side,
and District 71, which encompass Washington Heights.

In Queens County, three Assembly districts are now majority Hispanic, one
in the Jackson Heights/Corona area, one in the East Elmhurst area, and one
in Ridgewood/Woodhaven.

*New York State Senate*

The Unity Map proposes to increase the number of Hispanic majority State
Senate districts in New York City from 5 to 7.

We add one new Hispanic majority districts in Brooklyn (District 17) which
covers the communities of Bushwick, Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

In the Bronx, District 36 was essentially redrawn into a new Latino
majority consisting of the communities of South Bronx and Hunts Point. This
is accomplished by eliminating most of the current district 34's extension
into Westchester County; the newly renamed District 34 is now almost
completely in the Bronx.

*For further information:*
John Garcia
Redistricting Coordinator
LatinoJustice PRLDEF
99 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 739-7513
jgarcia at latinojustice.org
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