Proyecto 20% Demands Strong Latino Presence in New Biden Administration

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UnidosUS, Hispanic Federation, Mi Familia Vota, and NALEO Launch New Initiative Calling for 20 Percent of Political Appointees to Be Latino to Ensure Equitable Representation in Government
November 9, 2020

Washington, DC — In the wake of an election that saw record-breaking turnout of Latino voters, today UnidosUS, Hispanic Federation, Mi Familia Vota, and NALEO are launching Proyecto 20%, an initiative to advocate for the federal government to reflect the diversity and contributions of the country’s Latino population. The mission of Proyecto 20% is to ensure that at least 20 percent of new positions of the approximately 4,000 political appointments and other jobs to be filled by incoming President Joe Biden are held by Latino/as.

This year-long campaign will engage political analysts, media, elected officials and nonprofit, non-government leaders to together call for the maximum presence of Hispanic Americans as political appointees and staff in the incoming Biden administration.

“The Hispanic community that UnidosUS, Hispanic Federation, Mi Familia Vota, and NALEO represent has made contributions to this country throughout its history—teaching our children, caring for our elderly, mobilizing our communities, bringing food to our homes, and revitalizing towns and cities by creating businesses. But even though Latinos make up around 18% of the U.S. population, and the power of the Hispanic vote is leading to a more diverse Congress, Latinos still make up only 1% of all local and federal elected officials,” said Janet Murguía, UnidosUS President and CEO.

“Together we have advocated for greater diversity, inclusion and representation within all sectors of American society. That is because representation matters, and it is an essential step towards improving government to better serve and protect all in our country. Our nation’s diversity is its greatest strength. It’s time that the nation’s highest levels of government reflect that powerful diversity,” Murguía added.

To learn more, visit proyecto20unidos.com.