Sanchez links education, representation for Latino community

Monday, March 20, 2000 | 11:13 a.m.

Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, was the keynote speaker at the event held Friday night by the non-partisan Latinos for Political Education.

"Educating our community is the way power will be in their hands," she told a crowd of about 300 people. "Education means empowerment."

Sanchez spoke about the lack of minority representation in Congress, noting there are only 19 Hispanics in the House of Representatives and no Latinos in the Senate.

She also stressed the importance of voting to Hispanics. She said she reminds Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., that his 428-vote victory over Republican John Ensign in 1998 may be attributed to the Latino community.

Sanchez cited her underdog 1996 victory over veteran Rep. Bob Dornan as an example of what can happen when the Latino community educates itself and votes.

Hispanics comprise about 15 percent of Nevada's population.

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