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The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) was founded in Arizona. Latino community leaders and legislators from across the country gathered in Phoenix in 1968 to address the issues impacting Latinos.

This weekend, the NCLR executive board is meeting in Phoenix to review their strategic plans for 2012. Their top priority is galvanizing Latino voters.

NCLR CEO Janet Murguía says both political parties need to begin to value the Latino vote. “They do take the Latino community for granted, assuming that we have not other alternatives. They may be right but it’s not a smart strategy they should continue to seek to nurture and engage the Latino community because we will be an even more important part of the electorate.”

Murguía says an immediate concern is the potential loss of the low income tax credit being discussed in Congress. She says the loss of such a benefit would hurt a large number of low-income Latino families.