Illinois Could Add Latino Congressional District

Even though Illinois lost a congressional seat in the recent Census, the fact that the state’s growth was fueled by Latinos may mean the new congressional districts will have to be redrawn to create a Latino district.

Virginia Martinez from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund recently said that, if Illinois is to comply with the U.S. Voting Rights Act to ensure enfranchisement for Latinos, the state might need to create a Latino district. Census figures show that Illinois’ Latino population grew by 440,000 between 2000 and 2009, probably most of that was concentrated in Chicago.

As a native Californian and an adopted Texan, I find the prospect of a Latino Midwest somewhat exciting and remarkable. I think I would literally die living in the cold like that, but the truth is Chicago is increasingly a Latino power house and this report definitely illustrates that fact. This could be one more reason for Rahm Emanuel to get his Latino strategy off the back burner and into reality.