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Read the press release here.

White House Summit Tackles Problems Faced by Latino New Yorkers

By Mary Johnson | October 17, 2011 2:49pm
Baruch College is set to host the White House Hispanic Community Action Summit, Oct. 18, 2011.
Baruch College is set to host the White House Hispanic Community Action Summit, Oct. 18, 2011.
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DNAinfo/Mary Johnson

FLATIRON — Several Obama administration officials are scheduled to meet with representatives from more than 60 local organizations on Tuesday to brainstorm solutions to some of the problems plaguing the tri-state area's Latino population.

The White House Hispanic Community Action Summit, to be held at Baruch College, will unite residents and small business owners with officials from multiple government agencies. Community members will set the agenda for the day, said Jose Rico, deputy director for White House initiatives on educational excellence for Hispanics.

The discussions will center on health care, immigration, jobs and the economy, Rico said. But areas of particular concern for those in the New York area include how to increase the number of Hispanics graduating from high school as well as improving access to college.

In addition, there are questions about U.S. immigration policy and how recent changes to that policy affect students, Rico said.

The summit got its start in Washington, D.C., in June, when 180 Latino leaders came together to discuss matters affecting the community on a national level, Rico said.

Now New York's leaders will have an opportunity to work directly with administration officials during Tuesday summit to outline these issues and identify ways in which the federal government can help on a local level, Rico said.

“The one thing we heard loud and clear from leaders is that they wanted us to take this summit on the road,” Rico said.

Officials have since held similar summits in Las Vegas and Orlando.

The New York summit will be held on Tuesday at Baruch College, located on Lexington Avenue near East 25th Street, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Members from the public must register in advance to participate. For more information, visit the White House Hispanic Community Action Summit website.