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Read the press release here.

Community Leaders, Pols March for New Latino Congressional District

By Carla Zanoni | February 27, 2012 4:19pm
"While over 30 percent of New York City is Latino, we have only two Latino Congressional representatives,” City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez said.
"While over 30 percent of New York City is Latino, we have only two Latino Congressional representatives,” City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez said.
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Eduardo Hoepelman

INWOOD — A large group of community leaders and elected officials marched from Upper Manhattan to the Bronx Sunday to call for fair representation in this year’s redistricting process and to demand a Latino congressional district

Chanting "Sí se puede" — invoking candidate Barack Obama's presidential slogan, "Yes we can!" — about 100 supporters gathered at Broadway and West 207th Street and marched over the University Heights Bridge to the Bronx to cry out for Latino representation in the reshaped districts.

"The Time is Now, We Demand Fair Redistricting," read one sign.

"The Future Looks Latino," read another.

"While over 30 percent of New York City is Latino, we have only two Latino Congressional representatives,” City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez told DNAinfo in an email statement after the march. “Our community is out here to say that enough is enough, we want our voices to be heard.”

Rodriguez, joined by City Councilman Robert Jackson and former State Senate and House candidates Mark Levine and Gabriella Rosa, said he would like to see that third congressional district represent “communities of common interest in Northern Manhattan, the West Bronx, and Corona and Jackson Heights, Queens.”

The proposed plan, which is also backed by the Dominican American National Roundtable, would divide Rep. Charlie Rangel’s current Upper Manhattan district into multiple districts to create a new majority Latino district with deep Dominican roots, DANR president Dr. María Teresa Feliciano told DNAinfo earlier this month. 

The current 15th Congressional district — which includes Washington Heights, Inwood, Harlem, parts of the Upper West and East sides and a sliver of northwest Queens — is 46 percent Latino, 26 percent African American and 21 percent white, the latest census data show.

The new district lines would shift the demographic makeup to 66 percent Latino — an overwhelming 85 percent of whom would be Dominican — 11 percent black and 14 percent white. Proponents say the shift would unite communities with similar interests and needs, including shared language and culture.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he is opposed to such movement of district lines and has promised to veto such a plan.

It is unclear if the courts will intervene.