Chispa AZ
CHISPA Arizona[1] is a Latinx-run grassroots organization focused on increasing the involvement of Latinx members of Arizona communities in environmental advocacy and action. The organization's main environmental focuses are clean water and air, as well as safety from fatally high temperatures.[2] [3]
Politically, it puts its focus on pressuring politicians via protests and sustained attention on the actions of elected officials even outside of election season.[4] It is mainly based in the city of Phoenix, Arizona,[5][6] a city in which over 40% of the population are Latinx.[7] The organization operates by encouraging community participation, which they pursue by working with students and community volunteers alike[3] through the frequent community-focused events they hold, called "entry points."[6] "Entry points," so called because they represent a way of "entry" into the topic of climate issues and climate action for those who may be unfamiliar, are events in which education on environmental issues is cultivated through experience, typically by providing community members with access to outdoor activities they may have not otherwise participated in, such as organizing wilderness hikes, trash pick-ups, and building community gardens.[6] They also organize their action into campaigns.[2][3][4][6][8][9]
Campaigns
[edit]CHISPA Arizona has a litany of political movements and goals it aligns itself with, but it has three main campaigns through which it focuses most of its political action.[2][3][4][6][8][9]
"Clean and Green" Campaign
[edit]Also called the "C&G Campaign", the goal of this campaign is to protect pre-existing green spaces as well as foster the creation of new ones within urban spaces.[3] Tied to this is their push for more robust and available public transportation networks to be constructed in and between urban areas.[3] In addition to advocating politically for this goal, CHISPA Arizona attempts to further this idea through their trash pick-ups and community gardening efforts.[6]
"Votando y Plantando" Campaign
[edit]Another major political goal of CHISPA Arizona is the increase in voting, both in voter turnout during elections as well as voter registration in general, in the Latinx community.[8][10] Social minorities, including Latinx, in Arizona are both less likely to be registered to vote[11][12][13] and less likely to be represented in elections, [14][15] a fact that this campaign aims to change.
"Holding Arizona Corporation Commission Accountable" Campaign
[edit]This campaign centers on raising awareness of the actions of the Arizona Corporation Commission, an elected group of public officials that manage and regulate the privately owned utility companies operating within Arizona and manage and regulated Arizona's pipelines and railroads, among other things.[16] They attempt to do this through protests and education campaigns.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Chispa AZ".
- ^ a b c Magaña, Lisa; Silva, César S. (2021-03-23). Empowered!: Latinos Transforming Arizona Politics. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 978-0-8165-4224-6.
- ^ a b c d e f Berbés-Blázquez, Marta; Bisht, Vanya; Carrillo, Regional; Franco, Monique; Kuhn, Mandy; Morales-Guerrero, Jorge (2022). Designing urban greenspace from the grassroots up : The 'barrio innovation' approach (1 ed.). Routledge. ISBN 9781003208723.
- ^ a b c "CHISPA Arizona, a program of League of Conservation Voters". Giving Compass. 2022-10-07. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
- ^ Boucher, Jean Léon; Levenda, Anthony M.; Carpenter, Caleb; Morales-Guerrero, Jorge; Karwat, Darshan M. A. (26 April 2021). "Environmental justice in Phoenix, Arizona: a neighbourhood deficit and asset score". The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability. 26 (6): 692–718. doi:10.1080/13549839.2021.1916899 – via Taylor & Francis Online.
- ^ a b c d e f Lerner, Shanti. "'These are places for us as well': Empowering more Arizonans to claim their spot outdoors". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
- ^ a b c "ICYMI: Chispa Arizona Voter Registration Program Launched in Historically Excluded Communities in Arizona Has Goal of 40,000 Registered Voters". State Affairs. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
- ^ a b c Rodriguez, Valeria (2024-07-11). "Chispa AZ announces six figure bilingual investment to raise awareness about the ACC". KYMA. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
- ^ Meiners, Joan. "Latino voters want more action on climate and clean energy in Arizona, new poll finds". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
- ^ "The Impact of Voter Suppression on Communities of Color | Brennan Center for Justice". www.brennancenter.org. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
- ^ "The Impact of Voter Suppression on Communities of Color". Brennancenter. 10 January 2022.
- ^ Vij, Sarina (25 June 2020). "Why Minority Voters Have a Lower Voter Turnout: An Analysis of Current Restrictions". American Bar Association.
- ^ Wolbrecht, Christina; Hero, Rodney E. (2005-04-08). Politics of Democratic Inclusion. Temple University Press. ISBN 978-1-59213-359-8.
- ^ Service, Partnership for Public; mpruce (2020-07-14). "A revealing look at racial diversity in the federal government". Partnership for Public Service. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
- ^ "Arizona Corporation Commission". 2008-05-02. Archived from the original on 2008-05-02. Retrieved 2024-10-08.