Paul T. Conway, President of Generation Opportunity, Speaks About Importance of Young Americans' Civic Involvement and Impact of Youth Unemployment at Hispanic Leadership Network Conference

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Paul T. Conway, President of Generation Opportunity, addressed the Hispanic Leadership Network's Southwest Regional Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the importance of young Americans in civic engagement and the impact of youth unemployment within the Hispanic community. Conway joined more than 300 other national, local, and grassroots leaders in the two-day event. Focused on the theme "Rebuilding the American Dream," conferees discussed key policy issues impacting daily life in the Hispanic community such as unemployment, government interference with small business job creation, education, and healthcare.

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"It was an honor to speak with Hispanic leaders from across the country. Their efforts to work nationally – across political lines – for policies that create more economic opportunity for all Americans, especially Hispanics, are optimistic, aggressive, and very collaborative," said Paul T. Conway, President of Generation Opportunity and a former Chief of Staff at the United States Department of Labor. "We respect and applaud the efforts of the Hispanic Leadership Network and know that our organizations, in addition to hundreds of other grassroots organizations, can help keep national focus on solutions that increase job opportunities for those touched directly or indirectly by the poor economy."

Generation Opportunity is strongly committed to sustained work with the young Hispanic community and will continue such efforts. Recently, the group joined nearly 1,500 Hispanic business leaders in Miami, Florida, as a participant in the 32nd Annual U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) National Convention and Business Expo. In addition, Generation Opportunity engaged more than 20,000 attendees participating at the 2011 League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) national convention in Ohio earlier this year.

The views of young Hispanics on issues such as the direction of the nation and how to fix the economy and jobs are revealed in a national poll commissioned by Generation Opportunity and conducted by inc./WomanTrend (April 16 – 22, 2011, +/- 4% margin of error). The poll highlights include:  

• A 57%-majority of Hispanics agreed "if taxes on business profits were reduced, companies would be more likely to hire."
• In a separate question, a 56%-majority concurred "the economy grows best when individuals are allowed to create businesses without government interference."
• By nearly a 3:1 ratio, Hispanic young adults prefer "reducing federal spending" (69%) to "raising taxes on individuals" (27%) in order to balance the federal budget.
• 70% of Hispanic young adults would decrease federal spending if given the chance to set America's fiscal priorities.
• 61% indicated their agreement with "American Exceptionalism" – described as an ideal of freedom and democracy exclusive and unique to the United States.

ABOUT GENERATION OPPORTUNITY

Generation Opportunity is a non-profit, non-partisan 501 (c)(4) organization that seeks to engage everyone from young adults, to early career professionals, college students, young mothers and fathers, construction workers, current service men and women, veterans, entrepreneurs and all Americans who find themselves dissatisfied with the status quo and willing to create a better tomorrow.

Generation Opportunity operates on a strategy that combines advanced social media tactics with proven field tactics to reach Americans 18-29. The organization's social media platforms – "Being American" on Facebook and "The Constitution" on Facebook – have amassed a total fan base of more than 1.5 million. Both pages post links to relevant articles and reports from sources ranging from the federal General Accountability Office (GAO), to The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Brookings Institution, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, and The Heritage Foundation.

Read about Generation Opportunity here; visit "Being American" on Facebook here, and "The Constitution" on Facebook here.

For our Spanish-language page – Generacion Oportunidad – click here.

CONTACT:
Matthew Faraci
202-997-1636
EMAIL

SOURCE Generation Opportunity