Generation Opportunity recently joined nearly 7,000 people at the 9thAnnual Que Pasa? Festival in Richmond, Virginia. Presented by the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, this event offered an opportunity for people in the Richmond area and beyond to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.  Generation Opportunity – with over 1.5 million fans on Facebook – is one of the fastest growing and largest grassroots organizations in the nation dedicated to organizing and mobilizing young adults through a strategy based on social media and grassroots operations.
“The Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has been a key leader in showcasing the accomplishments of Hispanic business leaders and their commitment to job creation for all Virginians, “said Paul T. Conway, President of Generation Opportunity and a former Chief of Staff at the United States Department of Labor. “Our team appreciated the opportunity to meet leaders and young people who are united both in their belief in the private sector and in their desire to expand economic opportunity throughout the state.”
Generation Opportunity is strongly committed to sustained work with the young Hispanic community and will continue such efforts. Recently, the group’s President – Paul T. Conway – spoke to the Hispanic Leadership Network’s Southwest Regional Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Generation Opportunity also 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.  Earlier this year, Generation Opportunity appeared before more than 20,000 attendees participating in the 2011 League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) national convention in Ohio.
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.