Chispa Arizona, a Phoenix-based organization of Latino voices seeking civic engagement to defend the future of Arizona’s lands and waters, along with its program League of Conservation Voters (LCV) are working to connect with the Latino community’s interest and education in environmental issues.
Masavi Perea, Chispa Arizona Coalition and Training Director, said that Chispa, or “spark,” was created in order to find a name in Spanish that identifies them as a Latino community and relates to their work as an organization, associating it with the organization’s slogan “Igniting the movement.”
Chispa is a program of the LCV — a nonprofit organization that fights for the defense of the environment by exerting political influence. LCV says that “it advocates for laws and policies that are environmentally sound, holds elected officials accountable for their votes and actions and chooses pro-environmental candidates who are committed to their communities,” said Chispa Arizona Community Organizer Miriam García.
The Chispa movement began in 2014 in Phoenix, promoting the care of the environment by informing Latino families and community leaders about how electricity is generated and what is behind the light switch in their homes, raising awareness and more Latino voices for a cleaner future for the next generations.
The first people to promote this movement were Jennifer Allen and Ernesto Vargas. Allen joined the LCV in 2013 to develop Chispa in order to provide diversity in the organization.
Allen’s first activity in the movement was to conduct surveys in the different communities about the importance of the environment, where eight in 10 Latinos said that one of their priorities was to protect the environment, reaffirming her desire to work with the Latino community.
According to the Environmental Defense Fund organization (EDF), Latinos are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change because of where they live and work. More than half of Latino-Americans live in states affected by extreme heat, air pollution, and flooding. Additionally, they are more likely to work in industries deeply affected by climate change, such as agriculture, manufacturing, and construction.
García said that Chispa is increasing Latino voices to fight across our state to ensure fair and equitable access to a safe climate for generations to come. Her partner, Perea, added: “This program was designed for the immigrant community, to integrate it in a more politically active way.”
In some states of the country, such as Arizona, utilities are monopoly providers and electric companies have always had a political influence, making it hard to have some form of electricity competition.
Perea said that many people, especially in the Latino community, are unaware that the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), a government office, regulates privately owned or investor-owned utility companies, and the people who are part of it have a political position that is won through elections.
Chispa’s vision as an organization is to ensure that these elections are as well informed as any other type of election in order to have more participation from the Latino community.
The Commissioners are responsible for the regulation of essential utilities, such as final decisions on rate adjustments and clean energy standards, something that is clearly related to the environment.
“Our vision is to explain to the Latino community how this corporation works,” Perea said. “We call it ‘fair democracy’ because we want more participation, especially from the Latino community.”
Chispa Arizona is increasing voter participation in the Phoenix-area, pushing back on polluters, and holding elected officials accountable in between election days.
People who want to act today and get involved with this environmental movement can find resources and information about several topics such as environmental justice, politics and what people can do locally to make changes, in addition to outdoor activities that the organization carries out to connect with Mother Earth.
“We are currently launching our new membership page, where people can become a Chispa AZ member for as little as $10 annually,” García said.
In Chispa Arizona’s social networks, you can find links to register for the different events organized by Chispa members.
Contact the reporter at jveradia@asu.edu.
