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Young Latino Delegate
"Talking to people like that (Latino caucus) and telling them you are active in the community, just makes me glad they appreciate the activism."
By Luis Sierra
 21-year-old Alejandro Aviles is attending his first Democratic convention this week. He’s an alternate delegate to Arkansas and is the youngest Latino delegate from the southern state. Youth Radio’s Luis Sierra has been following him around this week.
LUIS
Most of the time, Alejandro sounds pretty mature …but the convention has him acting like a kid in a candy store.
ALEJANDRO (on tape)
There’s Loretta Sanchez right there, it’s so weird to have these people walking right next to you. I’m very proud of our democratic officials.
LUIS
Wanting to connect with other Hispanic political activists motivated Alejandro and roommate Dwayne to jump in their car and spend three days driving more than fifteen hundred miles here to Boston to attend the convention.
ALEJANDRO (on tape)
I don’t ever feel lonely when there’s lots of democrats around. I feel like we’re all family, we haven’t met each other yet.
LUIS
He’s spending a lot of time with the party’s Latino caucus. This is the first time Alejandro has seen so many influential Hispanics in one place. Back home in Arkansas, there are no Hispanic state wide elected officials. So the convention is a much-needed morale booster.
ALEJANDRO (on tape)
Just talking to people like that (Latino caucus) and telling them you are active in the community, just makes me glad they appreciate the activism and just trying to reinvigorate my energy for when I do get back, how to work with the Hispanic community.
 LUIS
Alejandro found politics on his own. Before coming to Boston, he interviewed his mother about his passion for democratic politics.
MOTHER (on tape)
I think this is very good for you. You’ve done a lot of things. I’m very happy for you.
Alejandro: I remember when you used to tell me why are you volunteering, they’re not paying you? You need to get money to go to school.
Mother: Yeah, I remember that. I thought you could be having a little bit more fun, good fun.
Alejandro: Hmm..what is good fun?
Mother: Not drugs.
Alejandro: So this is good fun.
Mother: I don’t know if you would call it fun. If it’s fun for you, I guess it is.
LUIS
But fun is secondary for this democratic party animal. It’s all about the cause…
ALEJANDRO (on tape)
I’m helping my community and essentially our country by lots of people like myself volunteering to a worthy cause, and especially when you see the results on election night, or when a person you’ve helped get elected comes and says thank you.
LUIS
Tonight Alejandro Avilas will be on the convention floor with the fifty seven member Arkansas delegation, watching the vote for vice presidential nominee John Edwards. Then in November, he’ll get to cast his first vote ever in a presidential election.
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