"Now there are more people in influential positions. Business in the Latino community has grown. There are more elected officials and the Hispanic populations has also expanded in Pennsylvania and New Jersey," said De La Vara.

The event, scheduled to start on Saturday and run through Tuesday, will bring key community leaders, government officials, business leaders, entertainers, humanitarian groups, activists and university students together from around the nation.

Among the government officials, will be Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila of Puerto Rico.

The conference will explore important topics that affect the Hispanic community in the U.S., such as immigration, health, housing, and education.

NCLR is the largest national organization within the Latino community, serving about 4 million Hispanics in the U.S.

Founded in 1968, NCLR began as a regional organization concerned primarily with providing basic support to Mexican-Americans in the Southwest. It is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization.

Now headquartered in Washington, D.C., it has affiliate offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, Sacramento, Calif., San Antonio and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Its main goal is to reduce poverty and discrimination and improve opportunities for Hispanic-Americans.

IF YOU GO

# The National Council of La Raza Annual Conference will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St., Philadelphia, Saturday through Tuesday. For more information, visit www.nclr.org