The partnership shows an evolution between the city's Hispanic community and the mayor's office.
The Hispanic Center of Danbury is holding citizenship classes this month and continuing a partnership with the mayor's office to educate residents about city government.
The effort is called Danbury Citizens Government Academy. This is the third year it's being offered, according to Hispanic Center Executive Director, Carlos Valenzuela.
"The city of Danbury has been a great friend to the Hispanic Center," Valenzuela said, "by allowing us to partner up with them to try and get more people civically aware of how the government works, and how to vote."
The partnership shows an evolution between the city's Hispanic community and the mayor's office. Several years ago, immigrant advocates were critical of Mayor Mark Boughton and city police for their involvement in the arrests of Ecuadorian day laborers by federal immigration authorities. The city later settled a racial profiling lawsuit filed by the men who became known as the Danbury Eleven.
The mayor and city council had also approved a pilot with the federal government to train local police to arrest residents living illegally in this country.
Valenzuela said the relationship is no longer adversarial. He said the city has become more interested in collaborating, citing the Hispanic Center's work with local police. "We've done several initiatives with the Danbury Police Department in terms of teaching them cultural sensitivity training," he said. "It's a better relationship."
