Judge David Garcia's recent appointment to the bench is being heralded by some Latino leaders as a mark of progress in diverse representation.
"It opens the doors," said Marge Franchini, who organized the parade and serves on the Spanish Community Center board of directors. "People are so impressed that we finally have someone who has opened the doors for the rest of us in that sense
In a county where Latinos make up 16.1 percent of the population, representation on area boards is minimal. For example, there are no Latinos on the Will County Board.
And in Joliet, where Latinos make up 27.8 percent of the population, there are no Latinos on the City Council or the Joliet Township High School District 204 school board and only one Latina on the Joliet Grade School District 86 school board. While Latinos make up 22 percent of the student population in Plainfield Consolidated Community School District 202, there are no Latinos on the school board.
