An Exercise in Good Citizenship : Politics: Latino advocates, wanting to bolster the clout of recent immigrants, push to get newly legalized amnesty recipients to become U.S. citizens and vote.

Seeking to bolster the feeble electoral clout of recent immigrants, Latino advocates Monday kicked off a drive to encourage hundreds of thousands of foreign-born Southern Californians to become U.S. citizens and vote.

“Citizenship is our political voice,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Hernandez, who was among those at City Hall unveiling the ambitious effort sponsored by the National Assn. of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

Advocates are pointedly launching the campaign during a year in which many of the 3 million newly legalized amnesty recipients--half of them California residents, more than 80% of them from Mexico and Central America--will first be eligible to sign up for the naturalization process that leads to citizenship.

The effort will consist of community workshops and sign-ups, television and radio spots, billboards and a toll-free hot line. Sponsors called it the largest ever to target new immigrants. It is aimed particularly at the Mexican and Central American expatriates whose arrival has radically altered Southern California demographics.

“This is the coming of the second Ellis Island,” said Rep. Esteban E. Torres (D-Pico Rivera), referring to the famous immigrant terminus in New York Harbor.

And, in fact, the effort is a throwback of sorts to a tactic of old-time ethnic machine politics, in which massive naturalization campaigns quickly secured the support of European settlers just off the boats.

Then, as now, activists recognized that voting is critical if impoverished newcomers--and their leaders--are to expand their political and economic influence beyond their neighborhoods.

“The right to vote is key,” said Harry Pachon, executive director of the Latino association. “Public policy is decided on the basis of who votes.”

The three-year regional goal, planners said, is to naturalize 100,000 new immigrants. This is arguably a modest-sounding figure considering the more than 2 million non-citizens in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

But even a few thousand votes can decide elections in the low-turnout communities where many immigrants live.

Also, illegal immigrants among the 2 million are ineligible for citizenship. And legal immigrants usually must wait five years before applying.

In addition, Mexican immigrants--the vast majority of the newcomers--historically have been less willing than other foreign-born residents to renounce allegiance to Mexico and become U.S. citizens.

Experts cite several reasons, notably the patriotic and emotional hesitancy to sever legal ties with their homeland. Activists voice the hope that enhanced citizenship-promotion efforts in immigrant barrios will diminish misgivings.

In particular, organizers stress the need to assist Mexican and other Latin American immigrants--generally poorer and less well-educated than their Asian and European counterparts--with the daunting naturalization process, which includes civics and English-language proficiency requirements.

“Our immigrants cross the legal frontiers, yet many have difficulty crossing the paper frontiers,” Pachon said.

Foundation and corporate donations are financing the $200,000 citizenship campaign, which includes monthly workshops at schools and other sites in the Los Angeles area, officials said. Although they are focusing on new Latino immigrants, sponsors said, staff and volunteers will assist all seeking help.

“This is not just for Latinos,” said Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Montebello). “Political empowerment begins with becoming a citizen.”