Saturday, La Fe Prepatory School celebrated Chicano Heritage Month with their 8th Annual Community Festival.

Attendees said it was a great way to teach kids the importance of their heritage.

"What better way then, you know, a Chicano festival, where everyone is having fun," said Victor Salas, who brough his children. "They're learning at the same time."

But organizers said festivals like this one are a great way to bring concerns the Hispanic community has to center stage, pending the upcoming election.

"We need to make sure we demand that elected officials give us the resources the tools and the educational resources to meet the demands of our growing community," said Estela Reyes, public information officer for Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe.

She said Hispanics are often concerned about the same issues that concern the rest of the United States, but education is a particular concern.

"We've got children who are never going to be able to dream of going to college," Reyes said. "That's just unacceptable."

According to the 2010 Census, the population identifying itself as Hispanic or Latino grew by 43.0 percent from 2000 to 2010, an astounding figure compared to 9.7 percent overall growth in the population, shows an article by U.S. News.

Though 2012 redistricting maps are not yet drawn, the Latino presence already looks formidable. According to 2010 census data, there are 118 existing congressional districts in which more than one-fifth of the population is Hispanic.

That is up from just 28, according to 2000 census data, as applied to 110th Congress districts. Furthermore, 93 of those districts are in California, Texas, Florida, and New York, the four states with the most 2012 electoral votes. And Florida is a crucial swing state, alongside Colorado and Nevada, which have seen 41.2 percent and 81.9 percent growth in the Hispanic population, respectively, since 2000, U.S. News reports.