Image of Rocio Perez speaking on zoom for data equity event

Advancing Data Equity for Latino Communities

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In a step towards advancing data equity for underserved communities in California, UCLA LPPI participated in the virtual policy forum early this month, “We Count!: Data Equity for Latinx and Indigenous Communities in California.” Organized by the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC), a member of UCLA LPPI’s Ad-Hoc Latino Leaders coalition, the event shed light on the critical importance of data disaggregation and the acknowledgment of racial and ethnic diversity within national and state institutions.

A central part of the conversation was the campaign for California Senate Bill 435 – the Latino and Indigenous Disparities Reduction Act. If adopted, CA SB435 would bolster representation and health equity for Latinx and Indigenous communities. It will mandate the California Department of Public Health and the Department of Social Services to collect and release disaggregated data specifically for Indigenous and Latinx nations. The bill would also require the agency to publish annual reports analyzing health trends, including acute and chronic diseases, as well as accessibility and utilization of vital services.

Latina leaders like Dr. Seciah Aquino, Executive Director of LCHC, CA Senator Lena Gonzalez, and UCLA LPPI Fellow, Rocio Perez, are raising the urgency and visibility of this issue. Sen. Gonzalez, the sponsor of CA SB435, has emphasized the need to view Latinos from diverse perspectives to ensure improved health outcomes. At the forum, Perez recommitted UCLA LPPI’s support for the campaign. “UCLA LPPI is proud to be part of this statewide effort to ensure comprehensive data collection that encompasses all intersecting identities and communities within the Latino community,” shared Perez, one of the developers of the forthcoming Latino Data Hub. During the event, Perez also stressed the need to address the limitations posed by current data standards set by state agencies. The lack of quality and reliable information hampers efforts to include indigenous Mesoamerican nations in the database, limiting the ability to address their specific needs effectively.

The collection of this data is crucial for the Latino community in California and across the United States. It allows for a more accurate and nuanced understanding of the unique challenges and disparities of different subgroups within the larger Latino population. The information also allows researchers and policymakers to identify disparities that may not be apparent when examining data for the Latino community as a whole. This makes it invaluable for crafting targeted and effective policies to address the specific needs of our diverse communities.

Understanding the critical nature of the issue and in an effort to bridge the data gap, UCLA LPPI is developing the Latino Data Hub (LDH). Set to go live in Fall 2023, LDH will be an accessible, user-friendly, and bilingual online resource. This new initiative will provide comprehensive data on critical issues like education, healthcare, employment, and housing, to empower advocacy efforts and inform legislation.

The LCHC panel underscored the importance of creating tools like LDH. Fact-based insights from the new data hub will allow policymakers to be better equipped to make informed decisions that address the nuances and needs of their Latino constituencies.

You can watch the entire virtual policy forum above.

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Brenda Stevenson photo from interview

What Sorrows Labour in My Parent’s Breast – w author Brenda Stevenson (video)

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Author Dr. Brenda Stevenson discusses her new book “What Sorrows Labour in My Parent’s Breast: A History of the Enslaved Black Family.” Dr. Stevenson talks about her research on the lives of enslaved black families over time (17th century to end of the Civil War) and space (British, French, Dutch, Spanish colonies), following how families were torn apart, and eventually rebuilt. Using a multitude of available documents and artifacts (letters, diaries, pottery, family bibles, photographs, cloth), Dr. Stevenson brings the voices of these families to the reader and shines new light on the history of slavery and it’s direct and lingering impacts on family.

0:04 – Intro
0:43 – Genesis of the book?
2:08 – Main argument and contribution of the book?
3:10 – Importance of Loss, Recovery, and Resilience
4:10 – How do your sources bring insight into Black History, Family, and Identity?
6:03 – How does this book relate to current times?

UCLA History: https://history.ucla.edu

Interviewer: Dr. Celia Lacayo, Associate Director of Community Engagement, UCLA Social Sciences & Professor Chicana/o & Central American Studies and African American Studies Department

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more interviews and videos.

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ITZEL VASQUEZ-RODRIGUEZ photo

I Testified for Affirmative Action

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I Testified for Affirmative Action, I’m Not Giving Up

By Itzel Vasquez-Rodriguez

 

ITZEL VASQUEZ-RODRIGUEZ photo

Itzel Vasquez-Rodriguez

My experience as a Harvard undergrad was enriched by my interactions and relationships with students from backgrounds different from my own. That formative experience is why I firmly believe all students should have the opportunity to learn in a diverse environment.

As a Mexican-American of Cora descent and MPP candidate at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, I am disappointed but not surprised by the Court’s shameful decision on affirmative action. I am intimately aware of how race and racism shape numerous aspects of our lives, regardless of whether the majority in the Supreme Court acknowledges this reality. I know my racial identity plays a crucial role in understanding who I am, how I am seen in this country and how my lived experience plays out. It is why I testified in support of race-conscious admissions in the Harvard case and am proud to have worked alongside exceptional leaders in the movement to protect affirmative action policies.

And without intentional action to undo historic injustices, racial and ethnic identity will continue to be used as a tool of division. This decision leaves that unchanged.

What the Court’s ruling does, however, is undermine efforts to take that intentional action – to  create  diverse campuses that bring people together in a way this nation needs more than ever.

Colleges and universities have a responsibility to foster equal opportunities and provide students with the advantages of a diverse learning environment. And the work they do to make their campuses more diverse not only makes their campuses better but they also improve the world their students are entering. California has set the blueprint over the last thirty years, showing there are countless tools that can be used to promote diversity. These include considering socioeconomic status, recruiting from affinity groups, and other targeted outreach.

After the last two terms, it is clear that this highly partisan Supreme Court is increasingly disconnected from the history and realities of this country, as well as from realities I shared in my testimony. This decision represents yet another blatant attempt to retain white supremacy.

This ruling also presents an opportunity for us to unite in solidarity, with institutes like UCLA LPPI and faculty experts who support BIPOC students, push for accountability and representation in all institutions and influence decision makers to advance opportunities for underrepresented students, we can’t lose.

To all the current and future students out there I have one piece of advice: don’t let this decision deter you. Apply to your dream schools. Tell your story and how your racial identity shaped you. Join affinity groups. And never be afraid to push for what is right.

Que sigue la lucha!

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