About
There is no American agenda without a Latino agenda. We envision policy-making that centers on the needs of Latinos and communities of color, to operationalize dignity and opportunity.
The UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute addresses the most critical domestic policy challenges facing Latinos and other communities of color through research, advocacy, mobilization, and leadership development to propel policy reforms that expand genuine opportunity for all Americans.
The UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute utilizes a multi-pronged approach to ensure Latinos and other communities of color have a seat at the decision-making table and fair opportunities to thrive.
Through data science and rigorous research, UCLA LPPI shines a spotlight on the policy issues that matter most to Latinos and other communities of color.
UCLA LPPI uses the convening power of the nation’s leading public university to connect innovators who can drive change through the streets, boardrooms, the courts, and elected office.
UCLA LPPI invests in civic leaders determined to make an impact by exposing students to the policy challenges of today with the research training necessary to inform a better tomorrow.
UCLA LPPI puts its research and academic expertise to work to inform evidence-based policy reforms at the federal, state, and local levels that expand opportunity for all Americans.
Founded in December 2017, through a partnership between the Luskin School of Public Affairs and Division of Social Sciences, UCLA LPPI was built to address today’s most urgent policy challenges and opportunities through data and facts. Since its launch, UCLA LPPI has supported policymakers by providing empirical research and analysis to increase representation, expand opportunity, and combat disparate impact. As UCLA LPPI looks to the future, we find it important, now more than ever, to communicate data-oriented solutions that center on the needs of Latinos to policymakers from California to Washington, D.C.
Today, Latinos represent the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the U.S., yet face significant barriers to equal opportunity, access, and representation across the country. Our work supports culturally and linguistically competent policy reforms, keeps decision-makers accountable to the needs of communities of colors, and provides a framework for local and state interventions across the U.S. that reflect the needs of the nation’s new majority. We infuse data and facts into governance and policy-making so that Latinos and communities of color have the tools necessary to meaningfully participate in American democracy.
Communities of color are the country’s economic engine, future workforce, and greatest share of new voters. At UCLA LPPI, we work to meet the needs of communities often overlooked.
Sonja Diaz
Founding Director, UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute
