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90260. This ZIP code predicts my health, environment, and life outcomes. My home is right off the I-405 freeway in Lawndale. When I was younger, I thought this was fortunate because my mom could get to work faster. However, as I witnessed half of my siblings develop asthma and my parents struggle with cardiovascular issues,…

LPPI’s 7th Annual Policy Briefing Convenes State Leaders

On January 27, LPPI leadership, fellows, and staff brought together legislative and community leaders for LPPI’s Annual Policy Briefing. The briefing, which was held at The California Endowment in Sacramento, was part of the institute’s Policy in Action Summit. LPPI Director Amada Armenta and Assemblymember Jose Luis Solache, Jr. opened the event with remarks on…

LPPI Fellows Bridge Research and Policy in Sacramento

At LPPI’s 2026 Policy in Action Summit, 16 Policy Fellows travelled to Sacramento to connect with those in the driver’s seat of change. On January 26, the first day of programming, fellows heard from leaders in policymaking, were acknowledged on the Senate Floor, and met with legislative offices. Their day began with a “Pathways to…

Webinar Examines Uneven Wildfire Recovery in Altadena

On January 6, LPPI hosted “The Altadena Recovery: Who Gets to Come Back?”, a webinar bringing together researchers and partners on the ground to mark the one-year anniversary of the Eaton wildfire. LPPI director of research Silvia González and senior research analyst Gabriella Carmona opened the program with their research on Altadena’s housing and small…

Inside LPPI’s Rapid-Response Research on the L.A. Wildfires

Parsing through data until 4 am. Eyes glued to the Watch Duty app. Every minute, a new Slack notification. That’s what the immediate days were like for UCLA LPPI director of research Silvia R. González after the Pacific Palisades and Altadena wildfires broke out. Like many Angelenos, González watched the wildfires grow each hour on…

The Weight of the White Coat: Addressing California’s Latino Physician Shortage

On November 6, UCLA LPPI Faculty Expert, Glenda Flores, a professor of Chicano/Latino studies in the School of Social Sciences at UC Irvine, presented research from her new book, The Weight of the White Coat: Latinos Navigating American Medicine. The event was convened in Sacramento alongside the California Latino Caucus, the California Wellness Foundation, and…

LPPI Staff and Fellows Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in Altadena

On Friday, November 7, UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI) staff and fellows volunteered with the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity in Altadena, contributing to the first home being rebuilt through the organization’s Eaton Fire recovery efforts. Since the wildfire in January 2025, Habitat for Humanity has been working closely with homeowners to…

Inaugural California Latino Bench-Bar Leadership Summit Convenes at UCLA

An LPPI report published in the spring of 2025 found that while Latinos make up 40% of California’s population, they only comprise 6% of attorneys and 12% of seats on the Courts of Appeal. Additionally, Latinos have never had more than one justice serving simultaneously on the California Supreme Court. These disparities are why about…

Welcome 2025-2026 policy fellows

Now in its sixth year, LPPI’s policy fellowship program empowers UCLA graduate and undergraduate students to become transformational leaders through paid, hands-on experience working alongside the institute’s staff and faculty experts. These opportunities equip students with the skills and experience to work in policy and applied research – and to step into leadership roles across…

When Extreme Heat Becomes the Opponent

During my high school cross-country meets in Los Angeles, the competition doesn’t always feel like it’s just between runners. Sometimes the toughest opponent is the sun. I’ve watched teammates collapse to the floor after races, fighting off nausea from dehydration. On most days, practices stretch late into the afternoon, and the heat lingers long after…

Real Data, Real Impact: Confronting California’s Climate Inequities

For two decades, I had the honor of representing communities in Riverside and Imperial Counties in local and state government—places like Mecca, Coachella, and Calexico. These are hardworking families living near the Salton Sea, where the air is often thick with dust and pollution, and kids grow up with higher rates of asthma. The jobs…

UCLA LPPI Statement on the Passing of Kent Wong

We at the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI) are deeply saddened by the passing of Kent Wong. Over years of service, Kent’s leadership at the UCLA Labor Center was rooted in relationships, trust, and conviction. He believed that building a just future requires both scholarship and solidarity. His steadfast support for community-based work,…

Charlita: Alberto Vargas Shares Reflections on Latino Workers in California

The Latino workforce is central to California’s economy, yet faces steep disparities in wages, job security, health coverage, and housing. To better understand these findings, we asked Alberto Vargas, a graduate fellow and co-author of LPPI’s workforce briefs, to share his reflections. In this conversation, Vargas highlights the growth of Latino workers across regions, the barriers…

SCOTUS Opens Door to Racial Profiling in Immigration Enforcement

On September 8, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an order allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to resume immigration stops in the Los Angeles area using factors such as race, Spanish language use, and employment in certain industries as part of their justification. Statement from Amada Armenta, LPPI’s faculty director: “This week, the Supreme Court…

Salinas Field Fellowship gives students firsthand experience shaping policy

This summer, six students from the Luskin School of Public Affairs participated in the inaugural cohort of the Monica Salinas Field Fellowship, a program of the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI) that translates classroom learning to local impact. The fellowship placed students at California legislative offices, leading advocacy organizations, and the Los Angeles…

Extreme heat doesn’t just bring discomfort, it can turn into a life-threatening risk

All Californians have received various extreme heat advisories this week. It’s a stark reminder of how climate change is reshaping daily life here and across the country. Heat is the deadliest climate hazard today, killing more people in the U.S. each year than floods, wildfires, or hurricanes. Yet, not all neighborhoods feel these increased temperatures…

The Latino Data Hub expands

I’m thrilled to share that the development team of LPPI’s Latino Data Hub (LDH) has deployed significant new updates to the platform designed to empower advocates, researchers, policymakers, and media with sharper tools to understand and uplift Latino communities. The new changes incorporate the latest 2023 five-year American Community Survey (ACS) data, new administrative insights,…

As federal heat rules for workers stall, local data becomes even more critical

We all know how hot California summers can get. But for a lot of people, heat isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s dangerous. Farmworkers, delivery drivers, construction crews, jardineros, and warehouse workers. Jobs you can’t do from an air-conditioned office—those are the ones heat hits hardest. When the temperature spikes, so does the risk of illness and even…

Statement on SCOTUS birthright citizenship ruling

On June 27, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6–3 decision allowing President Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship to take effect in states that did not challenge it in court. While the ruling did not decide whether the order itself is constitutional, it limits the ability of federal judges to block policies nationwide….

How community shaped the Latino Climate and Health dashboard

When LPPI set out to build the Latino Climate and Health Dashboard, the research team knew one thing: it couldn’t just be about numbers. It had to be about people—about the communities who live every day with the impacts of climate change and environmental injustice, and who are often left out of the conversations that…

2024-2025 student end of year celebration and graduation

On June 6, the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI) celebrated the achievements of the Policy Fellow Class of 2025 and student workers. This year, a total of 17 students completed their work with the institute for the academic year. In her remarks, faculty director Amada Armenta said, “Ultimately, we wouldn’t be able to…

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