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Environment & Climate Resilience

UCLA Data Brief Finds Latino Neighborhoods Across California Face “Triple Burden” of Extreme Heat, Pollution, and Health Inequities 

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Rosario Majano Staff
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Samantha Alejandre Contributor
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Julia Silver Staff
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Chhandara Pech Contributor
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Paul M. Ong Experts
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Silvia R. González Experts
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Arturo Vargas Bustamante Experts

A new data brief from the UCLA LPPI shows how segregation and decades of disinvestment have left Latino-majority communities disproportionately exposed to climate risks and harmful health outcomes compared to non-Latino white neighborhoods. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: lppipress@luskin.ucla.edu

UCLA Data Brief Finds Latino Neighborhoods Across California Face “Triple Burden” of Extreme Heat, Pollution, and Health Inequities 

The LPPI analysis reveals that decades of segregation and disinvestment have left Latino communities especially vulnerable to climate and environmental hazards. 

LOS ANGELES (September 17, 2025)—Latino neighborhoods across California face a triple burden: extreme heat, air pollution, and entrenched health inequities. A new data brief from the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI) shows how segregation and decades of disinvestment have left Latino-majority communities disproportionately exposed to climate risks and harmful health outcomes compared to non-Latino white neighborhoods. 

Authored by Rosario Majano, Samantha Alejandre, Julia Silver, Chhandara Pech, Paul Ong, Silvia R. González, and Arturo Vargas Bustamante, this analysis builds on the June 2025 launch of the UCLA Latino Climate and Health Dashboard (LCHD). The findings provide actionable data to guide equitable investments in climate resilience and public health.

Compared to non-Latino (NL) white neighborhoods, Latino neighborhoods on average face greater heat exposure, less protection from heat, and are closer to toxic sites. The key findings include: 

  • Latino neighborhoods have experienced 1.6 times more extreme heat days historically and are expected to face 1.3 times more extreme heat days in the future, raising risks of heat stroke, dehydration, and kidney failure.
  • Latino neighborhoods have more than twice the share of workers in heat-exposed fields like agriculture and construction, increasing vulnerability to illness and injury.
  • Latino neighborhoods have less than one-fourth the amount of tree canopy and about 2 times more impervious surfaces than NL white neighborhoods, which intensifies urban heat and health risks.
  • Residents in Latino neighborhoods had double the rate of emergency department visits for asthma and 1.6 times the rate for heart attacks compared to residents in NL white neighborhoods.
  • Latino neighborhoods faced 1.3 times more exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5)  and 2.7 times more exposure to diesel particulate matter than NL white neighborhoods.
  • More than three-quarters (76%) of Latino neighborhoods are designated as Disadvantaged Communities, compared to just 1% of NL white neighborhoods.
  • Latino neighborhoods face 2.4 times higher exposure to cleanup sites, 3 times more exposure to hazardous waste facilities, and nearly 10 times closer proximity to Risk Management Program facilities, driving risks of cancer, low birth weight, and chronic disease.

“Latino communities are living on the frontlines of climate change,” said Majano, research analyst at LPPI. “These disparities are not natural—they are the result of historic segregation and disinvestment. Recognizing these patterns is essential to mitigating climate risks and safeguarding public health.”

“This brief equips policymakers, advocates, and communities with the data they need to act,” said Silver, senior research analyst at LPPI. “Expanding tree canopy, investing in zero-emission transit, and ensuring fair distribution of Cap-and-Trade funds are not just environmental solutions but public health necessities. 

Read the data brief here.  

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About UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute:

The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute is a non-partisan research institute that seeks to inform, engage, and empower Latinos through innovative research and policy analysis. LPPI aims to promote equitable and inclusive policies that address the needs of the Latino community and advance social justice. latino.ucla.edu.