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Statement from Sonja Diaz, founding director of the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute on Governor Gavin Newsom’s nomination of California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to the United States Senate:

Press Release & Media Advisory → Jobs & Labor

Latino-Owned Businesses Across the U.S. Drove Post-pandemic Growth Despite Systemic Barriers

Despite historic disruptions in health, trade, employment, and credit markets, the number of Latino self-employed entrepreneurs rose significantly during the pandemic—from about 533,000 in 2018 to 658,000 in 2022—boosting the Latino share of all self-employed from 16% to 19% over this period. Yet, this growth occurred in the face of sustained earnings decline, greater financial needs, and limited access to capital.

Regional Workforce Trends for Latinos Across California

The briefs provide an in-depth examination of demographics, human capital, and employment conditions of Latino workers who now comprise 40% of California’s workforce and are projected to account for nearly 80% of new workers nationwide over the next six years.

Continuing Public Health and Environmental Crisis at the Salton Sea Amid Gaps in Oversight

Drawing from over a year of high-frequency data collected since August 2023 by the Salton Sea Environmental Timeseries (SSET), the briefs reveal widespread nutrient pollution, dangerously low oxygen levels in the lake, and frequent episodes of hydrogen sulfide emissions that exceed California’s health standards—conditions occurring among residents in areas that rank among the most burdened by pollution in the state.

Challenges and Opportunities Priorities for Latina Entrepreneurs in California and Arizona

The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI) has released two data briefs highlighting how Latina entrepreneurs in California and Arizona are navigating capital gaps, technology challenges, and climate risks in the post-COVID economy.

Latino-Led Economic Resilience in San Ysidro and Fruitvale

These briefs highlight Latino communities’ resilience, innovation, and community-driven strategies in San Diego’s San Ysidro and Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhoods during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Latino-Led Economic Resilience in South Phoenix and Tucson

These briefs, released in partnership with the Arizona State University Center for Latina/os and American Politics Research (CLAPR), highlight Latino communities’ resilience, innovation, and community-driven strategies in South Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona neighborhoods during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2025 Monica Salinas Field Fellowship Cohort Announced

The UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI) is proud to announce the 2025 cohort of the Monica Salinas Field Fellowship, a summer leadership program that offers students from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field of public policy through placements at government offices, advocacy groups, and community-based organizations across Los Angeles and Southern California.

Latino Data Hub Unveils New Upgrades, Kicking Off a Series of Summer Updates

The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (UCLA LPPI) has released its 2025 update to the Latino Data Hub (LDH), expanding the platform’s capacity to analyze and visualize the conditions shaping Latino life across the United States.

Risks to California’s Safety Net from Federal SNAP Cuts

The new LPPI analysis uses data from the California Health Interview Survey and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to examine who depends on CalFresh and why any reductions in support would have widespread consequences. The findings from the report illustrate the program’s role in addressing food insecurity, supporting working families, and sustaining California’s broader safety net.

The Role of Latino Journalists in Fairer Pandemic Reporting

The report reveals a narrative deficit in local media coverage of Latinos and highlights how Latino journalists contributed to more inclusive and positive portrayals of Latino communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How Housing Insecurity Drives Latino Immigrant Children’s Labor in California

A new faculty report from the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI) finds that unstable housing is a key factor pushing unaccompanied Latino immigrant children into the workforce across California.

First Dashboard Focused on Latino Neighborhood-Level Climate and Health Data

Developed with guidance from a statewide advisory committee of climate justice, public health, and data equity experts, the dashboard shows that Latino neighborhoods often face more extreme heat days and poorer air quality—two environmental conditions linked to climate change and associated with health disparities.

Altadena’s Renters, Latinos, and Low-Wage Workers Face Barriers in Recovery

A new data brief from the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute and the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge reveals that these residents, many of whom lived paycheck to paycheck before the Eaton Canyon Fire, may face additional hardships during the recovery.

Spotlighting Latino Entrepreneurs’ Growth and Challenges in California

The policy brief uses the American Community Survey to explore trends in self-employment, earnings, education, and incorporation over the past decade and a half.

Black and Latino Homeowners Face Serious Barriers to Refinancing in Los Angeles County

The study comes at a crucial time as neighborhoods such as Altadena, which recently experienced significant losses due to the Eaton Canyon wildfire, work to rebuild.

Potential Federal Medicaid Funding Cuts Jeopardize Latino Access to Lifesaving Health Care With Medi-Cal, New UCLA LPPI Data Brief Warns

The potential significant cuts to the federal Medicaid budget, coupled with California’s sizable budget gap to fund the Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program) expansion, bring severe challenges for Medi-Cal.

New Data Brief Highlights Automation Risks Facing Latino Workers in Arizona

A new Latino Data Hub brief highlights the challenges faced by Arizona Latino workers employed in high automation risk occupations. Leveraging data from the 2023 pooled 5-Year American Community Survey (ACS), the analysis provides a comprehensive look at the demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic factors shaping this critical segment of the workforce.

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