A new report from the Heartland Alliance’s Social IMPACT Research Center has uncovered that racial disparities persist in Illinois across a wide-spectrum of quality-of-life measures. Across Illinois, nearly 2 million live in poverty, representing nearly 14% of the overall population. For Latinos, the numbers are somewhat higher, with 19.9% of the population living in poverty. According to the report, the Illinois school districts with the highest numbers of minority students receive 16% less a year in funding than other districts with fewer minority students. Racial and ethnic minority Illinoisans are 2-3 times less likely to have health insurance. Also, poor Latinos are more likely to live within a mile of a hazardous chemical facility compared to poor whites. “The consistency ...
According to a new research report, poverty is a better predictor of childhood obesity than race. Based on information from 110,000 Massachusetts students, a statistical model found that, as children’s families income dropped their obesity rates rose. The report found that obesity rates were higher among Latino children. The researchers suspected that a lack of parks, full-service grocery stores, and recreational programs in poorer neighborhoods may lead to children in poverty to eating unhealthier foods and exercising less. “The findings reveal differences in the inequalities in the physical and social environment in which children are raised,” said Dr. Kim Eagle, the senior study author and director at the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center. “It ...
More than 55 million people of Latino ethnicity live in the United States, comprising 17 percent of the country’s total population. Latinos make up the nation’s largest ethnic group and it is expected that by 2060, one in three individuals will identify themselves as Latino. According to a report released by the Joint Economic Committee (JEC), Latinos still lag behind the majority White community in many economic indicators. These factors include employment, income, and wealth accumulation. The gaps are largest among non-native Latinos. Some of the data from the report shows that the median Latino worker earns 72% of what non-Latino Whites earn and the median Latino household income is $42,500, nearly $18,000 less than non-Latino Whites. The disparity runs across genders, as ...
According to a report by the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), the average U.S. Latino worker earns less than white counterparts. Latinos are behind the majority white population on several important economic factors, such as employment and income. Latinos represent 17% of the total U.S. population and are the largest ethnic group in the nation. The report noted that the median income for Latino households is $42,500, nearly $18,000 less than non-Latino whites. Foreign-born Latinos have an even lower median household income with $34,600. “It’s important to know where we are as a Latino community and what we need to do to continue in the right direction,” said CHC Chairwoman Linda Sanchez. “We are making progress in some areas … but in ...
The Albert Shanker Institute released a report on the state of teacher diversity in the United States. Nationally, progress towards greater diversity is being made, however there is still a large need for minority teachers. The report studied nine cities: Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. The report found there were some pockets of development, but overall there was a lack of progress. “Diversity is a key component to equality and opportunity,” said Randi Weingarten, Shanker Institute Board President. “Where there’s a diverse teaching workforce, all kids thrive. [We] are calling for a national summit on teacher diversity in urban areas.” One of the key findings of the report determined that, ...
According to a recently published report from The Century Foundation, poverty concentration has resurfaced in the United States and Latinos have become disproportionately affected. Small urban cities, such as Syracuse, New York, have seen that 62% of their Latino population now lives in poverty. The report found that cities such as Syracuse have grown 12.6% since 2000, while large metropolitan areas have grown by less than 2%. The report found that there is a widespread growth of poverty concentration nationwide. This affects a wide swath of societal ills such as urban violence, police-community tension, and racism. One of the more intriguing findings of the report was that the Great Recession was not directly responsible for this increase in poverty numbers, except for Latinos. ...
Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) is the second-largest community college in the nation. Currently, 52% of its students are from minority racial or ethnic groups including Latinos. A large part of this is due to the school’s longstanding “Pathways to the Baccalaureate” program. The program is a consortium of 10 area educational institutions including NOVA, area public schools, and George Mason University and provides outreach to high school students that are more likely to face obstacles entering college. “The program is designed to breach the barriers of higher education,” said Everett Eberhardt, director of equity, diversity, and ADA/504 compliance at NOVA. “The purpose is to increase access to education for at-risk students.” Founded in 2005, the ...
According to a new report from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Latino elders in California are more likely than other populations to be among the “hidden poor.” Single Latino elders and elders caring for adult children experience economic insecurity at higher levels, even if they aren’t near the federal poverty line. The study describes the “hidden poor” as those who live in the gap between the federal poverty level and the Elder Index’s poverty measure. “Many of our older adults are forced to choose between eating, taking their medications or paying rent,” said Imelda Padilla-Frausto, a UCLA graduate student researcher and lead author the study. The national federal poverty level estimates that a single, elderly adult should be able to live on an ...
Not everyone has equitable access to places to play or be physically active. That is why a housing agency advocate, fueled by locally targeted research and focus groups of homeowners, created policy to include sidewalks, hike/bike trails, and a playground to plans for an affordable housing neighborhood in a colonia, an impoverished, highly Hispanic region of South Texas.
Why Is Obesity an Issue in Colonias?
Research indicates an obesity rate of 18.1% among Mexican-American preschool -aged children living in colonias—small, impoverished settlements that often lack proper infrastructure along the Texas-Mexico border. Colonias tend to lack sidewalks, street lights, places for recreation, and running water. Ann Cass, director of Proyecto Azteca—a non-profit organization that ...
