Wage Gap for Latinos is “Persistent” in Los Angeles



Los Angeles, California (48.67% Latino population) is the second largest city in the United States. The city is also one of the largest urban hubs of Latinos in the country. However, the inequity gaps in health, wealth, income, and opportunities for Latinos is rising in the City of Angels. In a report developed by PolicyLink, the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity and the Weingart Foundation, a number of “grim” statistics and facts were uncovered. “Across the region, people are struggling daily for the things so many of us take for granted – safe streets, good jobs, access to health care, affordable housing and a quality education for our families,” said Fred Ali, president and CEO of the Weingart Foundation in an interview with Hollywood Patch. “Over the ...

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Texas Has a Strong Need to Re-Focus Education to the Needs of Latinos



Nationally, Latinos are the largest ethnic/racial minority group and they are growing in numbers. They are expected to grow from 1 in 6 people today to 1 in 4 by 2035 and 1 in 3 by 2060. According to recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, Latinos represent 40% of the state of Texas’ population and 52% of the state’s public school student population. “[It] is clear that the future of Texas will be increasingly tied to its minority populations, particularly its Hispanic population,” said former state demographer Steve Murdock, who is now the director of the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas at Rice University. “As a result, how well our current minority populations do will be increasingly how well we all do.” In Texas, the education of Latinos is taking on a greater ...

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New Report Sheds Light on Latino Family Dynamics


Walking

There are often preconceived notions in regards to Latinos and their family dynamics. Already the country’s largest racial/ethnic minority group, which is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years, Latinos represent a diverse group of people with distinct differences depending on where they are from and the language they use. New research has confirmed what many already knew about Latino families: they are tightly-knit, resilient, and generally stable. The National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families has recently released a new brief series entitled “La Familia: Latino Families Strong and Stable, Despite Limited Resources.” The series is one of the first ever to give the complete “breakdown” of Latino households, examining data about mothers, ...

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Nutrition Month Awareness Movement



National Nutrition Month is all about getting the word out about making the healthy choice the easy choice for all and what better way to do that than to find out how to support all to have healthy food choice options. The American Heart Association (AHA) is working to bring awareness to the Texas Capitol to encourage policy around healthier food access for the unfortunate 3.4 million Texans that simply don't have a choice for healthy food as they deal with limited access to health food options. AHA is asking everyone to support the healthy choice for everyone, by joining them on Thursday, March 23rd  in Austin to meet with elected officials to discuss specific legislation that will help increase access to healthy food in underserved communities and help encourage healthier early ...

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Health & Income Disparities Growing for Boston Latinos



Latinos suffer fast differences in health and social conditions compared to other racial and ethnic groups, particularly whites. These differences, called health disparities, are rooted in social disadvantage and are often unavoidable. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) in Boston, Mass. (18.81% Latino population), has released a new report discussing the growing health and income disparities in the area. Some of the report’s findings include new stats about the rapidly rising rates of youth asthma hospitalizations in Greater Boston. According to the findings, the rate has increased by 22 hospitalizations per 100,000 from 2003-2007 to 2008-2012. One of the chief causes has been the growing number of Latino youth asthma cases. “In the asthma arena what [the findings] ...

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Outreach Efforts Important to Latinos in Oregon



Latinos are already the largest racial and ethnic minority group in the United States. This diverse population continues to grow and all across the country, communities are looking for efforts to increase outreach among Latinos. In Albany, OR (9.55% Latino population), efforts to reach Latinos have increased significantly in recent months. The Greater Albany Public School district has started hosting regular meetings for Latino families at the Boys & Girls Club of Albany to discuss matters important to the community. Two groups, Amigos Latinos and the Community Outreach Meetings for Parents (COMPAS), have recently organized chats with members of the community to discuss the topics that concern them the most. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to ...

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Two-Year Colleges across the Country are Getting Creative to Recruit Latino Students



There is undeniable link between attaining a quality education and living a healthier life. The more education someone attains, the better their chances of living longer lives. Attaining better education has become one of the most important topics for all Latinos. As their population grows, more and more Latinos are both enrolling in college and attaining degrees. However, there are still barriers preventing many Latinos from attaining two- and four-year degrees. According to a story in Inside Higher Ed, community colleges across the country have seen growing populations of Latino residents in their regions. That growth hasn’t often translated to increases in Latino enrollment on their campuses, especially as overall enrollments decline in a largely recovered economy. With that ...

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One Community in Northern Michigan Worked Together to Improve Health & Education



In the 1990s, the citizens of Mancelona, Mich. (1.16% Latino population), had limited access to healthcare, social services, and higher education. Employment opportunities were few and far between. The area had the lowest per capita income in the state, most families lived below the poverty line, and were underinsured or uninsured. The effects hit the area’s young the hardest and the rampant health risks affected academic performance. In the 1994-1995 school year, 39% of all Mancelona high school students dropped out and just 64% of high school seniors graduated. Something had to be done at a fundamental level to affect real change. Like all great changes, what happened in Mancelona started at a grass roots level. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to ...

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Latinos are now the Largest Demographic in Palm Beach County Schools



Latinos are already the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the United States. As a group, they are expected to grow from 1 in 6 people today to 1 in 4 by 2035, and 1 in 3 by 2060. All across the country, Latinos are impacting the demographics of nearly every community. In Palm Beach County, Florida (20.37% Latino population), Latinos are making an impact in another avenue. For the first time ever, public schools in the area have more Latino students than any other demographic group. As reported by The Sun-Sentinel, Latinos make up 33% of the district’s 190,240 students. This number is compared to the 32% white and 28% black students. The district’s numbers are strikingly different than the overall racial makeup of the rest of the county which is 60% white. “The ...

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