On Wednesday, September 16, 2020, UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (UCLA LPPI) hosted a webinar that explored how undocumented immigrants are particularly vulnerable to disasters and require special consideration in emergency planning and relief efforts.

As climate change advances, communities across the United States are adapting to the increased threat of wildfires, drought, heatwaves, and hurricanes. Such disasters are expected to become more frequent and severe. Now more than ever, it is crucial to understand how these events amplify existing inequalities, and how to lessen the resulting harms. Differences in human vulnerability to disaster stem from a range of social, economic, historical, and political factors. Undocumented immigrants are disproportionately affected by racial discrimination, exploitation, economic hardships, language discrimination, and fear of deportation in their everyday lives— their pre-disaster marginalized status.

The conversation included experts and advocates who discussed the increasing severity of disasters and the need to understand the differential impacts on undocumented immigrants to improve disaster planning to protect the most vulnerable populations.

Event Details:

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

10:30 – 11:30 a.m. PST

Panelists:

• Mayor Anna Tovar of Tolleson, Arizona
• Dr. Michael Mendez, Assistant Professor, Environmental Policy, Urban Planning, UC Irvine & UCLA LPPI Expert
• Genevieve Flores-Haro, Associate Director, Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project
• Baldemar Velasquez, President, Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO

Moderated by:

• Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times