Governor Newsom signed California’s state budget which allocated $15 million to UCLA’s Latino Policy and Politics Institute (UCLA LPPI) to support policy research, leadership programs, and civic engagement with a Latina lens through the Latina Futures, 2050 Lab (2050 Lab).
UCLA LPPI will build on the foundation laid by the California Latino Legislative Caucus’ Unseen Latinas Initiative, created by the Legislature to address the continued and growing inequality Latinas experience in economic outcomes, career and leadership opportunities and education.
“When we created the Unseen Latinas Initiative, we did so to raise awareness of the inequities Latinas faced, from lack of representation on the judicial bench, corporate boards, and our healthcare system, Latinas have continuously gone overlooked despite their contributions to our everyday life,” said Senator María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), Chair of the Latino Legislative Caucus. “LPPI’s research will continue to allow us to raise these issues and help shape policy making decisions to ensure Latinas are included in policy discussions.”
By 2050, Latinas will represent 13% of the U.S. population, 11% of the labor force, and have a median age 11 years younger than non-Hispanic white women. The 2050 Lab will accelerate research and provide critical data and insights that reach decision-makers. The 2050 Lab, in collaboration with Veronica Terriquez, Director of the Chicano Studies Research Center, will invest in scholarly interventions that advance a Latina lens to shape policy-making that remedies gender inequity with visibility and inclusion.
“It has never been more important to uplift Latinas and address the inequalities that impact their ability to thrive,” said Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach). “From the Latina wage gap to the number of Latinas being forced out of the workforce due to lack of community supports, California has long needed to make this investment. Latina Futures 2050 will help us build the next generation of Latina leaders to tackle the issues our community faces. I am excited to see how UCLA transforms the work of the Unseen Latinas initiative to create solutions that expand access to education and career opportunities and develop new leaders and policy experts.”
California’s 2023 Budget also included ongoing funding to sustain UCLA LPPI’s growth and allow for the Initiative to transition to an official Institute at UCLA. Founded in 2017, UCLA LPPI was created to address critical domestic policy challenges facing Latinos and other communities of color. Since its inception, UCLA LPPI has championed Latina leadership and utilized the power of research, advocacy, mobilization and leadership development to propel policy reforms that expand genuine opportunity for all Americans.
“We thank the Governor and Legislature for recognizing that Latinas are inextricably linked with the future of California and this nation,” said Sonja Diaz, founding director of UCLA LPPI. “The pandemic made clear that Latinas have borne the brunt of the economic fallout and remain invisible, disposable, and even inconsequential at decision-making tables. By leveraging the research might of the University of California, we can ensure Latinas are woven into the American story, and are seen as consequential to the nation’s law and policy debates.”
With UCLA LPPI as a leading Latino policy institute, UCLA continues to make critical strides towards its goal of achieving federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by 2025.
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ABOUT UCLA LATINO POLICY AND POLITICS INSTITUTE
The UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute addresses the most critical domestic policy challenges facing Latinos and other communities of color through research, advocacy, mobilization, and leadership development to expand genuine opportunity for all Americans.
