The Alliance for a Better Community (ABC) recently launched its important Latino Report: A policy roadmap to transform Los Angeles , in which he analyzes the situation of the Hispanic community in the county and presents a bold plan to attack the barriers that for generations have impeded its prosperity.
It is an analysis, platform and rating system in five areas: education, health, public safety, economic prosperity and civic participation, based in turn on data collected among others by study centers of USC, Loyola Maritmount and UCLA universities.
These are areas in which Latinos have made progress, but in which they continue to face obstacles derived from our model of society. For that reason, they still lag behind when the study compares them, for example with the white student population.
The study then clearly articulates where investments should be made to respond to Latino needs, in such a way that the policies – generally known positions – that emanate from the data are pillars for the formation of a new Latino leadership that catapults the community towards its success goals.
The authors intend to build their conclusions based on what the community has achieved in recent 20 years and move “toward an inclusive recovery and ensure the equitable Los Angeles that we all deserve.”
Alliance for a Better Community, established over the years 90, considers its mission to “promote social, economic, racial equity and justice for the Latino community and the Los Angeles region. through the development of power and the promotion of and policies. ”
From the beginning, the report has the recognition and general support of the Latino leadership, which nevertheless must commit to act in accordance with the guidelines established in the plan, in cooperation with the researchers and authors of the document.
By virtue of the launch of this guide, ABC wants to incorporate other media and community institutions to develop secondary research analyzes and more focused and precise public policy recommendations.
Among many other Latino leaders supporting the document through their participation in the launch are District Attorney George Gascon, Kelly Gomez, who represents on the LAUSD Board of Education (Los Angeles Unified School District, with 600, 000 students, second in the country) eastern San Fernando Valley, or Dr. Debra Duardo, Los Angeles County Superintendent of Education.
Also, as recognized by ABC, organizations such as California Community Foundation, College Futures Foundation, The California Endowment, Great Public Schools Now, United Way of Greater Los Angeles, and the Weingart Foundation provided assistance in various phases of the research, which made it possible to reach this stage.
This is the second ambitious project of their type by ABC, after in 2003 launched a similar roadmap in conjunction with United Way of the Greater Los Angeles.
Although there have been significant improvements since then, they have not been enough, says ABC, “for all Latinos to fully prosper” .
The report comes at a crucial moment for the country in general and our community in particular, because of the devastating impact caused by the pandemic and which is especially harmful “on our families, our c communities and our economy. ”
This roadmap or Scorecard Report expresses ABC’s ambition to contribute to the repositioning of the Latino community in the county, as a tool for research, the determination of specific policies, the promotion of ideas and projects, as well as communication and suitable dissemination.
A reading of the 114 pages of the summary reveal adherence to detail, seriousness in the investigation and responsibility in the 24 recommendations. These are inclusive and are not limited to a narrow interpretation of the issues, addressing issues of recognized interest and urgency for our community.
As an example, under “public health” it proposes to “strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the Latinx transgender community and develop training programs and policies sensitive to gender identity to help reduce violence against Latino transgender people. ”
In education, calls for a substantial reduction in the budget of the school police and reinvesting the resulting funds in services and programs that promote a positive school climate for students.
Calls to declare racism a public health crisis at the state level and also discrimination due to xenophobia, at the county and state level.
Faced with the health care crisis among undocumented immigrants, it proposes expanding comprehensive access to high-quality health care, regardless of legal status.
Under “civic participation” asks to include non-citizen immigrants in elections and the democratic process by expanding eligibility to vote in elections of school board K – 12 and coding their ability to serve on local citizens’ commissions.
In sum, this is a platform for action, a plan for the struggles of the future around which all active sectors of the community must rally to guarantee the common good.
The Opinion identifies with the analysis provided and with the objectives outlined by the document and lends itself to fulfilling its historical role of amplifying the voice of our leadership, explain and detail the proposals thus established and do what is necessary to serve our community.