By José Mallea*
30 Sep 2024, 08:00 AM EDT
By some assessments, the Latino community is thriving.
Latinos make up a significant portion of the U.S. workforce. With more Latinos receiving a high school diploma, many of them are starting businesses and using their talents to innovate in an increasingly digital economy.
But in other ways, the Latino community faces difficulties.
Although the unemployment rate in the US is beginning to decline, inflation and the high cost of living are making it incredibly difficult for Latinos to save and plan for the future.
The good news is that we have the opportunity to do something about it.
As the Latino community grows, our collective voice can help transform public policy.
In the US, we can talk to our elected officials and demand that they support legislation and policies to expand opportunity and prosperity.
Recently, The LIBRE Institute, a nonprofit and research organization (the sister organization of the LIBRE Initiative and the group I help lead) conducted a survey and found that the biggest concern Latinos are most concerned about is the economy and the high inflation rate.
The survey also found that Latinos are unhappy with Washington lawmakers, including the Biden administration.
It’s easy to see why.
Despite spending trillions of dollars in recent years, inflation and the cost of living have increased.
Economists, including a former adviser to President Obama, have criticized parts of Biden’s economic agenda.
Of course, we don’t need to read policy documents to know that inflation is real. We feel it every time we pay at the supermarket or finish filling the gas tank.
Unfortunately, the response of some policymakers is to blame others (greedy companies) and resort to failed economic ideas (price controls) that don’t work. There is also a growing trend, among both parties, to adopt protectionist policies such as tariffs and restrictions on legal immigration.
Instead of shutting down our economy, we need to demand pro-growth economic policies that facilitate private sector growth and job creation. Instead of punishing success, in the form of higher taxes, and stifling innovation, in the form of increased regulation, we need to reward work.
For example, earlier this year, the Biden administration issued a new federal rule that reclassifies many gig workers as full-time employees. The White House claimed this was done to expand federal protections and benefits, but in practice it may mean that self-employed workers see their hours and pay reduced.
This federal overreach will disproportionately affect Latinos, who increasingly make up a larger share of self-employed and part-time workers.
In addition to removing barriers to work, policymakers in our state capitals and in Washington should support policies to personalize health care, such as expanding telehealth services.
State legislators could also support greater educational freedom for our families.
In practice, this means allowing families to choose the best type of educational environment for their children. For some, that may mean staying in their local public school, and for other families it could mean homeschooling, attending a charter school, or even enrolling in a private school.
Hispanic Heritage Month, a four-week national celebration of our community, is a perfect opportunity to raise our voices and advocate for policies that will improve our lives so we can pursue our version of the American Dream.
We know that the United States is a unique place. That’s why many of us leave our loved ones behind in our home countries to come here. But if we want to ensure this place remains prosperous, we must demand pro-growth and pro-freedom policies to expand opportunity for all.
Let’s make our voice heard.
José Mallea is the executive director of the LIBRE Initiative.
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