GOOD MORNING. BUENOS DIAS. GOOD
MORNING. MY NAME IS WENDY
CARRILLO. I PROUDLY REPRESENT,
ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 52, WHICH
INCLUDES THE BEAUTIFUL
COMMUNITIES OF EAST LOS ANGELES,
NORTHEAST L.A. SILVER LAKE, ECHO
PARK, AND HALF OF THE CITY OF
GLENDALE. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU
ALL TO, OUR STATE CAPITOL. AND
FOR OUR FIRST 2024 ASSEMBLY
SELECT COMMITTEE ON LATINA
INEQUITIES, THIS INFORMATIONAL
HEARING WILL FOCUS ON THE
ECONOMIC STATUS OF LATINAS IN
CALIFORNIA AS CHAIR OF THE
SELECT COMMITTEE, WE ESTABLISHED
THIS COMMITTEE WITH THE
OBJECTIVE OF PROVIDING A
LEGISLATIVE VENUE FOR ANNUAL
DISCUSSIONS ON THE CHALLENGES
FACED BY LATINAS IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. I WANT TO THANK OUR
PARTNERS, HOPE HISPANAS
ORGANIZED FOR POLITICAL EQUALITY
, PROUD HLI ALUM, CLASS OF 2009
AND OUR COMMITTED PARTNERS, THE
CALIFORNIA CIVIL RIGHTS
DEPARTMENT, THE UCLA LATINA
FUTURES 2050 LAB, THE GENDER
EQUITY POLICY INSTITUTE, THE
CALIFORNIA COMMISSION ON THE
STATUS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS. AND I
ALSO WANT TO THANK MY WONDERFUL
STAFF WHO WORKED DILIGENTLY TO
PUT THIS, COMMITTEE HEARING
TOGETHER, STARTING WITH MY CHIEF
OF STAFF, EDMUNDO CUEVAS,
NATALIE VICENCIA, MY LEGISLATIVE
DIRECTOR, AND JUDITH GUTIERREZ,
MY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR.
THANK YOU TO THEM. WE ARE ALL
HERE BECAUSE OF THEIR HARD WORK.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO AN
ENLIGHTENING CONVERSATION TODAY
ON HOPES 2024 ECONOMIC STATUS OF
LATINAS A REPORT THAT WILL FOCUS
ON THE PERSISTENT WAGE GAP. THE
LATINA WORKERS EXPERIENCE, AND
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS TO
ACHIEVE ECONOMIC PARITY FOR
LATINAS, I'M SADDENED AND, YOU
KNOW, MELANCHOLY FEELING THAT
THIS IS ACTUALLY MY LAST TERM IN
THE ASSEMBLY, AND I'VE BEEN
REFLECTING ON WHAT I'VE DONE MY
ACCOMPLISHMENTS, WHAT I HAVE
FOCUSED ON, WHAT I HAVE FOUGHT
FOR, WHAT HAVE I SPENT MY TIME
ON. AND I'M PROUD THAT WE HAVE
SECURED FUNDING THROUGH OUR
STATE BUDGET TO INCREASE
OPPORTUNITIES WITH HOPE, WITH
THE HOPE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
PROVIDING MORE LATINAS FROM ALL
WALKS OF LIFE, THE OPPORTUNITY
THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN
POLITICAL ADVOCACY AGENCY AND
GROW THEIR SKILL SETS IN
COLLECTIVE, IN OUR COLLECTIVE
CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY, AS WELL AS
PRODUCE REPORTS AND DATA THAT
ADVANCE THE POLICY OBJECTIVES OF
OUR LATINA COMMUNITY, JUST TO
NAME A FEW THINGS. AS WELL AS
FUNDING FOR DIVERSITY IN
HOLLYWOOD, THE 2050 LATINA
FUTURES LAB. AND SO MANY OTHER,
JUST, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE SPEND
OUR, OUR, OUR BUDGET DOLLARS.
THERE'S A LOT ABOUT OUR, OUR
VALUES. AND I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN
ASKED WHAT WILL YOUR LEGACY BE?
HOW ARE YOU LEAVING THE STATE
CAPITOL AND HOW ARE YOU LEAVING
YOUR ROLE IN THE ASSEMBLY? AND I
CAN'T HELP BUT THINK OF A LINE
FROM FROM HAMILTON THE MUSICAL,
WHICH SAYS LEGACY Kò WHAT IS
LEGACY? IT'S PLANTING SEEDS IN A
GARDEN YOU MAY NEVER GET TO SEE.
BUT WE SEE THAT GARDEN AND WE
SEE ITS AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES
AND GROWTH AND THE BEAUTY THAT
IS THAT IS THE LATINA COMMUNITY
IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. AND
I'M JUST HONORED TO BE ABLE TO
BE A PART OF THAT. I ALSO WANT
TO RECOGNIZE I SEE IN THE
AUDIENCE MY FELLOW HOPE SISTER,
BUT ALSO AN INSTRUMENTAL PART IN
ALL OF THE BUDGET ALLOCATIONS
THAT HAVE SUPPORTED LATINAS IN
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. AND
THAT'S GENEVIEVE MORELOS, WHO
WAS MY CONSULTANT AND BUDGET,
WHO, WHILE WE HAD GOOD TIMES AND
BUDGET, WERE ABLE TO MAKE SO
MANY STRIDES. SO IT'S IMPORTANT
TO RECOGNIZE THAT LATINAS IN THE
ROOM, THE LATINOS THAT SUPPORT
OUR WORK. SO LET'S BEGIN.
ACCORDING TO THE PUBLIC POLICY
INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA, LATINOS
ARE THE LARGEST RACIAL AND
ETHNIC GROUP IN THE STATE,
MAKING UP ALMOST 40% OF THE
STATE POPULATION IN THE 2020
CENSUS. AND EVEN THEN, THERE'S
DISCREPANCIES, BECAUSE
OFTENTIMES LATINOS IN THE, RACE
CATEGORY IDENTIFY AS WHITE AND
IN THE ETHNICITY CATEGORY
IDENTIFY AS HISPANIC OR OTHER
INDIGENOUS. SO EVEN THEN, WE
HAVE WORK TO DO ON DATA. AND
CURRENTLY LATINAS MAKE UP CLOSE
TO 20% OF THE STATE'S TOTAL
POPULATION, ACCORDING TO THE
HOPES, REPORT WE WILL BE
DISCUSSING TODAY. LATINAS FACE
IMMENSE INEQUALITY IN PAY,
POVERTY RATES, EDUCATIONAL
ATTAINMENT AND HEALTH OUTCOMES,
AND TODAY'S HEARING WILL CONSIST
OF THREE PANELS WITH EXPERTS
PANELISTS WHO HAVE A DEEP
UNDERSTANDING ON THE ISSUES
LATINAS FACE IN CALIFORNIA.
COMMON THEMES WILL FOCUS ON
EXPLORING PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
THAT ALLOW US TO ADDRESS
EDUCATIONAL INEQUALITY, TO
SUPPORT HOMEOWNERSHIP AND OTHER
FORMS OF ECONOMIC MOBILITY, TO
REMOVE HEALTH CARE ACCESS
BARRIERS, AND TO PROVIDE EQUAL
ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES WITH A
SOLUTIONS BASED APPROACH. OUR
LAST PANEL IS DESIGNED TO
FACILITATE A DISCUSSION ON
FUTURE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
THAT WILL SERVE AS A BASELINE
FOR THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF
LATINAS. WE WILL ALLOW TIME AT
THE END OF EACH PANEL FOR
MEMBERS TO ASK QUESTIONS AND
LASTLY, AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE
AGENDA, THERE WILL BE AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
I WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF
THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON LATINA
INEQUITIES WHO ARE HERE THIS
MORNING, AND OTHERS THAT WILL BE
JOINING THROUGHOUT THE NEXT HOUR
AND A HALF, TWO HOURS TO PROVIDE
COMMENTARY. AND I WANT TO OPEN
IT UP TO THE MEMBERS WHO ARE
HERE TO HAVE ANY OPENING
REMARKS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE.
ASSEMBLY MEMBER LIZ ORTEGA,
REPRESENTING ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
20 AND THE NEW LABOR AND
EMPLOYMENT CHAIR, EXCITED TO BE
HERE TODAY AND WANT TO THANK OUR
CHAIR CARRILLO, FOR LEADING THIS
EFFORT FOR MANY YEARS. AND,
PUTTING A VOICE ON SUCH AN
IMPORTANT ISSUE, ESPECIALLY IN
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WHERE
LATINAS ARE, YOU KNOW, A
MAJORITY OF THE STATE, BUT WE'RE
STILL A MINORITY WHEN IT COMES
TO POLICIES AND LEGISLATION. AND
AND, JUST REPRESENTATION, SO
EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY TO
LISTEN TO THE PANEL, HEAR ABOUT
NEW RECOMMENDATIONS AS WE YOU
KNOW, I CONTINUE, HOPEFULLY THE
WORK THAT HAS BEEN, WAS STARTED
BY NOT JUST ASSEMBLY MEMBER
CARRILLO, BUT MANY OTHER LATINAS
WHO HAVE SAT HERE AND MADE A
HUGE DIFFERENCE. SO THANK YOU. I
WANT TO THANK, ASSEMBLY MEMBER
WENDY CARRILLO FOR CHAIRING THE
SELECT COMMITTEE AND ALWAYS
BEING SINCE I'VE BEEN IN THE
LEGISLATURE, ALWAYS BEING A
CHAMPION FOR EQUITY AND EQUALITY
IN A WAY THAT MAYBE NOT
EVERYBODY ALWAYS SEES IN THE
LEGISLATURE OVER THIS, DECADES
WHERE THERE HAS NOT BEEN AS MANY
LATINOS HERE. MY NAME IS TASHA
BOERNER. I'M THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER
THAT REPRESENTS 8077 FROM
CARLSBAD TO CORONADO ON THE
COAST. I USED TO REPRESENT THE
VISTA AND OCEANSIDE. AND SO I
SAW, ESPECIALLY IN THAT MY OLD
DISTRICT, WHAT THE LATINA
INEQUITIES WERE, ESPECIALLY
DURING COVID. SO REALLY
APPRECIATE LISTENING TO THE
PANELS AND THE REPORTS AND
REALLY FINDING OUT HOW WE CAN,
AS A LEGISLATURE, CONTINUE THE
LEGACY OF, ASSEMBLY MEMBER
CARRILLO IN ELIMINATING
STRUCTURAL BARRIERS, WHETHER
IT'S HEALTH INEQUITIES OR WAGE
INEQUITIES, THERE ARE SO MANY
THAT ARE LISTED IN THE REPORT.
SO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AND
LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION
. ASSEMBLY MEMBER JUAN CARRILLO,
REPRESENTING THE 39TH ASSEMBLY
DISTRICT, WHERE OVER 65% OF THE
POPULATION IS OF LATINO HISPANIC
ORIGIN. I WANT TO THANK CHAIR
CARRILLO FOR PUTTING THIS
TOGETHER. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE
CONVERSATION. I'M HERE TO
SUPPORT, BE ABLE TO FACILITATE
EVEN FUTURE DISCUSSIONS IF
NECESSARY, IF POSSIBLE. AND HERE
TO AGAIN LEARN FROM THE STUDY. I
HAVE IT HERE IN FRONT OF ME.
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE
CONVERSATION, HAVING A LATINA
MOTHER, LATINA WIFE AND LATINA
DAUGHTER, LATINA, COLLEAGUES AND
ALL OF YOU, IS REALLY SOMETHING
THAT I LOOK FORWARD TO KEEPING
EMPOWERING. AND I LOOK FORWARD
FOR THE CONVERSATIONS. THANK YOU
. THANK YOU. SO THIS IS THE
REPORT, THE 2024 ECONOMIC STATUS
OF LATINAS IN CALIFORNIA IS
SIGNIFICANT. STEP FORWARD IN
POLICY DISCUSSIONS. AND THE MOST
IMPORTANT PART, I THINK, FOR OUR
COLLEAGUES IN THE LEGISLATURE,
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE LATINA TO
CARE ABOUT LATINA ISSUES. WE ARE
THE MAJORITY OF THE STATE. AND
WHAT IMPACTS LATINAS IMPACTS
EVERYONE. AND SO WHEN YOU FOCUS
ON LATINAS, YOU'RE FOCUSING ON
THE ENTIRE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
SO LET'S BEGIN. I'D LIKE TO
INVITE UP TO OUR FIRST PANEL,
HELENA TORRES, THE CEO OF HOPE,
AND DOCTOR ELSA MACIAS, THE LEAD
RESEARCHER AND AUTHOR OF THE
2024 ECONOMIC STATUS REPORT,
STATUS OF LATINAS REPORT.
WELCOME. LET'S BEGIN. HELLO. AS
STATED, MY NAME IS HELEN IRIS
TORRES. I AM THE CEO OF HOPE
HISPANAS ORGANIZED POLITICAL
EQUALITY, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT,
NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATION
ENSURING THE POLITICAL AND
ECONOMIC PARITY OF LATINAS
THROUGH LEADERSHIP, ADVOCACY,
AND EDUCATION TO BENEFIT ALL
COMMUNITIES IN THE STATUS OF
WOMEN. AT HOPE, WE BUILD LATINA
COMMUNITY POWER BY PREPARING AND
SUPPORTING LATINAS AS CIVIC
LEADERS, ADVOCATING FOR POLICY
CHANGES THAT CHAMPION EQUITY FOR
LATINAS, AND EDUCATING THE
PUBLIC, AND ON THE EXPERIENCES
AND CONTRIBUTIONS LATINAS MAKE
TO OUR ECONOMY AND OUR SOCIETY.
AS PART OF OUR COMMITMENT TO
ELEVATING LATINA, THE LATINA
EXPERIENCE, WE CONDUCT RESEARCH
THAT ENSURES THAT LATINAS ARE
RECOGNIZED FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS
THEY'RE MAKING TO OUR SOCIETY
AND IDENTIFIES WHERE THE
CHALLENGES PERSIST IN ACHIEVING
ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL PARITY.
FOR OUR COMMUNITIES TODAY. WE
ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO THE LATINA
INEQUITIES COMMITTEE, TO ALL OF
OUR MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR BEING
HERE, FOR LISTENING TO US. I DO
WANT TO SPEND A MOMENT TO SAY A
SPECIAL GRATITUDE TO
ASSEMBLYWOMAN IN THE CHAIR,
WENDY CARILLO. NOT ONLY IS SHE A
MEMBER OF OUR ORGANIZATION, BUT
SHE HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR
STRONGEST SUPPORTERS AND
STRONGEST ADVOCATES AND A TRUE
VOICE FOR THE LATINA EXPERIENCE.
WE VERY ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO
YOU. THANK YOU. OF COURSE, WE
ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE
ECONOMIC STATUS OF LATINAS.
CALIFORNIA REPORT. THIS IS THE
FOURTH EDITION OF A SERIES OF
REPORTS THAT WE STARTED TEN
YEARS AGO, SOON AFTER THE FIRST
OR THE 2008 RECESSION. WE
THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT
TO START REPORTING ON HOW
LATINAS EXPERIENCED THE
RECESSION AND HOW DO WE COME
BACK FROM THEM, AND WHAT THE
CHALLENGES LATINAS ARE FACED.
THIS REPORT SERVES THIS CURRENT
REPORT SERVES AS A CALL TO
ACTION FOR ALL POLICYMAKERS,
COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND
STAKEHOLDERS TO IMPLEMENT
EQUITABLE SOLUTIONS AND PROVIDE
TARGETED SUPPORT TO UPLIFT
LATINAS IN CALIFORNIA. BUT BY
WORKING TOGETHER, WE CAN CREATE
A MORE INCLUSIVE AND PROSPEROUS
FUTURE FOR ALL. TO GIVE US A
CLOSER LOOK AT THE DATA, IT IS
MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE AN
INCREDIBLE RESEARCH LEADER AND
AN EXTRAORDINARY INDIVIDUAL WHO
HAS BEEN WITH US FOR EVERY ONE
OF OUR REPORTS, AND THAT'S
DOCTOR ELSA MACIAS, THE LEAD
RESEARCHER AND AUTHOR OF OUR
REPORT. DOCTOR MACIAS IS A
SEASONED RESEARCH ANALYST
SPECIALIZING IN EDUCATION,
TECHNOLOGY, SCIENCE EDUCATION
AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
POLICY. SHE HAS BEEN
INSTRUMENTAL, AS I SAID, IN
PRODUCING ALL FOUR OF ALL THREE
OF OUR PAST REPORTS AND OUR
CURRENT REPORT. SO SO AT THIS
TIME, I'M PLEASURE TO TURN OVER
THE CONVERSATION TO DOCTOR
MACIAS. THANK YOU, HELEN, AND
THANK YOU, ASSEMBLY MEMBER
CARRILLO AND ALL OF YOU WHO ARE
HERE TODAY. I'M ELSA MACIAS, AND
I WILL BE SPEAKING ON THE
FINDINGS FROM THIS FOURTH
CALIFORNIA ECONOMIC STATUS OF
LATINAS REPORT FROM HOPE. I'LL
JUST GET RIGHT INTO IT. WE
EXAMINED A NATIONAL, STATE AND
REGIONAL DATA ON A VARIETY OF
METRICS, PLUS REPORTS AND BRIEFS
TO UNDERSTAND HOW LATINAS IN THE
STATE ARE FARING. ADDITIONALLY,
WE CONDUCTED A SERIES OF
INTERVIEWS WITH LATINAS FROM
ACROSS THE STATE AND FROM
VARIOUS AGES AND BACKGROUNDS TO
GET THEIR INPUT ON HOW THEY'RE
DOING AND HOW THEY COULD BE
BETTER SUPPORTED. WHAT WE FOUND
IS VERY UNEVEN ADVANCEMENT IN
EDUCATION AND SMALL BUSINESS
OWNERSHIP, AND ON SEVERAL OTHER
AREAS WITH BARRIERS HINDERING
GREATER ACHIEVEMENT AND ECONOMIC
SUCCESS. AND I'LL SHARE JUST A
FEW OF THE HIGHLIGHTS NEXT. SO,
AS YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD,
CALIFORNIA HAS THE LARGEST
LATINO POPULATION. OH, THAT'S
REALLY SMALL. CAN YOU SEE THAT?
SORRY ABOUT THAT, HAS THE
LARGEST LATINO POPULATION IN THE
NATION AT 40. AND THAT'S ON THE
LEFT SIDE, BUT ALSO THE HIGHEST
CONCENTRATION OF LATINAS IN ANY
STATE. LATINAS MAKE UP NEARLY
20% OF THE POPULATION. AND 40%
OF ALL WOMEN. THAT MEANS THAT
ONE OUT OF EVERY FIVE PEOPLE IN
CALIFORNIA IS A LATINA. AND IN
SOME OF THE LARGEST REGIONS,
SUCH AS IN THE INLAND EMPIRE,
FRESNO, BAKERSFIELD, MERCED, FOR
INSTANCE, LATINAS ARE WELL OVER
25% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION, AND
IN SOME PLACES EVEN HIGHER. SO
THAT'S OVER HALF OF ALL WOMEN IN
SOME OF THE LARGER STATES ARE
STILL LATINAS. SO ALTHOUGH THE
STATE EXPERIENCED AN OVERALL
DECLINE IN ITS POPULATION, I
KNOW MANY OF US HEARD IT ON ALL
OF THE MEDIA BETWEEN 2020 AND
2022. IN FACT, THE HISPANIC
POPULATION REMAINED ESSENTIALLY
STEADY DURING THAT SAME PERIOD
OF TIME, WITH GROWTH OF ABOUT
350,000 PEOPLE. AND AS THE
STATE'S POPULATION IS REPORTING
GROWTH AGAIN THIS YEAR, WE
EXPECT THAT ITS HISPANIC
POPULATION WILL ALSO INCREASE
EVEN MORE. AS A GROUP. LATINOS
ARE YOUNG. THERE ARE 17.1 YEARS
YOUNGER THAN WHITE WOMEN, AND
ALTHOUGH BEFORE THE PANDEMIC
THEY WERE IN 2019 THEY WERE 17.4
YEARS YOUNGER AND SIMILAR
POPULATION TRENDS CAN BE SEEN
NATIONWIDE. ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF
THIS CHART. NEXT SO LATINAS ARE
ADVANCING ECONOMICALLY, BUT THEY
STILL FACE MANY DISPARITIES. AND
YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT THE WAGE GAP
IN THE NEXT PANEL, LOOKING AT
HOUSEHOLD EARNINGS, THE MEDIAN
LATINO HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN
CALIFORNIA IS CONSIDERABLY LOWER
THAN THAT OF WHITE HOUSEHOLDS.
IN 2022, THE AVERAGE LATINO
HOUSEHOLD INCOME WAS ONLY 73% OF
THE AVERAGE WHITE HOUSEHOLD, AND
THE HISPANIC PER CAPITA INCOME
WAS ONLY 41% OF WHITE PER CAPITA
INCOME. NEXT NEXT. THE LATINO
HOMEOWNERSHIP RATE, LET'S SEE,
INCREASED BY AN IMPRESSIVE 3.7
PERCENTAGE POINTS BETWEEN 2020
AND 2022 AS THEY PURCHASED HOMES
AT ABOVE AVERAGE RATES AND
NARROWED THE GAP WITH WHITE,
NON-HISPANIC HOMEOWNERS. BUT
THEIR 2022 CALIFORNIA
HOMEOWNERSHIP RATE WAS STILL 16
PERCENTAGE POINTS BEHIND THAT OF
THE WHITE, NON-HISPANIC
POPULATION. LATINO HOMEOWNERSHIP
RATES IN THE INLAND EMPIRE,
WHERE REAL ESTATE IS MORE
AFFORDABLE, STOOD AT 61, WHILE
IT WAS ONLY 35% IN THE SILICON
VALLEY, WHERE REAL ESTATE COSTS
ARE SO MUCH HIGHER. NEXT HOME
EQUITY IS A PRIMARY WAY FOR TO
BUILD WEALTH, AND IN FACT, HOME
EQUITY AND RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS
TOGETHER MAKE UP 65. SORRY. MADE
UP 65% OF HOUSEHOLD WEALTH IN
2019, BUT ONLY 40% OF LATINOS
HOLD EQUITY IN THEIR OWN HOMES,
COMPARED TO 58% OF WHITE
HOUSEHOLDS AND ONLY 41% OF THE
STATE'S LATINO HOUSEHOLDS HOLD
RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS, COMPARED TO
68% OF WHITE HOUSEHOLDS. AND FOR
THOSE THAT DO HAVE RETIREMENT
ACCOUNTS, THE TYPICAL VALUE IS
$82,000, LOWER THAN FOR THOSE
WHITE HOUSEHOLDS WHO HOLD
RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS. SO NEXT. SO
ADDING TOGETHER LOWER
HOMEOWNERSHIP RATES, LOWER
RETIREMENT ACCOUNT OWNERSHIP
RATES, THE WAGE GAP AND LOWER
LEVELS OF INCOME. GENERALLY, YOU
END UP WITH A SUBSTANTIAL WEALTH
GAP THAT GROWS OVER TIME AND
OVER GENERATIONS. AND IN FACT,
THE TYPICAL WHITE HOUSEHOLD HELD
NINE TIMES THE WEALTH OF THE
TYPICAL LATINO HOUSEHOLD. NEXT
SO LATINAS ARE ENTHUSIASTIC
ENTREPRENEURS CONTRIBUTING TO
THE STATE'S ECONOMIC ENGINE BY
CREATING 150,000 JOBS WITH A
PAYROLL OF NEARLY $6 BILLION
LATINA OWNED EMPLOYER BUSINESSES
INCREASED BY OVER 26% BETWEEN
2018 AND 2021, AND REPRESENTED
NEARLY 12% OF ALL WOMEN OWNED
EMPLOYER BUSINESSES. NEXT LATINO
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT CONTINUES
TO IMPROVE DESPITE MANY
CHALLENGES. SO TWO EXAMPLES THAT
I'LL GIVE HERE. ALTHOUGH THE
2023 LATINA HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATION RATE OF 87% DROPPED
FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR, WHICH
WAS 88, IT NEVERTHELESS EXCEEDED
THE STATE'S OVERALL GRADUATION
RATE OF 86, AND THEY NARROWED
THE GAP WITH WHITE WOMEN.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS THAT THE
GRADUATION RATE. I'M SORRY. YES,
THE GRADUATION RATE FOR LATINA
ENGLISH LEARNERS, WHICH IS
SIGNIFICANT LOWER, ALSO SHOWED
IMPROVEMENT AND THE LAST EXAMPLE
HERE, NEXT IS LATINAS 25 AND
OVER WITH AT LEAST A BACHELOR'S
DEGREE. THAT'S PEOPLE WITH A
BACHELOR'S DEGREE, MASTER'S
DEGREE, PROFESSIONAL DEGREES,
PHDS INCREASED TO 18.3% IN 2022.
HOWEVER, THAT COMPARES TO 48% OF
WHITE WOMEN 25 AND OLDER WHO
HAVE AT LEAST A BACHELOR'S
DEGREE. AND THE GAP BETWEEN
LATINAS AND WHITE WOMEN HAS
WIDENED. DID WIDEN BETWEEN 2018
AND 2022. NEXT MANY HEALTH
DISPARITIES WERE EXACERBATED BY
THE EFFECTS OF COVID 19, COVID
19, WHICH WAS I THINK WE'VE ALL
HEARD ABOUT THAT. IN PARTICULAR,
WHAT I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT HERE
IS THAT LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH
DECLINED OVER FOUR YEARS FOR
LATINAS AND OVER THREE YEARS FOR
BLACK WOMEN. AND AT THE HEIGHT
OF THE PANDEMIC BETWEEN 2019 AND
2021. THAT COMPARES WITH
DECREASE OF 1.8 YEARS FOR WHITE,
NON-HISPANIC WOMEN. SO LIFE
EXPECTANCY IS RECOVERING, BUT
ONLY SLOWLY. SO IT'S GOING TO
TAKE A WHILE TO BE ABLE TO
RECOVER FROM THAT, AND THAT, YOU
KNOW, I HATE TO BE THAT THAT,
EQUATES TO A LOT OF LOST LIVES,
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, ANOTHER
ISSUE IS THAT LATINA AND BLACK
WOMEN ALL ALSO FACE HIGHER
MORTALITY RATES AND DISPARITIES
IN MATERNAL CARE. NEXT. I'M
SORRY. NEXT OH. I'M SORRY. NO,
NO. IF YOU COULD GO BACK. SORRY
ABOUT THAT. SO THE UNINSURED
RATE FOR LATINAS IN CALIFORNIA
STOOD AT THE HISTORIC LOW OF
8.8% IN 2022. THAT'S STILL
HIGHER THAN THE TOTAL RATE OF
6.5. BUT BOTH ARE EXPECTED TO
RISE AS THE PANDEMIC ERA
POLICIES HAVE BEEN EXPIRING. AND
THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE
AT PLAY HERE, SO WE'LL HAVE TO
WAIT AND SEE WHAT THE DATA SHOW
US IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO. NEXT
BRINGING LATINA PERSPECTIVES TO
LEADERSHIP ROLES ENSURES THAT
CALIFORNIA'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES
ARE FAIRLY REPRESENTED, MANY
LATINAS HAVE THE EDUCATION
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE TO FILL
LEADERSHIP ROLES IN ELECTED
OFFICE AND IN THE CORPORATE
WORLD. AND YET, BOTH STATEWIDE
AND NATIONALLY, THE NUMBERS OR
THE NUMBER OF LATINAS IN THESE
ROLES CONTINUES VERY LOW LATINO
REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARDS OF
PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES IN
CALIFORNIA IS ABYSMALLY LOW AT
3, AND GUBERNATORIAL
APPOINTMENTS ARE ALSO BELOW
PARITY. NEXT, PROGRESS IN
ELECTED OFFICE HAS ALSO BEEN
UNEVEN. SINCE 2015, THE NUMBER
OF LATINAS ELECTED TO THE US
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STANDS
AT ONLY FOUR. FOR LATINAS, IT'S
ACTUALLY A DECREASE LESS THAN 8%
FROM WHAT IT WAS A COUPLE OF
YEARS AGO. THE NUMBER OF
LATINAS, SO THERE'S ALSO BEEN A
SMALL IMPROVEMENT IN STATEWIDE
OFFICE IN THE PAST THREE YEARS
WITH LATINAS AT PARITY AMONG THE
STATE SENATORS, BUT NOT IN THE
ASSEMBLY MEMBERS. NEXT THE
LATINA INTERVIEW RESPONDENTS
THAT WE SPOKE TO VOICED CONCERN
THAT THEIR LOW LEVELS OF
FINANCIAL LITERACY, IS LIMITING
THEIR ABILITY TO BUILD WEALTH
AND TO MANAGE THEIR RETIREMENT
SAVINGS AS WELL AS THEY COULD.
NEARLY ALL OF THEM WORRIED ABOUT
THE IMPACT OF INFLATION ON THEIR
HOUSEHOLD FINANCES. BUT ALSO ON
THE ECONOMIC HEALTH OF THEIR
COMMUNITIES. AND I WANT TO
UNDERSCORE THEY WERE VERY
CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR FAMILIES.
THEY WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT
THEIR FRIENDS IN THEIR COMMUNITY
. SEVERAL OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE
THAT WE SPOKE TO STRUGGLED WITH
THE HIGH COST OF LIVING WITH.
ONE IN PARTICULAR CONCERNED
ABOUT LOSING HER, HER HOME, NEXT
. ANOTHER RECURRENT THEME WERE
THE APPEAL AND BENEFITS OF
BUSINESS OWNERSHIP AND MORE THAN
IN PREVIOUS HOPE STUDIES, THE
LATINA INTERVIEW RESPONDENTS
TALKED AT LENGTH ABOUT THE
WEIGHT OF FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS
TO THEIR PARENTS AND OR TO THEIR
CHILDREN WHO WERE DEPENDENT ON
THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS, AND HOW
HELPING THEM MAY BE COMPROMISING
THEIR OWN RETIREMENTS OR THEIR
OWN ABILITY TO BUY A HOUSE. AND
FINALLY, UNLIKE IN PREVIOUS HOPE
STUDIES WHERE LATINAS HAVE
EXPRESSED A VERY HIGH DEGREE OF
OPTIMISM ABOUT DEALING WITH
THEIR CURRENT FINANCIAL
CIRCUMSTANCES AND THEIR FUTURE
PROSPECTS, THE LATINAS WE
INTERVIEWED LAST FALL WERE ONLY
CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC, BUT THEY
NEVERTHELESS SHARED STORIES OF
RESILIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE AND
RELIANCE ON FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
. SO I INVITE YOU TO CHECK OUT
THE REPORT FOR MORE INFORMATION.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
ATTENTION. THANK YOU, DOCTOR
MATIAS. I'D LIKE TO I KNOW THAT
EVERYONE MAYBE HAS A COPY OF THE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, AND I'D LIKE
TO MAYBE TALK ABOUT THE
DISPARITIES IN POPULATION AND
REPRESENTATION. AND SO ON. THE
FINDINGS CALIFORNIA HAS THE
LARGEST HISPANIC POPULATION,
LATINO POPULATION WITH THE
HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF LATINAS
OF ANY STATE IN 2022. LATINAS
COMPROMISE 20% OF THE TOTAL
POPULATION AND 40% OF ALL WOMEN.
SO MY QUESTION IS, AS WE LOOK AT
THE NUMBERS, IF YOU CAN GO BACK
TO THE SLIDE OF REPRESENTATION,
GUBERNATORIAL APPOINTMENTS AS
WELL AS, I BELIEVE IT WAS
EXECUTIVE C-SUITE. WHAT WHAT ARE
SOME OF THE WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
THINGS THAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY
WORK ON TO IMPROVE THOSE
NUMBERS? AND I THINK OFTENTIMES
WE FIND OUR, OURSELVES IN
CONVERSATIONS ON A VARIETY OF
DIFFERENT SECTORS OF WORK, MOST
IMPACTED BY, LOW WAGE WORKERS AS
WE THEN TRY TO WORK OUR WAY TO
GRADUATION LEVELS AND INCREASE
OF GRADUATIONS WITH LATINAS WITH
GRADUATE DEGREES. BUT YET, WHEN
IT COMES TO DECISION MAKING,
WE'RE OFTEN NOT AT THE TABLE. SO
I'M CURIOUS AS TO YOUR THOUGHTS
OF WHAT'S POSSIBLE AND WHAT CAN
WE DO, EITHER HELEN OR DOCTOR
MACIAS, IF YOU WANT TO ANSWER.
ABSOLUTELY. SO THERE'S A COUPLE
THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, CALIFORNIA
HAS BEEN LEADING IN THE
CONVERSATION ABOUT WOMEN'S
REPRESENTATION AND LATINA
REPRESENTATION, OR ALL WOMEN OF
COLOR REPRESENTATION ON
CORPORATE BOARDS. AS YOU MAY
BOTH KNOW, THAT THERE WAS
LEGISLATION MANDATING THAT
CORPORATE BOARDS PUBLICLY TRADED
COMPANIES IN CALIFORNIA, WOULD
HAVE A PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN, ON
THEIR CORPORATE BOARDS THAT IS
NOW BEEN SOMEWHAT REPEALED IS IN
BEING DISCUSSED IN THE, IN THE
COURTS. BUT FOR THE FIRST COUPLE
OF YEARS UNDER THAT LEGISLATION,
IN ALL HONESTY, IT WAS NOT
HELPFUL TO LATINAS. IT WE SAW
MORE WOMEN OF OTHER, QUITE
FRANKLY, MORE WHITE WOMEN BEING
APPOINTED TO THESE CORPORATE
BOARDS. SO WE DO KNOW THAT THERE
IS AN OPPORTUNITY THROUGH
LEGISLATION THAT COULD PERHAPS
BE HELPFUL. I THINK THERE HAS TO
BE A REALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT
CORPORATE BOARDS ARE RUN BY
PRIVATE COMPANIES, AND THEY SET
LÀ, HOW THEY SET THEIR
RECRUITMENT FOR THESE CORPORATE
BOARDS OFTEN ARE NOT IN
ALIGNMENT WHERE WE FIND OUR
LATINAS RIGHT NOW. SO, FOR
EXAMPLE, A LOT OF CORPORATE
BOARDS WANT, INDIVIDUALS THAT
HAVE RUN BILLION DOLLAR BUDGETS.
WE DON'T HAVE TOO MANY LATINAS
THAT ARE RUNNING BILLION DOLLAR
BUDGETS UNLESS THEY'RE AN
ELECTED OFFICE. AND YOU WALK,
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ARE TERMED
OUT, THEN YOU SHOULD BE
CONSIDERED FOR CORPORATE BOARD
BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN HAVING THAT
SAY AROUND HOW THE ALLOCATION OF
DOLLARS. SO THAT'S CORPORATE
BOARDS. AND UNDERSTANDING THAT
THAT IS A PRIVATE, THE THAT IT'S
RUN BY A PRIVATE BY PRIVATE
INDUSTRY WITH REGULATIONS BUT
STILL NOT MANDATED. RIGHT. SO
THERE'S A LOT MORE TO BE DONE
THERE, TO DISCUSS THAT REGARDING
APPOINTMENTS IN GENERAL. YOU
KNOW, THE REPORT THAT WE
RECENTLY DID IN JANUARY THAT
LOOKED AT GUBERNATORIAL
APPOINTMENTS FOR JUST THE YEAR
OF 2023, WAS AT 9. IF YOU LOOK
AT THE ADULT POPULATION OF
LATINAS, THAT IS ROUGHLY AROUND
14. I BELIEVE IS STILL NOT
REACHING PARITY. THERE IS A LOT
THAT WE'RE DOING AT HOPE THROUGH
OUR LATINA APPOINTMENTS
COLLABORATIVE, TO MAKE SURE THAT
LATINAS ARE WELL AWARE OF THESE
OPPORTUNITIES. WHAT THAT MEANS
TO BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
VOICE IN THEIR IN THEIR
COMMUNITY AS WELL AS WHAT DOES
THAT MEAN TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE
AT DECISION MAKING PLACES THAT
SOMETIMES, OFTEN HAS BUDGET OR
REGULATORY, POWER, THAT THEY CAN
ENSURE THAT WE'RE BEING,
REPRESENTED? HOPE DOES HAVE A
BILL AB, AB 782 TO ENSURE THAT
THERE IS A CONSISTENT REPORTING
ON THE DEMOGRAPHICS, NOT ONLY OF
ETHNICITY AND GENDER, BUT ALSO
VETERANS STATUS, GEOGRAPHIC
STATUS, DISABILITY STATUS THAT
WE REQUIRE THAT THE GOVERNOR
PRODUCES. THIS REPORT ANNUALLY
OF THE PAST, COMMISSIONERS, SO
THAT WE CAN HAVE GOOD DATA ON
EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT TODAY IS BASED ON DATA. IF
YOU DON'T HAVE GOOD DATA, YOU
CAN'T COME UP WITH GOOD POLICY
SOLUTIONS. YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE
THE GAPS ARE, AND YOU DON'T KNOW
WHEN TO CELEBRATE. WHEN YOUR
READING ROUTINE PARODY. SO
KNOWING THAT THE CORPORATE
STRUCTURE IS VERY DIFFERENT AND
IT'S HIGHLY DIFFICULT TO
REGULATE, BUT WE NEED TO PUT
HIGHLIGHT ON THAT BECAUSE OF THE
POWER OF THE CORPORATE SECTOR.
AND THEN ALSO KNOWING THAT WE DO
HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENSURE
THAT WE'RE HOLDING EACH OTHER
ACCOUNTABLE AND MAKING SPACE FOR
LATINAS AND APPOINTMENTS. AND
CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, HELEN,
BUT THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT
SENATOR MONIQUE LIMON IS PUSHING
THIS BILL FORWARD, WHICH I'M A
COAUTHOR OF, AND THANK YOU FOR
THAT. IT'S THE FOURTH TIME.
FOURTH TIME. AND LAST TIME IT
WAS VETOED BY THE GOVERNOR. AND
THEY THE GOVERNOR HAS VETOED IT
FOR THREE TIMES, WE HAVE BEEN
WORKING WITH HIS OFFICE TO
ENSURE A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE,
TO ENSURE THAT, AS YOU SPOKE,
ASSEMBLYWOMAN, ABOUT LEGACY,
THAT THE ADMINISTRATION SEES
THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE
LEGACY BEHIND. THIS GOVERNOR, IN
MANY WAYS, HAS BEEN DOING A
CREDIBLE JOB OF ENSURING LATINA
FIRST. RIGHT. THE FIRST LATINA
CHIEF JUSTICE OF OUR SUPREME
COURT HERE IN CALIFORNIA, THE
FIRST LATINA TO HEAD UP THE APA
IN CALIFORNIA, AND A LOT MORE.
SO IT IS REALLY, TRULY ABOUT
CREATING A LEGACY THAT WE DON'T
STOP AT THE FIRST AND THAT WE
HAVE OPPORTUNITIES WITH GOOD
DATA TO ENSURE THAT WE KNOW HOW
TO MOVE FORWARD AND CONTINUE
BUILDING THAT PIPELINE. AND
ENSURING NOT ONLY LATINAS, BUT
ALL CALIFORNIANS SEE THEMSELVES
IN THESE COMMISSIONS. WELL, I
HOPE HE OR HIS STAFF ARE
WATCHING BECAUSE WE ARE
CONTINUOUSLY MOVING THAT POLICY
FORWARD AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO
SO UNTIL IT'S SIGNED
RESPECTFULLY. RIGHT. THANK YOU.
DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS, YEAH,
JUST I HAD A QUESTION OR
COMMENTS. YOU KNOW, I, I WHEN I
BECAME LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
CHAIR, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I
DECIDED TO HIGHLIGHT, RIGHT, AND
WANT TO WORK ON ARE THE WAGE
GAP, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT IN
THE FOURTH LARGEST OR FIFTH
LARGEST ECONOMY, WE STILL HAVE
WOMEN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 55 AND
65 WITH ZERO SAVINGS IN THEIR
ACCOUNT. AND, YOU KNOW, EVERY
YEAR WE CELEBRATE OR HIGHLIGHT
LATINO EQUAL LATINA EQUAL PAY
DAY. AND I JUST GET ANGRY,
BECAUSE WE'RE NOT EVEN CLOSE.
AND SO WONDERING, YOU KNOW, YOU
HAD ONE OF YOUR SLIDES THAT
TALKED ABOUT, THE FINANCIAL
LITERACY AND, AND BUSINESS AND
ECONOMIC. AND TO ME, THAT'S, YOU
KNOW, JOBS, SO HOW WOULD YOU,
YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR
RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND THIS AREA
AND HOW WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB
OF WORKING WITH EMPLOYERS, AND
EDUCATING OUR LATINAS TO HAVE
THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT SAFETY NET,
FINANCIAL LITERACY, EVERYTHING
THAT WOULD PREPARE US FOR THE
FUTURE. YEAH. DO YOU WANT ME TO
GO AHEAD, FIRST OF ALL,
ASSEMBLYWOMAN, I WANT TO POINT
OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE
THE CHAIR OF LABOR, THE
INCREDIBLE ROLE THAT LABOR PLAYS
TO UPLIFT THE WAGE GAP FOR ALL
CALIFORNIANS THAT ARE IN CERTAIN
SECTORS OF IS THE SERVICE
SECTOR, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT
AND I KNOW YOU'RE HAVING A
PANEL, SO I WANT TO BE
RESPECTFUL OF THE PANEL THAT'S
COMING TO TALK ABOUT THE WAGE
GAP. BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT
THERE IS A STRATEGY AROUND THE
CARROT AND THE STICK. AND THE
CARROT IS WHAT RIGHT NOW THE
FIRST PARTNER IS LEADING WITH
TRYING TO GET AS MANY
ORGANIZATIONS, NOT JUST
CORPORATIONS. HOPE SIGNED UP TO
THIS, TO THAT. WE TAKE A PLEDGE
THAT WE WILL ENSURE PAY EQUITY
IN OUR WORKFORCE. SO I THINK
THAT IS THE CARROT, RIGHT? HOW
DO WE LIFT THAT UP AND HOW DO WE
REWARD CORPORATIONS, BUSINESSES,
UNIONS, EVERYONE, NONPROFITS
THAT ARE TAKING THIS UP AND
REALLY, TRULY FULFILLING THAT
PLEDGE? THE SECOND IS THE STICK.
HOW DO WE NOT ONLY ENSURE THAT
WE HAVE GOOD DATA, THAT WE'RE
MONITORING THIS, BUT THEN REALLY
CALL OUT BAD PLAYERS FROM EITHER
THAT THERE WILL BE, WAYS IN
WHICH THEY PERHAPS DON'T GET AS
GOOD BENEFITS, LIKE FROM A TAX
CUTS, OR, YOU KNOW, OR THAT THEY
GET CALLED OUT IN, IN A VERY
PUBLIC FORUM. SO THERE'S WAYS
THAT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO
STRATEGIZE. I THINK THE GOAL
WITH DATA IS TO ENSURE THAT WE
NO ONE, THAT WE CAN PROVE WHAT
WE EXPERIENCE EVERY DAY IN OUR
COMMUNITY HARD WORKING
INDIVIDUALS NOT BEING PAID WHAT
THEY DESERVE. SO ONE IS
UNDERSTANDING THAT BRINGING THAT
TO LIGHT AND THEN ACCOUNTING AND
HAVING THESE FORUMS WITH OUR
FELLOW, CALIFORNIANS OF HOW DO
WE LIFT THIS UP? HOW DO WE MAKE
A DIFFERENCE? SO THERE SHOULD BE
A CARROT AND STICK OPPORTUNITY
HERE. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO
HEARING SOME OF THE OTHER WISE
WOMEN THAT YOU'RE HAVING TO
SPEAK ON THAT. WELL, THANK YOU
FOR THAT. AND THANK YOU, DOCTOR
MACIAS AND HELEN, FOR THE
INTRODUCTION OF THIS REPORT. SO
WE PASSED OUT JUST THE EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY, BUT THE REPORT ITSELF
IS AVAILABLE ON THE HOPE WEBSITE
AS WELL AS WE'RE TWEETING IT OUT
ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THOSE
THAT ARE INTERESTED. BUT IT IS
DEFINITELY A LOT MORE, EXTENSIVE
, WITH A LOT MORE INFORMATION.
ADDITIONALLY, ON THE QR CODE
OUTSIDE OF THE HEARING ROOM, WE
HAVE AN EASEL BOARD. YOU SCAN
THE QR CODE, YOU GET THE REPORT
DIRECTLY ONTO YOUR PHONE. SO
THANK YOU FOR SETTING US SETTING
US UP. AND WE'RE GOING TO START
WITH OUR SECOND PANEL, A
DISCUSSION AROUND THE LATINO
WORKERS EXPERIENCE. AND THE
PERSISTENT WAGE GAP THAT
CONTRIBUTES TO SYSTEMIC BARRIERS
THAT CONTINUE TO EXIST. JOINING
US IS DOCTOR STEPHANIE PAEZ WITH
THE CALIFORNIA CIVIL RIGHTS
DEPARTMENT. SONIA DIAZ,
CO-FOUNDER OF THE UCLA LATINA
FUTURES 2050 LAB AND NATALIA
VEGA VARELA, DIRECTOR OF POLICY
AND GENDER EQUITY FOR THE. I'M
SORRY, NATALIA VEGA VARELA,
DIRECTOR OF POLICY WITH THE
GENDER EQUITY POLICY INSTITUTE,
AS YOU SETTLE IN, LET'S LET'S
BEGIN. THANK YOU. SPACE. GOOD
MORNING. SO, CAN YOU HEAR ME?
OKAY ALL RIGHT. WELL, MY THANKS
TO ASSEMBLY MEMBER CARRILLO, THE
COMMITTEE CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF
THE COMMITTEE FOR INVITING ME
TODAY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE
CALIFORNIA CIVIL RIGHTS
DEPARTMENT. SURE. YEAH HOW'S
THAT? OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT
, SO MY NAME IS STEPHANIE PAEZ,
AND I'M THE WORKFORCE DATA
OFFICER AT THE CALIFORNIA CIVIL
RIGHTS DEPARTMENT. AND TODAY,
I'LL BE SHARING KEY FINDINGS
FROM THE DEPARTMENT'S PAY DATA
REPORTING PROGRAM ON THE LATINA
PAY GAP IN CALIFORNIA. SO
PROTECTING CALIFORNIANS FROM
UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATION IN
EMPLOYMENT, INCLUDING
ELIMINATING PAY GAPS FOR LATINAS
AND OTHER WOMEN OF COLOR, IS A
KEY FOCUS FOR THE CIVIL RIGHTS
DEPARTMENT. CRD ACCOMPLISHES
THIS BY INVESTIGATING AND
LITIGATING VIOLATIONS OF
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS AND
EMPLOYMENT. PRIOR HIGH IMPACT
RESOLUTIONS BY OUR DEPARTMENT
INCLUDE A $500,000 SETTLEMENT
FOR AN ENGLISH ONLY LAWSUIT AT
PATHWAYS, A LARGE HEALTH
SERVICES PROVIDER, AS WELL AS A
LANDMARK $100 MILLION SETTLEMENT
TO RESOLVE ALLEGATIONS OF SEX
DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT AT
RIOT GAMES. CRT ALSO ENGAGES
EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYEES, AND THE
WIDE COMMUNITY THROUGH EXTENSIVE
OUTREACH TO PROMOTE CIVIL RIGHTS
AND ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION. WE
ARE PROUD TO HAVE IMPLEMENTED A
LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN THAT HAS
SERVED AS A MODEL FOR OTHER
AGENCIES TO PROVIDE EQUAL AND
MEANINGFUL ACCESS TO ALL IN
CALIFORNIA, CRD CONTINUES TO
WORK TOWARDS ACCOMPLISHING ITS
VISION OF A CALIFORNIA FREE FROM
DISCRIMINATION. WE RECOGNIZE
ACHIEVING PAY EQUITY IN
CALIFORNIA REQUIRES PARTNERSHIPS
BETWEEN THE STATE AND EMPLOYERS.
IN 2020, THE LEGISLATURE PASSED
AND THE GOVERNOR SIGNED SB 973,
WHICH INSTITUTED A STATEWIDE
ANNUAL DATA COLLECTION FOR PAY
DATA REPORTING OVERSEEN BY CRD
AS AS REQUIRED BY LAW, PRIVATE
EMPLOYERS WITH AT LEAST 100
EMPLOYEES MUST SUBMIT DATA ON
THE PAY HOURS, WORKED, JOB
CATEGORY, RACE AND ETHNICITY,
AND GENDER OF EMPLOYEES ON AN
ANNUAL BASIS. BEGINNING IN 2023,
FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS MADE BY SB
1162. EMPLOYERS ARE ADDITIONALLY
REQUIRED TO FILE PAY DATA
REPORTS ON WORKERS HIRED THROUGH
LABOR CONTRACTORS. TEMPORARY
WORKERS ARE TYPICALLY PAID LESS
THAN THEIR PERMANENT
COUNTERPARTS AND LACK ACCESS TO
CRITICAL BENEFITS AND
PROTECTIONS. THIS DATA WILL
PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED INSIGHTS ON
PAY DISPARITIES BY GENDER AND
RACE AND ETHNICITY FOR TEMPORARY
WORKERS THROUGH THE PAY DATA
PROGRAM, THE CRD ENCOURAGES
EMPLOYERS TO CONDUCT
SELF-ASSESSMENTS OF PAY
DISPARITIES TO PROMOTE VOLUNTARY
COMPLIANCE WITH EQUAL PAY AND
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS, PAY
DATA COLLECTED THROUGH THIS
PROGRAM SUPPORTS OUR EFFORTS BY
THE STATE TO EFFICIENTLY
IDENTIFY PATTERNS IN PAY AND
ALLOW FOR EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT
OF EQUAL PAY AND
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS IN THE
WORKPLACE. FOR 2021, CRD
COLLECTED PAY DATA REPORTS FROM
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PRIVATE
EMPLOYERS WITH 100 OR MORE
EMPLOYEES REPRESENTING OVER 7
MILLION WORKERS IN CALIFORNIA.
SO LATINAS CONTINUED TO FACE
BARRIERS TO EQUAL EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES, WITH IMPLICATIONS
FOR CALIFORNIA'S ECONOMY. WHILE
LATINOS MAKE UP NEARLY 1 IN 5
WORKERS IN CALIFORNIA ROUGHLY
EQUAL IN SHARE TO NON-HISPANIC
WHITE MEN, LATINOS REMAIN
OVERREPRESENTED IN LOW WAGE WORK
AND UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE
HIGHEST PAID JOBS IN SECTORS.
THIS HAS TREMENDOUS CONSEQUENCES
FOR CALIFORNIA'S ECONOMY. IN
2020 ALONE, OVER $85 BILLION
WERE LOST DUE TO THE LATINA PAY
GAP IN CALIFORNIA. TO ILLUSTRATE
THESE DISPARITIES, I WILL SHARE
RESULTS FROM OUR PAY DATA FOR
REPORTING YEAR 2021. SO WE FOUND
THAT LATINAS EARNED ONLY $0.44
FOR EVERY DOLLAR A WHITE MAN
EARNED. AND LATINAS EXPERIENCED
THE LARGEST PAY GAP OF ALL WOMEN
BY RACE AND ETHNICITY.
CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE SAW
EARLIER IN THE HOPE REPORT,
LATINAS ARE ALSO OVERREPRESENT
RENTED IN THE LOWEST PAID WORK,
SUCH AS SERVICE WORK AND A
LABORER POSITIONS. THIS HAS
IMPLICATIONS FOR LATINAS WORK
TRAJECTORIES, AS THESE JOBS
OFFER FEWER OPPORTUNITIES FOR
OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY OR WAGE
GROWTH. FURTHER LATINAS LACKED
REPRESENTATION IN THE HIGHEST
PAID JOBS, SUCH AS EXECUTIVES,
MANAGERS, AND PROFESSIONALS. SO
RECALL THAT LATINAS AND WHITE
MEN MAKE UP EQUAL SHARES OF THE
WORKFORCE. SO THAT'S FOR EVERY
LATINA. THERE'S ALSO A WHITE MAN
IN THE WORKFORCE, AND YET ONLY
6% OF EXECUTIVES ARE LATINA.
WHILE OVER 41% OF EXECUTIVES ARE
WHITE MEN. AND FOR THOSE FEW
LATINAS WHO MAKE IT INTO
EXECUTIVE ROLES, THEY EARNED
ONLY HALF OF WHAT THEIR WHITE
MALE COUNTERPARTS EARNED.
LATINAS ARE ALSO
UNDERREPRESENTED IN THOSE
SECTORS WHICH OFFER THE HIGHEST
EARNINGS. FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE
INFORMATION THÀNH SECTOR,
AVERAGE PAY FOR ALL WORKERS IS
OVER $186,000 A YEAR. YET
LATINAS COMPRISED ONLY 6% OF
WORKERS IN THIS HIGH PAYING
SECTOR AND EARN JUST OVER HALF
OF WHAT WHITE MEN EARNED IN THE
FINANCE SECTOR, WHERE LATINO
REPRESENTATION WAS CLOSER TO
THEIR OVERALL SHARE IN THE
WORKFORCE, LATINAS EARNED ONLY
$0.38 FOR EVERY DOLLAR A WHITE
MAN EARNED THAT. THIS AMOUNTED
TO OVER $8 BILLION IN LOST
EARNINGS FOR LATINAS IN THE
FINANCIAL SECTOR ALONE. SO WE
FOUND THAT ACROSS SECTORS, THE
PAY GAP IS A RESULT OF BOTH
OCCUPATIONAL SEGREGATION, WHERE
LATINAS ARE CONCENTRATED IN
LOWER PAYING JOBS, AND PAY
DISCRIMINATION, WHERE LATINAS
ARE PAID LESS THAN THEIR WHITE
MALE COUNTERPARTS IN THE SAME
JOBS. AND THESE FINDINGS
HIGHLIGHT THE LARGE AND
PERSISTENT DISPARITIES LATINAS
CONTINUE TO FACE. SO THE STATUTE
THAT CREATED THE PAY DATA
PROGRAM THAT HAS EMPLOYERS
REPORT DATA TO CRT IN WAYS THAT
CAN LIMIT OUR ABILITY TO
IDENTIFY AND MEASURE THESE PAY
DISPARITIES. I'LL HIGHLIGHT JUST
TWO OF THESE LIMITATIONS TODAY.
FIRST, MUST PAY INFORMATION IS
NOT REPORTED BY WORKER, BUT
INSTEAD IS REPORTED IN ONE OF 12
WIDE PAY BANDS. THIS CAN VEIL
ACTUAL DIFFERENCES IN PAY AMONG
INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES WORKING FOR
THE SAME EMPLOYER IN THE SAME
JOB. SO CONSIDER A LATINO WORKER
IS EARNING $43,000 A YEAR. THE
OTHER IS A WHITE MALE WORKER
EARNING $53,000 A YEAR FOR THE
SAME EMPLOYER. BECAUSE OF HOW
THE DATA IS MEASURED, WE WOULD
TREAT THESE TWO WORKERS AS
HAVING THE SAME PAY. THUS
OBSCURING THE ACTUAL PAY
DIFFERENCE OF $10,000, WHICH IS
25% OF THE LATINO WOMAN'S. IN
THIS HYPOTHETICAL CASE, SALARY.
SO FOR THOSE WORKERS REPORTED IN
THE HIGHEST PAY BAND, WHICH HAS
NO UPPER LIMIT ABOVE $239,000 A
YEAR IN REPORTING YEAR 2021, A
WORKER EARNING $240,000 WOULD BE
TREATED THE SAME AS A WORKER
EARNING $500,000 OR ANOTHER WHO
EVEN EARNED $1 MILLION EACH
YEAR. SO FOR THOSE HIGHEST PAID
JOBS HIGHLIGHTED EARLIER
THINKING EXECUTIVE POSITIONS,
FOR EXAMPLE, WE MAY BE
UNDERESTIMATING ALREADY VERY
LARGE PAY GAPS FOR LATINAS,
WOMEN AND OTHER WORKERS OF COLOR
. SO SECOND, EMPLOYERS REPORT
EMPLOYEES ACCORDING TO TEN VERY
BROAD JOB CATEGORIES WHICH ARE
SET OUT IN THE STATUTE. SO TAKE
FOR INSTANCE, PROFESSIONALS.
THIS IS THE LARGEST JOB CATEGORY
IN OUR DATA FOR CALIFORNIA. SO
THIS BROAD CATEGORY INCLUDES ON
ONE END DANCERS ARTISTS AND
WRITERS AS WELL AS LAWYERS,
ENGINEERS AND SURGEONS. SO
REGARDLESS OF THEIR ACTUAL
OCCUPATIONS, WORKERS ACROSS
DISPARATE ROLES ARE LUMPED INTO
THE SAME JOB CATEGORY. THE USE
OF SUCH BROAD CATEGORIES IMPEDES
COMPARISONS OF WORKERS IN
SIMILAR OCCUPATIONS, AS WELL AS
TO LABOR STATISTICS PRODUCED BY
FEDERAL AGENCIES, WHICH HAS MORE
DETAILED OCCUPATION INFORMATION.
SO TO ECHO WHAT WE HEARD FROM
THE LAST PANEL, BETTER DATA IS
NEEDED TO AUGMENT CRDS
ENFORCEMENTS EFFORTS. THIS WOULD
INCLUDE COLLECTING AN
INDIVIDUAL'S ACTUAL PAY AND
DETAILED OCCUPATION, WHICH WOULD
ENABLE MORE PRECISE ANALYSIS OF
PAY DISPARITIES FOR CALIFORNIA'S
WORKERS. MORE DETAILED DATA
WOULD IMPROVE STATE EFFORTS TO
IDENTIFY AND ENFORCE
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS, AND
ALLOW THE STATE TO MORE
ACCURATELY MEASURE PROGRESS MADE
IN ELIMINATING PAY DISPARITIES
AMONG CALIFORNIA'S WORKERS AS
WELL. THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THESE
INSIGHTS FROM THE PAY DATA
PROGRAM WITH THE COMMITTEE
TODAY. I LOOK FORWARD TO
CONTINUING TO WORK TOGETHER TO
MAKE MEANINGFUL PROGRESS TOWARDS
CLOSING THE PAY GAP FOR LATINAS,
WOMEN AND WORKERS OF COLOR IN
CALIFORNIA. THANK YOU. DOCTOR,
PLEASE. REALLY INSIGHTFUL
INFORMATION ON I. THE TAKEAWAY
THAT I HAVE FROM THAT IS THERE
ARE EQUAL AMOUNT OF LATINA
WORKERS TO WHITE MEN, YET THE
MAJORITY OF THE AFFLUENT
POSITIONS ACROSS CALIFORNIA GO
TO THE MEN AND NOT THE WOMEN.
AND I THINK ASSEMBLY MEMBER,
THAT GOES TO YOUR POINT ON ON
JUST THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT THE
STATE HAS TOWARDS LOOKING AT
THOSE NUMBERS. AND I'M REALLY
GRATEFUL THAT IN THE LAST YEAR'S
BUDGET AND IN POLICY
CONVERSATIONS, THE CALIFORNIA
CIVIL RIGHTS DEPARTMENT, THE
CREATION OF THIS DEPARTMENT WAS
A PRIORITY TO THE LEGISLATURE
AND TO THE GOVERNOR. SO THAT WE
HAVE THIS DATA AS WE MOVE
FORWARD. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
THIS IS OUR MEATIEST, OF THE
THREE PANELS. SO THIS PANEL WILL
BE ABOUT, APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 20
MINUTES WITH THE PANELISTS, TEN
MINUTES EACH, AND THEN QUESTIONS
FROM THE MEMBERS, MYSELF AND
OTHERS THAT MAY COME IN. SO
PLEASE PROCEED. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. CHAIR. MY NAME IS SONIA
DIAZ, AND I AM A PROUD DAUGHTER
OF CALIFORNIA, TRADE ED AT OUR
PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE STATE. AND
HERE IN MANY WAYS, BECAUSE OF
THE MECHANISMS AND THE
LEADERSHIP OF THE CALIFORNIA
LEGISLATURE TO PUT A SPOTLIGHT
ON THE NEEDS OF LATINAS, THE
STATE'S PLURALITY OF WOMEN, I'M
HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE SYSTEMIC
BARRIERS TO LATINA ECONOMIC
PARITY ON BEHALF OF THE LATINA
FUTURES 2050 LAB. NEXT WONDERFUL
, LATINAS HAVE BEEN
SYSTEMATICALLY OVERLOOKED IN
ACADEMIA AND POLICY DISCUSSIONS
DESPITE THEIR SIGNIFICANT
CONTRIBUTIONS TO DIVERSE
COMMUNITIES, LABOR FORCE, AND
WELL-BEING. LATINAS ARE
UNDERREPRESENTED IN INFLUENTIAL
SECTORS, AND DOCTOR BOULEZ
MENTIONED THIS, INCLUDING LAW,
MEDIA, BUSINESS, SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH
. TAKING AN INTERSECTIONAL
APPROACH TO THIS, THE LATINA
FUTURES 2050 LAB RESPONDS TO
THESE PERSISTENT INEQUITIES THAT
ARE EXPERIENCED NOT ONLY BY
LATINAS BUT OTHER SIMILARLY
SITUATED POPULATIONS IN A
LANDMARK MOVE, THE CALIFORNIA
LATINO LEGISLATIVE CAUCUSES
UNSEAT TÍNH LATINAS INITIATIVE,
TO WHICH THE CHAIR WAS A MEMBER,
ALLOCATED $15 MILLION TO CREATE
AND ESTABLISH THE LATINA FUTURES
LAB. NOW, THIS IS A PIONEERING
INITIATIVE THAT ENVISIONS A
SOCIETY WHERE LATINAS HAVE AN
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD AND
WHERE EVERYBODY THRIVES, AND I
HAVE TO SHARE THAT ASSEMBLY
MEMBER ORTEGA, YOU AND I WERE AT
THE, MEETING IN OCTOBER OF 2021
FOR THIS VERY SELECT COMMITTEE
ON LATINA INEQUITIES AND YOUR
ASCENT TO A POSITION OF POWER
AND INFLUENCE ON BEHALF OF
LATINAS AND WORKERS IS A
TESTAMENT TO THE VISION OF OUR
LEGISLATIVE COLLEAGUES, ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT THE LATINA
FUTURES LAB INVESTIGATES AND
ADDRESSES IS THE EXPERIENCE OF
LATINAS IN THE LABOR MARKET,
THEIR ENGAGEMENT IN CIVIC
LEADERSHIP AND THEIR WELL-BEING.
THIS RESEARCH WAS DRIVEN IN PART
TO THE STARK WAGE GAP THAT WE'RE
HERE TO DISCUSS TODAY, AND THE
SEVERE UNDERREPRESENTATION IN
CRITICAL FIELDS THAT DETERMINE
THE FUTURE OF OUR STATE, OUR
COUNTRY, AND THIS PLANET. NEXT
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE
I'M SITTING NEXT TO TWO
SCIENTISTS THAT ARE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO REASSERT ALL OF THE
DATA THAT, IS PERSISTENT AND IS
TROUBLING. BUT I THINK WHAT I
WANT TO CONTRIBUTE IS A
FRAMEWORK TO THINK ABOUT THIS IN
THE APPLICATION. AND SO LATINAS
WHO LACK THE WEALTH AND
EDUCATION TO WEATHER ECONOMIC
SHOCKS WERE AND ARE PRIMARILY
RESPONSIBLE FOR HOUSEHOLD CARE
AND THEIR FAMILIES, THEY BORE
THE BRUNT OF PANDEMIC INDUCED
JOB LOSS. THEY, MORE THAN ANY
OTHER RACIAL ETHNIC GROUP, LEFT
THE LABOR FORCE DURING THE
HEIGHT OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC
AND THEIR LABOR FORCE
PROJECTIONS ARE WHAT ARE DRIVING
KING AND CEMENTING THE STANDING
OF THIS STATE AS THE WORLD'S
FIFTH LARGEST ECONOMY. SO
SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO LATINA
ECONOMIC PARITY. THIS CONCEPT OF
RACIAL CAPITALISM, IT HAS TO DO
WITH THE FACT THAT WE RELY ON
LATINAS TO DO AND DO AND DO AND
DO AND MAKE DO WITH LITTLE. AND
THAT THAT OUR REMEDIATION OF
GENDER INEQUITY DOES NOT SATISFY
THE UNIQUE CONTOURS OF THE
EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN OF COLOR.
LATINAS BLACK WOMEN, INDIGENOUS
WOMEN, AAPI WOMEN, WELL, WHAT
ARE THE STRUCTURES? SO
OCCUPATIONAL SEGREGATION, WHICH
DOCTOR PULIS TALKED ABOUT THE
FACT THAT WE'RE CONCENTRATED IN
LOW WAGE SERVICE SECTOR
INDUSTRIES THAT HAVE LOW PAY.
AND IN THE FACE OF THAT LOW PAY,
THE PAY IS UNEQUAL. AND THERE'S
ALSO A DISPROPORTIONATE LEVEL OF
UNPAID CARE WORK THAT LATINAS DO
AND DO AND DO AND DO FOR THEIR
OWN HOUSEHOLDS. IN THE
HOUSEHOLDS OF TOO MANY
CALIFORNIA FAMILIES. AND SO
WHILE WE KNOW THAT 1 IN 5 LATINO
WORKERS WERE UNEMPLOYED DURING
THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, WE ALSO
KNOW BASED ON RESEARCH AT THE
UCLA LATINO POLICY AND POLITICS
INSTITUTE, THAT LATINAS SPENT
LESS TIME WORKING FOR PAY IN
2020 COMPARED TO 2019, AND MORE
TIME CARING FOR THEIR HOUSEHOLDS
OR HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS. THIS IS A
CONTINUUM OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND OF
MORE MATURE ADULTS. IT'S THE
HOUSEHOLD FORMATION OF LATINOS
IN THE UNITED STATES IS IN
OPPOSITE TO THAT OF NHÀ,
NON-HISPANIC WHITE FAMILIES, AND
THAT THERE'S A WHOLE PERSON,
WHETHER IT'S A PART OF A CHILD
OR ANOTHER ADULT. WE CALL THIS
MULTIGENERATIONAL HOUSEHOLDS,
AND THAT REQUIRES A LOT OF
ACTIVITIES THAT SOME OF US KNOW
ALL TOO FAMILIAR TAKING CARE OF
PEOPLE'S APPOINTMENTS,
TRANSPORTING PEOPLE TO WORK OR
TO SCHOOL, COOKING, CLEANING,
LOTS OF THINGS THAT ARE
UNCOMPENSATED WITHIN ONE'S
HOUSEHOLD, BUT BASED ON
OCCUPATIONAL SEGREGATION ARE
COMPENSATED FOR OTHERS IN AN
UNEQUAL WAY, BOTH IN TERMS OF
WAGES AND GENDER DISPARITIES IN
THE PAY GAP AND THE EXCLUSION
PURPOSEFULLY OF IMPORTANT LABOR
SECURITY BENEFITS. WHETHER IT'S
PAID SICK LEAVE, IT'S THE
ABILITY TO GET SOME FEDERAL OR
STATE BENEFITS. NOW SO HERE'S A
VERY STARK FACT. AND AGAIN, THE
NUANCE, THE TAILORING, THE
INTERSECTIONS AND THE DISTINCT
DIFFERENCES FACING THE STATE'S
PLURALITY POPULATION IS
ESSENTIAL FOR ALL LEGISLATORS TO
UNDERSTAND. AND THAT'S THAT. IN
2020, LATINAS SPENT QUADRUPLE OR
QUADRUPLE THE TIME CARING FOR
THEIR FAMILIES AND DOUBLE THE
TIME MAINTAINING THEIR
HOUSEHOLD. COMPARED TO LATINO
MEN. NOW, ONE OF THE OTHER
THINGS THAT'S IMPORTANT IN
FRAMING SYSTEMIC BARRIERS IS
COVID 19. RELIEF AND RECOVERY
WAS BOTH EXCLUSIONARY AND
TEMPORARY. WE KNOW THAT IT WAS
EXCLUSIONARY ON THE ONSET OF
RELIEF BEING TIED TO PEOPLE'S
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS AND
THOSE HOUSEHOLDS THAT WERE OF
MIXED STATUS BEING DENIED
IMPORTANT CARES ACT BENEFIT FROM
THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS. WE
ALSO KNOW, THROUGH THE
LEADERSHIP AND DEXTERITY OF THE
CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE,
THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF
THINGS THAT WERE FORWARD
THINKING EXPANDING ACCESS TO
CARE, EXPANDING UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFITS TO THOSE THAT WERE
OVERLOOKED, AND ULTIMATELY
EXPANDING HEALTH CARE ACCESS,
WHICH IS ESSENTIAL. THESE
EFFORTS, SOME OF WHICH THAT WERE
PANDEMIC, WERE TEMPORARY,
MEANING WE SAW FAMILIES WITH
YOUNG KIDS, EXPERIENCING SOME OF
THE LOWEST RATES OF CHILD
POVERTY IN THE HISTORY OF
CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY. NOW NOW,
AFTER THE GOVERNMENT DECLARED
THAT THERE WAS NO LONGER A
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY AND
THOSE TEMPORARY RELIEF AND
RECOVERY EFFORTS SUNSETTED, WE
NOW ARE STRICKEN WITH SOME OF
THE HIGHEST RATES OF CHILD
POVERTY. WHY IS THIS A LATINA
ISSUE? WHY IS THIS A CALIFORNIA
ISSUE? WHY IS THIS AN AMERICAN
ISSUE? LATINOS ARE YOUNG, THEIR
YOUTHFUL DEMOGRAPHIC. SIX OUT OF
TEN LATINOS ARE MILLENNIAL OR
YOUNGER AND THE
MULTIGENERATIONAL HOUSEHOLD
FORMATION MEANS THAT YOU HAVE
THE INTERESTS AND THE NEEDS OF
YOUNG PEOPLE. AND SO WHEN WE ARE
NOT TAKING CARE OF YOUNG PEOPLE,
WE'RE NOT JUST NOT TAKING CARE
OF OUR FUTURE. WE'RE
DISCRIMINATING AGAINST LATINOS
AND OTHER SIMILARLY SITUATED
GROUPS. NEXT. THROUGH THE
SUPPORT OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE
LEGISLATURE, THE LATINA FUTURES
LAB PUT TOGETHER A DYNAMIC
CONVENING OF OVER 400 LATINA
LEADERS, LAWYERS, POLICY MAKERS,
FEATURING 70 EXPERTS ON ISSUES
AS WIDE RANGING AS REPRODUCTIVE
JUSTICE TO ACCESS TO
TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND
TECHNOLOGY, TO THE BAN OF
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. ONE OF THE
THINGS I WANT TO LIFT UP HERE IS
A PANEL FOR WHICH THIS COMMITTEE
CAN VIEW ON YOUTUBE AT THE
CHICANO STUDIES RESEARCH CENTER
THAT FEATURED, THE FORMER CHAIR
OF THE LATINO LEGISLATIVE
CAUCUS, ASSEMBLY MEMBER LORENA
GONZALEZ FLETCHER, ALONG WITH
DOCTOR LESLIE GREEN OF
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY'S LAW
CENTER, DOCTOR PATRICIA CAMPOS
OF CORNELL'S CORNELL
UNIVERSITY'S CENTER ON THE
WORKER INSTITUTE. AND, A PERSON
THAT IS REALLY STRONG ON
NARRATIVE. STACY VILLALOBOS, A
PRACTICING ATTORNEY IN THE BAY
AREA, AND THEY TALKED ABOUT THE
COVID 19 IMPACT ON LATINO
WORKERS AND I THINK SOME OF THE
REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS THAT
THEY TALKED ABOUT WAS THAT THERE
ARE SOME NEW FINDINGS AND
HOPEFUL OPTIMISM, AND THAT COMES
WITH THE EXPANSION OF
FUNDAMENTAL SOCIAL SAFETY NET
BENEFITS LIKE HEALTH CARE, CHILD
CARE, FLEXIBILITY AT WORK DATA
AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THEY ALSO
NAMED THAT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT
INCREASING THE CAPACITY OF
LATINAS TO WALK THROUGH THIS
SOCIETY AS EQUALS, IT REQUIRES
MAJOR POLICY ACTION ON THE PART
OF COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION
REFORM AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND
THE ABILITY AND SUPPORT TO
UNIONIZE OUR WORKPLACES. NEXT
SLIDE. THIS RESEARCH WAS DONE BY
A TEAM INCLUDING MY COLLEAGUE,
DOCTOR SILVIA GONZALEZ AT UCLA
AS PART OF THE LATINA FUTURES
LAB. WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS A
FIGURE OF THE CALIFORNIA FEMALE
WORKFORCE BY RACE, ETHNICITY AND
BIRTH COHORT. ALSO BASED ON THE
SAME DATA YEAR THAT DOCTOR
BULLAS WAS SHARING HER OWN
CALCULATIONS. 2021 HERE FOR THE
LATINO WORKFORCE IN CALIFORNIA
IS LARGE AND IT'S GROWING.
THERE'S CURRENTLY MORE THAN 3.3
MILLION LATINO WORKERS IN THE
STATE AMONG YOUNG WORKERS. SO
THE STATE'S YOUNG WORKERS, 16 TO
44 YEARS OF AGE, LATINAS
OUTNUMBER WOMEN IN EVERY OTHER
MAJOR, MAJOR RACIAL, ETHNIC
GROUP. AND SO THE FUTURE OF OUR
ECONOMIC POSITION AS A STATE, AS
A COUNTRY, IS PREDICATED ON
LATINAS DOING, DOING, DOING,
DOING, DOING NOW. AND WELL INTO
THE FUTURE. NOW BECAUSE OF THE
DATA AND THE PERSISTENT
INEQUITIES, THEIR PURCHASING
POWER, THEIR ABILITY TO
INFLUENCE DECISION MAKING, THEIR
ABILITY FOR SOCIAL MOBILITY IS
SEVERELY CURTAILED AND SO THOUGH
LATINAS ARE EXPECTED TO BE A
LARGER PROPORTION OF THE
WORKFORCE, THE CAPACITY TO STAND
THAT WORKFORCE IS IN PERIL. THE
CAPACITY OF THAT WORKFORCE TO
HAVE THE SAME KIND OF IMPACTS AS
TODAY'S WORKFORCE IS
INCONGRUENT, BECAUSE WE ARE
SEEING A WORKFORCE THAT
PRIVILEGES NON-HISPANIC WHITE
WORKERS IN A SEGREGATED LABOR
FORCE OF PROFESSIONAL AND
BUSINESS OCCUPATIONS. NEXT SLIDE
. MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TALKED
ABOUT THIS AND WILL CONTINUE TO
TALK ABOUT THIS. BUT AGAIN, THIS
IS RESEARCH FROM DOCTOR SILVIA
GONZALEZ. LATINO WORKERS EARN
THE LOWEST MEDIAN WAGES. SO HERE
IT WAS $17 PER HOUR. THIS WAS
LOWER THAN EVERY OTHER MAJOR
RACIAL ETHNIC GROUP. THE FACT
THAT THIS WAS SO LOW FOR LATINAS
IN A STATE WHERE CALIFORNIA HAS
THE NARROWEST WAGE GAP OF ALL
STATES IN THE COUNTRY, IS
PROFOUND, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
IS IMPORTANT AND WE NEED TO BE
CLEAR ABOUT WORKING AGE LATINO
WORKERS EXPERIENCE A LARGE WAGE
GAP, EVEN AFTER CONSIDERING
FACTORS THAT DETERMINE PAY, LIKE
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, YEARS OF
WORK EXPERIENCE, OCCUPATION AND
INDUSTRY AND CITIZENSHIP STATUS.
THIS CAN EXPLAIN SOME OF THE
GENDER DIFFERENCES, BUT THE
REMAINING GAPS REMAIN
UNEXPLAINED BY THESE VARIABLES.
AND LIKE DOCTOR POULOS SAID,
THEY'RE ATTRIBUTED TO GENDER AND
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION. NOW,
LATINA WORKERS EXPERIENCE A
LARGE WAGE GAP, ESPECIALLY IF
THEY HAVE A COLLEGE EDUCATION.
THAT'S INTERESTING. YEAH. NEXT.
THERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT THINGS
TO CONTEXTUALIZE HERE. AND I
THINK THAT'S THE HISTORY AND THE
HISTORY HERE IN CALIFORNIA IS
THAT LATINO WORKERS HAVE POWER,
AND THEY'VE INCREASINGLY JOINED
FORCES WITH DIVERSE GROUPS OF
WORKERS TO TRANSFORM SOCIETY.
WE'VE SEEN THIS IN THE JUSTICE
FOR JANITORS MOVEMENT. WE'VE
SEEN THIS IN THE INTEGRATION OF
IMMIGRANT LEADERS IN OUR LABOR
UNIONS, AND WE'RE MOST CERTAINLY
SEEING IT WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
NOW NOW IT'S UP TO US TO WORK
COLLABORATIVELY BASED ON THIS
EVIDENCE, TO DEMAND AND TO
ENFORCE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND
WAGES. NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO TALK
A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS IN
THE NEXT PANEL. BUT SOME OF THE
CONCEPTS THAT ARE IMPORTANT, I
THINK, FOR THIS COMMITTEE AND
THE BODY AT LARGE IS POLICY. SO
LEGISLATION IMPLEMENTATION. SO
THAT'S TECHNICAL. THAT'S AND
BUREAUCRACY AND ENFORCEMENT THAT
IS BOTH PUBLIC ENFORCEMENT AND
PRIVATE ENFORCEMENT. AND SO
WHILE THIS LEGISLATURE IN THIS
STATE HAS CONTINUED TO EXPAND
THE SOCIAL SAFETY NET AND
PROMOTE WORKERS RIGHTS, WHILE
ALSO TRYING TO ACHIEVE CIVIL
RIGHTS AND GENDER PARITY, THERE
NEEDS TO BE ATTENTION ON THREE
KEY AREAS THAT WE'LL DISCUSS AT
LENGTH IN A BIT, SUPPORTING
WORKING AGE LATINAS TO REENTER
THE WORKFORCE AND MAINTAIN
STABLE, QUALITY EMPLOYMENT WITH
SECURITY BENEFITS. GIVEN THE
RESEARCH ON COVID 19 IMPACT ON
LATINO LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION
IN PROVIDING RESOURCES AND
MANDATING THE FLEXIBILITY FOR
LATINAS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHEN
CARETAKING NEEDS ARISE, THIS
MEANS PAID SICK LEAVE. THIS
MEANS REALLY THINKING THROUGH
THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE
COMPENSATION AND TO WEATHER
STORMS. WE AS A STATE EXPERIENCE
A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CRISES.
WE ALSO ARE NOT IMMUNE TO THINGS
THAT ARE AFFECTING OUR
GEOPOLITICAL LANDSCAPE. AND
FINALLY, I THINK THERE'S A NEED
TO PUSH FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAWS,
ESPECIALLY WAGE THEFT AND GENDER
DISCRIMINATION. NEXT THANK YOU
SO MUCH. THANK THANK YOU FOR
THAT, I KNOW YOU PAUSED, WHEN
YOU SAID THAT LATINAS WITH,
ADVANCED DEGREES ARE ACTUALLY
THE ONES EXPERIENCE THE
STRETCHES OF THE WAGE GAP. I'D
LOVE TO DIVE INTO THAT A LITTLE
BIT. A LITTLE BIT MORE. THANK
YOU FOR THAT. AND I WANT TO
WELCOME TO THE DÍAS, ASSEMBLY
MEMBER, AVELINO VALENCIA,
WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR BEING A
PART OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE,
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW
WORDS BEFORE WE CONTINUE, THANK
YOU, MADAM CHAIR. WHEN I STARTED
THIS, EVERYONE, HAPPY TO BE
HERE, IN PARTICULAR AS A PROUD
SON AND HUSBAND TO, STRONG
LATINAS, IT'S MY IT BRINGS
HAPPINESS TO ME. JUST DOING MY
PART. I'M GLAD TO BE HERE WHEN
IT COMES TO STANDING BESIDE YOU
TO ADVOCATE IN THE ADVANCEMENT
OF THIS ISSUE. SO, COUNT ME AS
AN ALLY, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO
PROGRESS AND GROWTH. THANK YOU,
THANK YOU. LET'S CONTINUE WITH
THE PRESENTATION. NOW WE HAVE,
NATALIA VEGA VARELA, DIRECTOR OF
POLICY FOR THE GENDER EQUITY
POLICY INSTITUTE. YOU HAVE TEN
MINUTES. THANK YOU, GOOD
MORNING, EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME HERE. AS AN IMMIGRANT
FROM MEXICO CITY, I'M DEEPLY
PASSIONATE ABOUT THE TOPIC THAT
I'LL BE DISCUSSING TODAY, I'LL
BE SHARING SOME INSIGHTS FROM
OUR REPORT, DOUBLE DISADVANTAGE
UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN IN THE US, A
GENDER EQUITY POLICY INSTITUTE.
WE CHOSE TO FOCUS ON
UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN, IMMIGRANTS
BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT
UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN'S NEEDS ARE
OFTEN SIDELINED IN THE
IMMIGRATION DEBATE. OUR GOAL WAS
TO SHED LIGHT ON THEIR
EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGES,
WHICH ARE OFTEN OVERLOOKED AND
I'M EXCITED TO SHARE SOME KEY
INSIGHTS FROM THIS RESEARCH,
THAT IS FROM 2021. NEXT SLIDE
PLEASE. SO OUR 2023 REPORT USES
DATA FROM THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY
SURVEY FROM 2021 AND DATA FROM
THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY TO ESTIMATE THE NUMBER
OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS AND
UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN IN THE US. WE
FOCUSED ON THE US AND THE TOP
FOUR STATES WITH THE HIGHEST
UNDOCUMENTED POPULATION
CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, FLORIDA, AND
NEW YORK. OVERALL, WHAT WE FOUND
IS THAT THERE ARE ABOUT 5
MILLION UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT
WOMEN LIVING IN THE US. THEY
RAISED OVER 5 MILLION CHILDREN
WHILE MAKING VITAL CONTRIBUTIONS
TO OUR ECONOMY, 66% OF THEM
BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 TO 65 ARE
EITHER SELF-EMPLOYED OR IN THE
LABOR FORCE, OR PURSUING AN
EDUCATION. YET THEY'RE FACING
SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS TO ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY, INCLUDING LOW WAGES
, LACK OF ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE,
AND HIGHER POVERTY RATES THAN
THE REST OF THE POPULATION. NEXT
SO LET'S DIVE INTO SOME OF THE
KEY FINDINGS OF THE REPORT WHERE
THESE DISPARITIES ARE EVIDENT.
FIRST, OUR IMPORTANT FINDING
FROM OUR ANALYSIS IS THAT THE
MAJORITY OF UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN
ARE LATINAS. A SECOND IMPORTANT
FINDING IS THAT AND THIS IS
WHERE THE BARRIERS ARE EVIDENT,
IS THAT THEY'RE OFTEN SEGREGATED
INTO LOW WAGE OCCUPATIONS SUCH
AS MAIDS, HOUSEKEEPER, CLEANERS
AND CHILDCARE WORKERS. AND AS A
RESULT, THEY'RE PAID LESS THAN
EVERY MAJOR DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP
THEY EXPERIENCE HIGHER POVERTY
RATES AND THAN THE REST OF THE
POPULATION. AND THEY'RE MORE
MORE LIKELY TO LACK HEALTH
INSURANCE THAN WOMEN. OVERALL A
THIRD FINDING IS THAT WE
OBSERVED SIGNIFICANT DISPARITIES
AMONG STATES. SO OVERALL,
UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN LIVING IN
CALIFORNIA FARE BETTER THAN
THOSE LIVING IN TEXAS AND
FLORIDA WITH HAVING HIGHER
INCOMES AND EXPERIENCING LOWER
POVERTY RATES FOR INSTANCE,
WOMEN IN UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN IN
CALIFORNIA EARN OVER $9,000 MORE
ANNUALLY COMPARED TO THOSE
LIVING IN TEXAS AND FLORIDA.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. NOW ZOOMING
IN INTO CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS THE
WHICH IS HOME TO THE LARGEST
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRATION
POPULATION IN THE US. OUR
ESTIMATES SHOW THAT 900,000
UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN LIVE IN
CALIFORNIA, AND MAJORITY OF THEM
ARE LATINAS. THEY'RE MAINLY
CONCENTRATED IN SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA AND THE CENTRAL
VALLEY, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE
MAP, THEY HAVE LIVED IN THE US
AROUND ON AVERAGE 15 YEARS, AND
WE ESTIMATED THAT 60,000 OF THEM
ARE SELF-EMPLOYED AND ANOTHER
60,000 OF THEM ARE ENROLLED IN
POST SECONDARY SCHOOL. NOW,
LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT
UNDOCUMENTED LATINAS, WE SAW
THAT THEY MAKE VITAL
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ECONOMY, TO
CALIFORNIAN ECONOMY, WITH 67% OF
THEM BETWEEN THE AGES 16 OAN TO
65. BEING IN THE LABOR FORCE ARE
EITHER SELF-EMPLOYED OR PURSUING
EDUCATION. NOW SIMILARLY TO OUR
NATIONAL ESTIMATES, WE OBSERVED
THAT MAIDS AND HOUSEKEEPERS IS
THE MOST COMMON OCCUPATION AMONG
UNDOCUMENTED LATINAS, WITH 11%
OF THEM, BEING IN THIS
OCCUPATION. SO NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. SO OVERALL, IN
COMPARISON WITH, WITH THE OTHER
FOUR STATES, OUR ANALYSIS SHOWED
THAT WOMEN IN CALIFORNIA,
UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN IN CALIFORNIA
EXPERIENCE REMARKABLE
IMPROVEMENTS IN ECONOMIC
SECURITY AND WELL-BEING. FOR
INSTANCE, IN 2021, THEY HAD THE
LOWEST POVERTY RATE AT 16% AND
THE SECOND LOWEST UNINSURED
RATE. NOW, THESE NUMBERS ARE
LIKELY TO CHANGE WITH THE
EXPANSION OF MEDI-CAL, OUR
ANALYSIS ALSO SHOWED THAT FROM
2015, THEIR MEDIAN INCOME
INCREASED BY 10. THE GENDER WAGE
GAP ACTUALLY NARROWED AND
POVERTY RATE DROPPED BY FIVE
PERCENTAGE POINTS. AND IN
HEALTH, HEALTH INSURANCE
ACTUALLY IMPROVED UP TO 60. SO
THERE HAVE BEEN IMPROVEMENTS
CGRTS, BUT BARRIERS REMAIN. NEXT
SLIDE PLEASE. SO WHAT ARE THOSE
BARRIERS? WELL, SIMILARLY TO OUR
US ANALYSIS WE FOUND THAT
UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN IN CALIFORNIA
ALSO FACE OCCUPATIONAL
SEGREGATION AND EARN LOWER WAGES
COMPARED TO ANY OTHER MAJOR,
MAJOR DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP. NOW
WHEN WE EXAMINE THE WAGE GENDER
GAP, WE NOTICED THAT EVEN AMONG
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS,
UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN EARN LESS
THAN THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS. SO
FOR EXAMPLE, THEY'RE EARNING
ONLY $0.87 FOR EVERY DOLLAR
EARNED BY UNDOCUMENTED MEN. NOW,
COMPARED TO MEN OVERALL, THEY'RE
EARNING $0.58 FOR EVERY DOLLAR
PAID TO MEN. OVERALL AND $0.44
FOR EVERY DOLLAR PAID TO WHITE
MEN. BUT GAPS ARE EVEN WIDER
AMONG THE UNDOCUMENTED LATINAS.
UNDOCUMENTED LATINAS EARN ONLY
$0.83 FOR EVERY DOLLAR EARNED BY
UNDOCUMENTED LATINOS, $0.46 FOR
EVERY DOLLAR THAT MEN OVERALL
EARN, AND JUST $0.35 FOR EVERY
DOLLAR PAID TO WHITE MEN. SO
UNDOCUMENTED LATINAS ARE
EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER
WAGES AND ARE MORE VULNERABLE
EVEN AMONG UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN,
IMMIGRANTS. THIS NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. NOW LOOKING AT THE TOP
FIVE OCCUPATIONS OCCUPATIONS
AMONG UNDOCUMENTED LATINOS AND
LATINOS. AS MENTIONED BEFORE,
MAIDS AND HOUSEKEEPER CLEANERS
IS THE TOP OCCUPATION, FOLLOWED
BY AGRICULTURAL WORKERS, WHEREAS
UNDOCUMENTED LATINOS IS A, THEIR
TOP OCCUPATION IS CONSTRUCTION
LABORERS AND FOLLOWED BY
AGRICULTURE WORKERS. DELVING
INTO THE WAGES THAT THEY'RE
EARNING, WE CAN CLEARLY SEE THE
DISPARITIES. SO IN THE TOP FIVE
OCCUPATIONS AMONG UNDOCUMENTED
LATINAS, THEY ARE WAGES RANGE
FROM $25,000 TO $30,000
ANNUALLY, WHEREAS FOR THEIR MALE
COUNTERPARTS, THEY'RE TYPICALLY
EARNING AROUND RANGING FROM
$26,000 TO $40,000 ANNUALLY.
THIS DISCREPANCY UNDERSCORES THE
NEED FOR POLICIES THAT ADDRESS
AN ECONOMIC DISPARITIES FACED BY
UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN AND
UNDOCUMENTED LATINAS,
PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF
OCCUPATIONAL SEGREGATION AND
WAGE GAPS. NEXT SLIDE. AND WITH
THIS, I CLOSE STATE POLICIES
SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCED THE
ECONOMIC WELL-BEING OF
UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN, AS WE CAN
SEE IN THE DATA THAT I JUST
SHOWED, CALIFORNIA'S POLICIES,
SUCH AS EXPANDING HEALTH
INSURANCE ACCESS, HAVE NOTABLY
HAVE BETTER, OUTCOMES FOR
UNDOCUMENT LATINAS. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THAT. THAT WAS
INCREDIBLY INSIGHTFUL, I'M
WONDERING IF YOU CAN GO BACK TO
THE SLIDE WHERE YOU HAD THE MAP
OF THE STATE. SURE. AND,
WHOEVER'S MANAGING THE SLIDES,
AND TO JUST TALK ABOUT, WHERE
THIS THIS SLIDE HERE EXACTLY,
LOVE THIS LADY, AND I THINK
SHOWS JUST THE, THE, THE, THE
JOY IN HER WORK AND PROBABLY IN
HER FAMILY AND IN HER COMMUNITY,
I REPRESENT LOS ANGELES COUNTY,
AND I SEE IT'S ONE OF THE
DARKER. I'M SORRY. OH THAT. THAT
PICTURE WAS FROM CINCO DE MAYO
IN LOS ANGELES. YEAH, AT OLVERA
IN MY DISTRICT. YEAH, I, I
RECOGNIZE THE LAMPS IN THE BACK.
BUT TO THE CENTRAL VALLEY POINT,
I IMAGINE A LOT OF POTENTIAL
FARMWORKERS AND AGRICULTURAL
WORKERS IS, AND IN L.A. COUNTY,
A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SECTORS
OF WORKERS. AND I'M JUST I'M,
I'M CURIOUS AND I'M SURE MAYBE
MY COLLEAGUE ALSO HAS COMMENTS
IN TERMS OF THERE'S BEEN
CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME MORE
PROGRESSIVE CHAMBERS OF
COMMERCE, LIKE THE LA CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE IS ONE IN PARTICULAR
THAT HAS WANTED TO CREATE, MICRO
LOANS AND MICRO OPPORTUNITIES
FOR LOW WAGE UNDOCUMENTED
WORKERS AND THEIR ABILITY TO,
START THEIR OWN BUSINESS BUT
ACTUALLY RUN THROUGH THE
PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT
THE STATE HAS. AND CURIOUS IF
YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHT ON WHAT
WOULD PROPEL, MORE WOMEN TO ONE
TRUST GOVERNMENT, AND TO TRUST
THAT THERE'S A PROCESS FOR THEM
TO STABILIZE IN A WAY THAT
DOESN'T JUST THAT ISN'T SOLELY
UNDER THE TABLE WORK FORCE, AND
MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ALL
OF YOU CAN SHARE, BUT I REMEMBER
LOOKING AT DATA WHEN I WAS
CHAIRING A BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE
ON ITIN HOLDERS. IF WE HAD OF
WHAT IS IT, THERE WAS A SLIDE
THAT YOU HAD THAT HAD THE NUMBER
OF LATINA UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS
IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, YET
WE ONLY HAVE SUCH A SMALL
PERCENTAGE OF ITIN TAXPAYERS,
WHICH LIMITS THEIR ABILITY TO
RECEIVE ANY TYPE OF BENEFIT.
RIGHT. AND SO WE'RE ALSO WORKING
ON HOW DO WE CREATE ACCESS TO
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AND
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS THROUGHOUT
THE STATE. CURIOUS IF THERE'S
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH IN THAT
AREA? YEAH, DEFINITELY. SO, IN
WHILE WE WERE MAKING THIS
REPORT, WE ACTUALLY HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO MANY,
SELF-EMPLOYED, UNDOCUMENTED,
LATINAS LIVING IN LOS ANGELES.
AND AS YOU SAID, THERE'S A
THEY'RE NOT TRUSTING THAT MUCH,
LIKE THEY'RE ALWAYS IN THINKING
THAT, THAT SOMETHING COULD LEAD
INTO MAYBE BEING IN DANGER IN
TERMS OF THEIR, IMMIGRATION
STATUS. SO I WOULD SAY THAT THAT
WOULD BE LIKE ONE FIRST THING TO
DO TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE
THE TRUST OF THESE POTENTIAL
SELF EMPLOYERS. ANOTHER ONE IS
THAT, AND I SAW THIS A LOT IN MY
OWN COMMUNITY THAT THEY, THEY
WOULD LOVE TO BE PART OF LIKE A
LOAN, BUT THEY ALSO NEED THE
TRAINING FOR ADMINISTRATION FOR
FINANCIAL LITERACY. SO THAT'S
SOMETHING THAT POTENTIALLY THAT
COULD BE ALSO ONE OF THE FIRST
STEPS RATHER THAN FIRST
PROVIDING THE LOANS, FIRST
PROVIDING LIKE ALL THE TOOLS AND
KNOWLEDGE SO THAT THEY CAN
ACTUALLY, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A
POTENTIAL LOANS. AND THAT WOULD
REQUIRE US WORKING WITH
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO ALLOW,
OTHER DOCUMENTATION OTHER THAN A
CALIFORNIA ID, POTENTIALLY TO
ALLOW FOR MICRO LOANS AND THE
START OF MICRO ENTERPRISES,
WHICH HAS BEEN CHALLENGING. DO
YOU HAVE ANY NO COMMENTS. OKAY.
I WANT TO THANK YOU, LADIES. IF
THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY
ON, JUST SOME FEEDBACK IN
GENERAL. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
THE INFORMATION. IS THERE NØ?
OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, WE'RE
GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR LAST
PANEL, JUST VERY INSIGHTFUL. I
THINK, DATA THAT DRIVES OUR
POLICY OBJECTIVES. SO AGAIN, I
WANT TO THANK DOCTOR DÍAS WITH
THE CALIFORNIA CIVIL RIGHTS
DEPARTMENT AND MISS VEGA VARELA
WITH THE GENDER EQUITY POLICY
INSTITUTE FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR
CONTRIBUTIONS, TO TODAY'S
CONVERSATION, WE'RE GOING TO GO
ON TO OUR LAST PANEL. AND AT THE
END OF THIS PANEL, WE'LL HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT,
THE ACHIEVING ECONOMIC PARITY
FOR LATINAS, POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS. AND WE'RE GOING
TO BRING BACK TO THE PANEL,
HELEN, IRIS TORRES, THE CHIEF
EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR HISPANAS
ORGANIZED FOR POLITICAL
EQUALITY. SONIA DIAZ, YOU STAY
IN THE HOT SEAT, HERE WITH UCLA
LATINA FUTURES, THE 2050 LAB,
AND ALSO THE FOUNDING DIRECTOR
EMERITUS OF THE UCLA LATINO
POLICY AND POLITICS INSTITUTE.
SHOOT, WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR
HARD WORK AND DEDICATION IN THAT
SPACE. AND, DOCTOR RITA GALLARDO
. SO, RITA GALLARDO. GOOD,
COMMISSIONER, WITH THE
CALIFORNIA COMMISSION ON THE
STATUS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS.
WELCOME AND LET'S BEGIN. POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS. RIGHT. SO WE
CAN HAVE THE DATA. WE CAN HAVE
ALL THE INFO NATION. AND WE ARE
MOVING POLICY FORWARD. AND WE
HAVE AND WE HAVE MADE
ADVANCEMENTS, BUT THERE'S STILL
SO MUCH MORE TO DO. SO LET'S GET
INTO IT. THANK YOU, MR. YES.
GOOD MORNING. AND THANK YOU SO
MUCH. IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE,
AS A COMMISSIONER FOR THE
CALIFORNIA COMMISSION ON THE
STATUS OF WOMEN, ESPECIALLY AS A
LATINA, WITH MY LENS AT THE
TABLE, THE CALIFORNIA COMMISSION
ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS
IS AN INDEPENDENT STATE AGENCY
THAT HAS WORKED FOR NEARLY 60
YEARS TO ELIMINATE INEQUITIES IN
STATE LAW AND PRACTICES THAT
IMPACT CALIFORNIA WOMEN AND
GIRLS. AFTER DECADES OF
RESEARCH, ADVOCACY AND
LEADERSHIP, WE AT THE COMMISSION
KNOW ONE THING FOR CERTAIN THE
STRUCTURES OF OUR GOVERNMENT
MEDIA, INFRASTRUCTURE, EDUCATION
, AND THE LANDSCAPE OF OUR
ECONOMY WERE NOT ORIGINALLY
BUILT FOR WOMEN, ESPECIALLY
LATINAS IN MIND. OUR 17 MEMBER
COMMISSION INCLUDES THREE
ASSEMBLY MEMBERS, THREE
SENATORS, NINE PUBLICLY
APPOINTED MEMBERS, AND ONE
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC
INSTRUCTION DESIGNEE. AND THE
CALIFORNIA LABOR COMMISSIONER.
UNLIKE WHEN WE WERE FOUNDED IN
1965, TODAY'S COMMISSIONERS ARE
ALL WOMEN AND REPRESENT A
DIVERSE CROSS-SECTION OF
CALIFORNIA'S POPULATION. ON THE
ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC, WE KNEW
WOMEN WERE BEARING THE BRUNT OF
THE IMPACT DUE TO THE VIRUS,
BOTH AT WORK AND IN THE HOME.
THE COMMISSION INVESTED FUNDS IN
WOMEN PACIFIC RESEARCH TO
EXAMINE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF
COVID 19 ON CALIFORNIA WOMEN AND
GIRLS, WHICH PRODUCED THE
CALIFORNIA BLUEPRINT FOR WOMEN'S
PANDEMIC ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
FRONTLINE AND SERVICE SECTORS,
WHICH WE CALL ESSENTIAL WORKERS,
WERE THE FIRST IMPACTED IN THE
MANY OF THESE SECTORS, WOMEN ARE
OCCUPATIONALLY SEGREGATED AND IN
SOME CASES MAKING UP TO 70% OF
PARTICULAR INDUSTRIES, WORKFORCE
. IT IS CRITICAL TO UNDERSTAND
THAT WE LAUDED NOT JUST CERTAIN
PROFESSIONS OR SERVICE WORKERS
AS ESSENTIAL. IT WAS WOMEN WHO
DOMINATED THOSE SECTORS AS
EMPLOYEES. WOMEN ARE ESSENTIAL
TO THE ECONOMY, THE PANDEMIC,
ADDED. THE ESTIMATED 36 YEARS TO
THE TIME IT WILL TAKE WOMEN TO
MAKE THE SAME AMOUNT AS MEN,
BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 135 YEARS.
THE WAGE GAPS WE LOOK AT ARE
HIGHLIGHTED THE DISCREPANCIES OF
WOMEN OF COLOR, WITH THE WAGE
GAP FOR LATINAS SITTING AT $0.44
TO THE DOLLAR IN CALIFORNIA, THE
INTERSECTION OF RACE AND GENDER
IS CRITICAL TO UNDERSTANDING AND
PROMOTING THE ECONOMIC
WELL-BEING OF WOMEN,
PARTICULARLY IN CALIFORNIA,
WHERE LATINOS AND LATINAS NOW
REPRESENT ALMOST 20% OF THE
POPULATION COMPARED TO SEE TO
LESS THAN 9% NATIONALLY, WHICH
IS MORE THAN 7.3 MILLION LIVING
IN CALIFORNIA. AND THE LATINO
WORKFORCE IN OUR IN OUR STATE IS
LARGE AND GROWING, WITH MORE
THAN 3.3 MILLION LATINO WOMEN
WORKING IN CALIFORNIA AMONG
YOUNG WORKERS 16 TO 44 YEARS OF
AGE, LATINAS OUTNUMBER WOMEN IN
OTHER MAJOR RACIAL AND ETHNIC
GROUPS. YET LATINA WORKERS EARN
THE LOWEST MEDIAN WAGES IN THE
STATE IN 2021, THE MEDIAN HOURLY
WAGE FOR LATINAS IN CALIFORNIA
WAS ONLY $17 LOWER THAN THE WAGE
OF WORKERS IN OTHER MAJOR RACIAL
AND ETHNIC GROUPS, AND
SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN THAT OF
THE WHITE MALE COUNTERPART, WHO
EARNED A MEDIAN OF $35 PER HOUR.
THE MEDIAN LOW FULL INCOME, FOR
LATINAS IS $41,995, COMPARED TO
$76,093 FOR WHITE WOMEN.
OVERALL, LATINAS EARNED THE
$0.44 PER DOLLAR EARNED BY A
NON-HISPANIC WHITE MEN IN
CALIFORNIA, BUT LATINAS ALSO
HAVE BACHELOR DEGREES THAT ARE
EARNED AT $0.50 $0.58 FOR EVERY
DOLLAR OF THAT OF NON-HISPANIC
WHITE MEN WITH A SIMILAR LEVEL
OF EDUCATION. THIS MEANS THAT
THE TYPICAL LATINO WORKER EARNED
$0.56 LESS PER DOLLAR THAN A
WHITE WORKER AND A LATINA WITH A
BACHELOR'S DEGREE EARNED $0.42
LESS THAN PER DOLLAR. EVEN WITH
CONSIDERING FACTORS DETERMINING
PAY, WORKING AGE LATINO WORKERS
EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT WAGE
GAP. EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT,
YEARS OF WORK, SERVICE,
OCCUPATION, AND INDUSTRY. EVEN
OUR CITIZENSHIP STATUS CAN
EXPLAIN SOME OF THE GENDER
EQUITY'S GENDER DIFFERENCES IN
PAY. THE REMAINING GAPS NOT
EXPLAINED BY THESE FACTORS ARE
IN PART ATTRIBUTED TO GENDER AND
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION OVER A 40
YEAR CAREER. THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN A CALIFORNIA LATINA
WOMAN EARN AND WHAT WHITE MEN
EARN COST THE LATINA WOMAN $2.1
MILLION. HOWEVER, WE, AS WE
EVALUATE THESE EARNINGS BY RACE
AND ETHNICITY, THE GRADUAL
IMPROVEMENT IN THE EARNING GAP
IN ALL OF CALIFORNIA WOMEN IS
DUE TO THE WAGE INCREASES FOR
WHITE WOMEN AND ASIAN WOMEN, THE
EARNING GAP HAS STAYED
CONSISTENT FOR LATINAS AND
INCREASED FOR BLACK WOMEN.
COLLECTIVELY, WOMEN IN
CALIFORNIA LOSE APPROXIMATELY 87
BILLION, WITH A B ANNUALLY TO
THE TO THE GENDER WAGE GAP. AND
LATINO WOMEN ARE BURDENED WITH A
DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF THAT
ECONOMIC SHORTFALL. DESPITE
THAT, 25% OF ALL WOMEN OWNED
BUSINESSES IN CALIFORNIA ARE
LATINA OWNED AND CONTRIBUTE MORE
THAN 9 BILLION TO THE CALIFORNIA
ECONOMY EVERY YEAR. WE CAN NO
LONGER TALK ABOUT THE
INTERSECTIONALITY, THE
INTERSECTIONAL ISSUES OF GENDER
AND RACE AS A MORAL OBLIGATION,
EXPECTING PEOPLE TO DO THE RIGHT
THING, THE ECONOMY OF THE FUTURE
DEMANDS EQUITY. NOW LATINAS ARE
NEEDED NOT ONLY TO PERFORM IN
THE IN THE ESSENTIAL, BUT LOW
WAGE WORKFORCES. THEY DOMINATE.
BUT ALSO TO INNOVATE AND IDEALLY
IMPLEMENT AND ENGINEER, DEVELOP
AND LEAD. CALIFORNIA IS HOME TO
MORE THAN 21,000 LATINO OWNED
BUSINESSES, OR 24% OF ALL LATINO
OWNED BUSINESSES IN AMERICA.
LATINA OWNED BUSINESSES HAVE
OUTPACED THE REVENUE GROWTH
RATES OF LATINO OWNED BUSINESSES
AND ALL WHITE OWNED BUSINESSES
IN CALIFORNIA. YET LATINA OWNED
BUSINESSES GENERATE LESS REVENUE
FROM FROM GOVERNMENT AND
CORPORATE CONTRACTS THAN LATINO
MEN OWNED BUSINESSES AND ALL
WHITE OWNED BUSINESSES IN
CALIFORNIA. LATINA OWNED
BUSINESSES EXPERIENCED THE MOST
EXTENDED CORPORATE CONTRACT
NEGOTIATE PERIODS, WITH 43% OF
THEM TAKING MORE THAN 12 MONTHS.
COMPARE TO 26% AMONG WHITE WOMEN
BUSINESSES. LATINA ENTREPRENEURS
AREN'T JUST THE BACKBONE OF
CALIFORNIA'S ECONOMY. THEY HAVE
THE POTENTIAL TO CHANGE THE
ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE OF THE ENTIRE
STATE. IF WE FAIL TO CAPITALIZE
ON THIS POTENTIAL, WE WILL MISS
OUR SHOT AT BUILDING A MORE JUST
AND INCLUSIVE ECONOMY FOR ALL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND
CONSIDERATION. SO BUILDING ON
THAT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, WE
WANT TO CONCENTRATE OUR
RECOMMENDATIONS ON A FEW THINGS
WHEN IT COMES TO LATINO SMALL
BUSINESSES. AS YOU HEARD, THEIR
INCREDIBLE CONTRIBUTION TO OUR
STATE, OVER 149,000 JOBS ARE
PRODUCED BY LATINA SMALL
BUSINESSES. WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER
REPORT THAT SHOWS THAT IF WE
WERE TO ENSURE THAT EVERY LATINA
SOLE PROPRIETOR WOULD BE ABLE TO
BRING ON ANOTHER EMPLOYEE, WE
WOULD PROBABLY BE ADDING CLOSER
TO ANOTHER 200,000 JOBS INTO OUR
STATE. SO LATINAS ARE DOING THE
BEST THEY CAN WITH VERY LITTLE
SUPPORT. BUT THE BIG THING WE
WANT TO RECOMMEND WHEN IT COMES
TO LATINO SMALL BUSINESSES IS TO
LOOK AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL
INVESTMENTS ON WOMEN BUSINESS
CENTERS, WHERE THEIR TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE REALLY ENSURES THAT
LATINAS KNOW HOW TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF A Kò FEDERAL
DOLLARS, AS WELL AS STATE
DOLLARS, WHICH SERVES AS A VITAL
RESOURCE FOR LATINAS. SMALL
BUSINESSES. ADDITIONALLY,
EXPANDING FINANCIAL
OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS LOANS
TAILORED TO ACCOMMODATE THE
FLUCTUATING CAPITAL COSTS DUE TO
INFLATION IS ESSENTIAL. WE HAVE
HAD A LOT OF TESTIMONIES FROM
WOMEN COMING TO HOPE SAYING WE
BID ON A CONTRACT AT A CERTAIN
TIME. NOW, BECAUSE OF INFLATION,
WE CAN'T EVEN MAKE MONEY OUT OF
THAT CONTRACT. THERE HAS TO BE
WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN HAVE
CONVERSATIONS TO HELP LATINAS,
SMALL BUSINESSES, TO COMPETE
AGAINST THE BIGGER CORPORATIONS
AND COMPANIES. LATINA
ENTREPRENEURS OFTEN FACE UNIQUE
CHALLENGES IN ACCESSING CAPITAL
AND OFFERING A FLEXIBLE, AND
THEY NEED TO HAVE FLEXIBLE
FUNDING OPTIONS AND FINANCING
FINANCIAL OPTIONS BY INVESTING
BOTH IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
THESE SMALL BUSINESS CENTERS, AS
WELL AS FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS.
WE BELIEVE THIS WILL HELP
LATINAS CONTINUE IN THEIR GROWTH
AS LATINA ENTREPRENEURS. WE ALSO
RECOMMEND THAT WE IMPROVE
CURRENT MECHANISMS TO EVALUATE
DATA. MINORITY OF MINORITY OWNED
AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES.
POLICY MAKERS SHOULD EVALUATE
THAT THIS THAT THE DATA IS
DISAGGREGATED METRICS FOR
INDIVIDUAL SMALL BUSINESSES,
INCLUDING THEIR ANNUAL REVENUE,
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, AND
DEMOGRAPHICS OF SMALL BUSINESS
OWNERS GIVEN THE VARIED
DEFINITIONS OF WHAT IS A SMALL
BUSINESS WITHIN THE STATE LAW
AND DIVERSE ARRAY OF PROGRAMS
AVAILABLE TO THEM, IMPROVING OUR
CURRENT DATA SYSTEM. COLLECTION
OF DATA THAT STORES THIS
INFORMATION WOULD ENABLE
POLICYMAKERS TO ACCURATELY
ACCESS THE LANDSCAPE AND TAILOR
EACH OF EFFORTS TO ADDRESS
SPECIFIC CHALLENGES FACED BY
WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS,
SPECIFICALLY LATINA BUSINESS
OWNERS, REGARDING THE WAGE GAP
AS MENTIONED ALREADY, WE KNOW
THAT THERE IS A TREMENDOUS, WAGE
GAP BETWEEN LATINA AND WHITE MEN
AS WELL AS THE MAJORITY OF OUR
WOMEN COUNTERPARTS. HOPE'S
ECONOMIC STATUS REPORT CALLS ON
TWO SPECIFIC ACTIONS, AND THAT
IS ONE, TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S
ONE, TO ESTABLISH A MECHANISM TO
REWARD THOSE THAT COMPANIES,
ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFITS WHO DO
TAKE THE EQUAL PAY PLEDGE AS
SIGNATORIES SINCE THIS LAUNCH,
AS MENTIONED, OVER 200 COMPANIES
HAVE SIGNED ON TO THIS PLEDGE.
POLICYMAKERS SHOULD EXPLORE
OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD UPON THIS
MEANINGFUL WORK AND FIND WAYS TO
REWARD COMPANIES FOR COMPLETING
THEIR GENDER PAY ANALYSIS. THESE
COMPANIES HAVE SHOWN THAT
THEY'RE WILLING TO VOLUNTARILY
IMPLEMENT MORE TRANSPARENCY IN
PAY POLICIES AND UNDERGO AUDITS
TO ADDRESS PAY GAPS. HOW DO WE
CONTINUE TO INVEST TO
INCENTIVIZE THIS BEHAVIOR? THE
SECOND IS TO INVEST IN WORKFORCE
DIVERSITY PROGRAMS TO EXPAND
OCCUPATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR
LATINAS. LATINAS EXPERIENCE
UNEQUAL TREATMENT IN THE
WORKPLACE WITH FEWER EDUCATIONAL
AND CAREER ADVANCEMENT
OPPORTUNITIES THAT HINDER OUR
ACCESS. ACCESS TO HIGHER PAY OR
JOBS. STATE BUDGET INVESTMENTS
IN PROGRAMS THAT EXPAND CAREER
PATHWAYS FOR CALIFORNIANS, SUCH
AS APPRENTICESHIPS AND HIGHER
QUALITY EARN AND LEARN PROGRAMS
FOSTER EXPOSURE OPPORTUNITIES
FOR LATINAS TO STEP INTO FIELDS
THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY
UNDERREPRESENTED AND EXPAND
THEIR ECONOMIC MOBILITY.
REGARDING EDUCATION, WE KNOW
THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE TOOL THAT
THE LATINA COMPRISE A
SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF
CALIFORNIA'S SCHOOL AGED
CHILDREN, AND THE COLLEGE GOING
POPULATION FOR TELLING THEIR
GREATER INFLUENCE THAT THEY WILL
YIELD, WIELD FOR THE STATE.
INCREASING ACCESS TO
POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS
EQUIPS LATINAS WITH SKILLS AND
KNOWLEDGE THAT ARE ESSENTIAL IN
TODAY'S COMPETITIVE GLOBAL
ECONOMY. OUR ECONOMIC STATUS OF
LATINAS REPORT ALSO OUTLINES
STRATEGIES TO INCREASE COLLEGE
ACCESS, MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE,
AND DEVELOP PATHWAYS THAT BRIDGE
COLLEGE TO CAREER PATHWAYS. ONE
SUCH INITIATIVE THAT BRIDGES THE
HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE PATHWAY
IS DUAL ENROLLMENT, WHICH
ENABLES STUDENTS TO
SIMULTANEOUSLY EARN COLLEGE AND
OBVIOUSLY COMPLETE THEIR COLLEGE
HIGH SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS. THESE
PROGRAMS ENHANCE THEIR ECONOMIC
READINESS AND HELPS DIVERSIFY
THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE. DESPITE
THE BENEFITS OF DUAL ENROLLMENT
PROGRAMS, LATINAS ARE
UNDERREPRESENTED IN MOST OF
THESE PROGRAMS, AND WE NEED TO
ENSURE THAT WE'RE REMOVING ANY
SYSTEMATIC BARRIERS TO BE PART
OF THESE PROGRAMS. LASTLY, I
WILL END WITH THE CALL, THE CALL
AROUND LEADERSHIP. ONE IN EVERY
FIVE CALIFORNIANS, AS WE KNOW,
IDENTIFY AS A LATINA. YET
LATINAS REMAIN UNDERREPRESENTED.
THE U.S. SENATE, WE DO NOT HAVE
A LATINA REPRESENTATIVE FROM
CALIFORNIA ON OUR US SENATE.
WE'VE NEVER HAD A LATINA AS A
STATEWIDE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICER
, OUR UNDERREPRESENTATION
EXTENDS TO THE INFLUENTIAL
APPOINTMENTS OF BOARDS AND
COMMISSIONS, AS WE DISCUSSED
EARLIER. BUT ONE HIGHLIGHT IN
PARTICULAR WHEN IT COMES TO OUR
NATIONAL RESOURCE BOARDS, OUR
WATER COMMISSIONS, OUR DIFFERENT
TYPES OF ENERGY BOARDS, WE'RE
LESS THAN 2% REPRESENTED THERE.
SO NOT ONLY THINK ABOUT THAT
ECONOMIC IMPERATIVE, BUT ALSO
WHERE IS OUR SAY ABOUT HOW OUR
NATIONAL RESOURCES ARE BEING
PROTECTED AND EXPANDED?
INCREASINGLY, REPRESENTATION
AMPLIFYING LATINO VOICES IN
GOVERNMENT IS ESSENTIAL FOR
FOSTERING INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC
GROWTH AND ADDRESSING THE UNIQUE
CHALLENGES FACED BY LATINAS. THE
STATE OVERALL MUST DO MORE TO
INCREASE PIPELINES FOR
LEADERSHIP FOR LATINAS AND THAT
WE'RE EQUALLY REPRESENTED. THE
SELECT COMMITTEE ON LATINAS
INADEQUACIES, INEQUALITIES. I'M
SORRY, IS DOING CRITICAL WORK.
WE THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE FEEL
LIKE WE'RE BEING HEARD AND THAT
WE'RE NOT BEING OVERLOOKED. THE
STRUCTURAL BARRIERS TO EQUALITY
AND THE OPPORTUNITY GAPS FACED
BY LATINAS ARE GREAT. AND YET IT
IS GOING ON TO US COMING
TOGETHER ON BEHALF OF NOT ONLY
OURSELVES IN THIS ROOM, BUT
EVERY LATINA THAT DOES NOT HAVE
A VOICE RIGHT NOW IN THIS ROOM.
WE KNOW THAT IT IS OUR
RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT
THEIR VOICES ARE AMPLIFIED, THAT
OUR STORIES, OUR NARRATIVES, ARE
UNDERSTOOD, AND THAT WE ALL TAKE
ACTION TO IMPROVE A BETTER
CALIFORNIA FOR ALL. AND THAT
LATINAS ARE VERY MUCH PART OF
THAT FUTURE. THANK YOU. ASSEMBLY
MEMBER CARILLO ASSEMBLY MEMBER
ORTEGA, FOR LISTENING TO US AND
GIVING US VOICE, AND FOR ECHOING
AND AMPLIFYING OUR STORIES.
THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANKS SO
MUCH FOR THAT. HELEN I'M GOING
TO FOCUS ON SHORT TERM, LONG
TERM AND ALSO BIG PICTURE AND
WHAT I LIKE TO CALL COMMON
SENSE, THE COMMON SENSE TO
REJECT A STATUS QUO THAT HAS NOT
BEEN WORKING IS NOT WORKING, AND
WILL NOT BE WORKING, SO IN TERMS
OF THE SHORT TERM, THE DATA AND
EVIDENCE ABOUT THE RELIEF AND
RECOVERY INVESTMENTS MADE BY
GOVERNMENT ARE INTEGRAL TO
MAKING PERMANENT. SO WHEN I
TALKED ABOUT THE TEMPORAL NATURE
OF THEM, LET'S GO BACK. PAID
SICK LEAVE TEN DAYS, CHILD CARE,
THINKING ABOUT ESSENTIAL WORKERS
IN NEW WAYS AND BENEFITS AND
SERVICES, WHETHER IT'S
ADDRESSING FOOD INSECURITY,
HOUSING INSECURITY, HEALTH CARE
ACCESS, THE THINGS IN WHICH OUR
GOVERNMENT DID DURING THE COVID
19 PANDEMIC, IN LARGE PART TO
LESSEN ECONOMIC SHOCKS, WORKED.
THEY DIDN'T WORK EQUALLY, BUT
THEY WORKED. AND BASED ON THAT
EVIDENCE, HOW DO WE REVISIT, HOW
DO WE INSTITUTIONAL WISE AND HOW
DO WE NARROWLY TAILOR SO THAT
WE'RE NOT EXACERBATING
INEQUALITY? IT'S NOT THAT
LATINAS ARE STUCK IN TIME, BUT
THAT THEY'RE GETTING CLOSER TO
BEING FULL EQUAL ACTORS IN THIS
SOCIETY RIGHT NOW, ABSENT DOING
THE THINGS THAT THE LEGISLATURE
AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DID
BETWEEN 2020 AND 2023, INCOME
INEQUALITY WILL CONTINUE TO
EXACERBATE. WE ARE NOT HOLDING
CONSTANT. WE'RE RETROGRESSING
AND WE'RE RETROGRESSING IN OUR
MOST PRODUCTIVE YEARS. WHEN
WE'RE IN THE LABOR FORCE, WHEN
WE ARE SUPPORTING HOUSEHOLDS AND
WE'RE TAKING CARE OF A SOCIETY
IN WAYS THAT CANNOT BE
CALCULATED. SO THAT'S SHORT
TERM. GO BACK TO THE THINGS THAT
WORKED. THE THINGS THAT WORKED
FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN
TERMS OF LONGER TERM. WE NEED TO
BE AMBITIOUS AND RETHINK WHAT WE
DEFINE AS INFRASTRUCTURE AND
WHAT'S REALLY SERVING OUR
GOVERNMENTAL INTEREST IN IN A
QUALITY OF LIFE AND INCLUSIVE
AND OPERATING ECONOMY THAT IS
EQUITABLE AND GROWING. AND
SIMILARLY, A DEMOCRACY WHERE OUR
CITIZENS AND OUR CONSTITUENTS
AND NEIGHBORS TRUST THAT
GOVERNMENT IS WORKING FOR THEM.
TRUST INFORMATION. SO THIS IS
LONGER TERM. THIS IS
INFRASTRUCTURE. AND ALL OF THESE
THINGS ARE LATINA ISSUE. AND
LATINAS HAVE A BIG ROLE TO PLAY,
IF WE SCALE, HELEN PROVIDED SOME
IDEAS ABOUT SCALING
ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL
BUSINESSES. YET DOCTOR GALLARDO
GOOD ACKNOWLEDGED AND REAFFIRM
THE CONTINUANCE OF
DISCRIMINATION IN OUTCOMES. SO
WHAT'S OUR LONG TERM
INFRASTRUCTURE? WELL, WE KNOW
GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO IT ALONE AND
WE KNOW THAT IN A PLACE LIKE
CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS THE STORY
OF HOLLYWOOD, THE STORY OF
TECHNOLOGY, THE STORY OF LAND
ACQUISITION OF HISTORY, OF WARS,
YOU NAME IT, THERE'S A WORLD
HERE WHERE WE HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIMENT, BUT
WE HAVE THE CALL TO THINK
BIGGER. AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE
BEING RESPONSIVE AND REACTIONARY
AND IN SOME WAYS MARRIED TO A
STATUS QUO THAT DOESN'T WORK. SO
WHAT AM I SAYING? WHAT'S THE
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SERVES
FAMILIES AND WOMEN IN THIS STATE
SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY CLINICS? HOW
DO WE FORTIFY THOSE AS CORE
DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS, ÓRDENES
SO THAT THEY DO MORE AND ARE
RESOURCED TO DO MORE, PROVIDING
LEGAL SERVICES, BEHAVIORAL AND
PHYSICAL HEALTH, THINKING ABOUT
INTEGRATED CIVIC ENGAGEMENT,
HAVING A STRONG ROLE TO PLAY ON
THE ENVIRONMENT. THERE'S A
HISTORY OF THAT IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. WE HAVE MEASURES
THAT ALLOCATED MONEY SO THAT OUR
SCHOOLS COULD BE GREENER IN NEW
CONSTRUCTION. NOW, WHAT KIND OF
INFRASTRUCTURE DO WE NEED FOR
THE 21ST CENTURY? IT DEPENDS ON
WHO YOU ASK, I THINK THAT ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO THINK
ABOUT IS HOW OUR EXISTING
IMPORTANT SOCIETAL ACTORS ARE
ABLE TO CONTINUE TO BE OPERATING
OPEN AND GROWING IN THE FACE OF
CHANGE, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
AND CLIMATE DISASTERS. HOW DO WE
INCREASE THE FLUENCY OF OUR
CURRENT SLATE OF SOCIETY AND
COMMUNITY PILLARS? MINORITY AND
WOMEN OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES,
COMMUNITY CLINICS TO KEEP UP
WITH CLIMATE CHANGE. BUT ALSO
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE? HOW DO WE
INCREASE AND EXPAND THE PRODUCTS
OF OUR SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY
COLLEGES AND CALIFORNIA STATE
UNIVERSITIES TO EQUIP LATINOS,
LATINAS AND ALL CALIFORNIANS
WITH THE TYPE OF TRAINING AND
EDUCATION NECESSARY TO COMPETE
AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
SOCIETY THAT'S BLOSSOMING HERE
IN CALIFORNIA, I THINK THAT
HELEN POINTED TO CARROTS AND
STICKS, AND I HAD A BOSS THAT
SAID THAT ALL THE TIME, I THINK
THAT WE NEED TO BE THINKING
ABOUT SOMETHING NEW. OKAY. LIKE
I LOVED YOU. I'M LIKE. YES. WHAT
AND THIS NEW THING IS
ESSENTIALLY REDEFINING A GOAL BY
CONSTRICTING THE EXACERBATION OF
INEQUALITY. SO IF WE NEED MORE
DOCTORS, WE DON'T GO TO THE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AND
GIVE THEM MORE SPACES FOR THEIR
MEDICAL CLASS WITHOUT CONTOURS.
THOSE CONTOURS SHOULD BE YOUR
ADMITTING A SET OF STUDENTS THAT
ARE COMMUNITY COLLEGE GRADUATES
OR CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
GRADUATES. THAT IS WHAT THIS
MONEY IS INTENDED TO DO. AND WE
ARE GOING TO EXAMINE THAT AND
YOUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO GET
THE FUNDING NECESSARY IS GOING
TO BE PREDICATED ON THAT. THAT
IS A LATINA STRATEGY. THEN I
THINK WE STILL HAVE
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT DOES NOT
EXIST IN SO MANY DISTRICTS THAT
ARE GROWTH DISTRICTS IN TERMS OF
POPULATION. THE IMPERIAL,
COACHELLA VALLEY, THE INLAND
EMPIRE, THE CENTRAL VALLEY, WE
DON'T HAVE PROVIDERS, WE DON'T
HAVE THE NECESSARY LEGAL
FINANCIAL SERVICES, ENGINEERING,
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, ETC. WHAT
DO WE HAVE RIGHT NOW AS A
LEGISLATURE IS THINKING THROUGH
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
COMMUNITY COLLEGES, CERTAIN
OFFICES, HOW DO YOU FORTIFY AND
EXPAND THE CAPACITY OF THOSE
DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS TO
PROVIDE THINGS LIKE HOUSING, TO
PROVIDE THINGS LIKE CLIMATE
RELIEF FROM EXTREME HEAT, TO
THINK THROUGH THE CAPACITY TO
THINK ABOUT AI? AND SO THERE'S
SOME BUSINESS BETS TO MAKE ABOUT
INFRASTRUCTURE AND THAT
INFRASTRUCTURE IS REPURPOSING
WHAT ALREADY EXISTS TO SERVICE
THE CURRENT AND FUTURE
POPULATION. HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
I THINK THE CALIFORNIA STATE
UNIVERSITY SHOULD HAVE A MEDICAL
SCHOOL IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY.
AND WHAT IS THAT MIDDLE THAT IS
NOT A CARROT AND A STICK.
THERE'S A PURPOSE. THERE'S A
GOVERNMENTAL INTEREST ON BEHALF
OF THIS STATE TO KEEP OUR
RESIDENTS HEALTHY AND
PRODUCTIVE. AND SO MAYBE THAT
MEDICAL SCHOOL HAS CONTOURS THAT
ARE PRECISE TO THAT INTEREST.
PRIMARY CARE, OB GYN, EMERGENCY
SERVICES. RIGHT. WE NEED PEOPLE
THAT ARE ABLE TO TREAT OUR
RESIDENTS AND WANT TO TREAT OUR
RESIDENTS. CGRTS. WE ALSO NEED
TO BE ABLE TO TRAIN THEM. AND SO
HAVING OTHER SYSTEMS IN THIS
21ST CENTURY DO THINGS THAT THEY
HAVEN'T BEEN EMPOWERED TO DO IS
THE TYPE OF THINKING THAT WE
NEED TO DO. YOU CAN GIVE THE
CARROT THAT'S NARROWLY TAILORED,
BUT YOU'VE GOT TO START CREATING
NEW FERTILE INTERVENTIONS AND
THAT REQUIRES AMBITION. I THINK
THAT YOU LEAN IN ON THE
GOVERNMENTAL INTEREST AND
WORKFORCE, ON THE ENVIRONMENT,
ON TECHNOLOGY AND ON MEDICINE.
AT THE SAME TIME, YOU THINK
THROUGH WHAT DO PEOPLE THAT SHOW
UP EACH AND EVERY DAY TO GO TO
WORK NEED? THEY NEED FINANCIAL
ADVICE. THEY NEED SAFE,
HABITABLE HOUSING. THEY NEED
LAWYERS. THOSE ARE OTHER TYPES
OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE CAN
DISCUSS. BUT I THINK THE PATH
FORWARD IS THINKING AMBITIOUS
AND THINKING BROAD AND
RECOGNIZING THAT WE'RE NOT
HOLDING CONSTANT. WE'RE GOING
BACKWARDS I LOVE THAT. YEAH.
THAT'S BEAUTIFUL. THANK YOU FOR
THAT, WHERE DO YOU LIVE AND WHEN
ARE YOU RUNNING FOR OFFICE? YEAH
MISS DIAZ IS THE QUESTION. RIGHT
THERE. SORRY, I HAVE A I GOT A
COUGHING ATTACK A BIT, WE'RE
GOING TO OPEN IT UP TO PUBLIC
COMMENT. IF THERE'S PUBLIC
COMMENT, I WANT TO GIVE MY
COLLEAGUE AN OPPORTUNITY TO,
HAVE ANY REMARKS OR QUESTIONS,
BEFORE WE CLOSE OUT, I'M JUST IN
AWE, I THINK I'LL CLOSE WHERE I
STARTED, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WE
STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
I'M INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THE
WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE, WITH
OUR LEADER HERE, ASSEMBLY MEMBER
CARILLO. AND THOSE WHO CAME
BEFORE ME, WHO, AS WAS MENTIONED
EARLIER, ARE THE REASON THAT I
SIT HERE TODAY, AND HOPEFULLY
WE'LL CONTINUE THE LEGACY OF
GETTING OTHER LATINAS AND THESE,
DECISION MAKING ROOMS BECAUSE WE
CAN'T BE IT IF WE CAN'T SEE IT.
AND I WANT TO CONTINUE TAKING ON
THE WORK AND COMPLETELY INSPIRED
BY EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU,
BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, AS A LATINA
WITH RED LIPSTICK, INFURIATED BY
THE FACT THAT WE CONTINUE TO
MOVE FORWARD AND AT THE SAME
TIME MOVE BACKWARDS, AND
INTERESTED IN COMING UP WITH,
YOU KNOW, A, A GRAPEFRUIT IF
IT'S NOT A CHARACTERISTIC. I
LOVE THAT I AGREE TO. SO THAT WE
CAN, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO, TO
MAKE ADVANCES AND THINK BIGGER,
AS WE ARE THE LARGEST
DEMOGRAPHIC IN THE STATE, AND
NEED TO NOT JUST ACT LIKE IT,
BUT PUT THE IMPLEMENT IT AND
HAVE THE RESOURCES BEHIND IT. SO
WE'RE ABLE TO GET TO THAT THAT
VISION. SO THANK YOU VERY
GRATEFUL AND LOOK FORWARD TO
CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS ON THIS
ISSUE. THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH.
THANK YOU. I WOULD SAY, ECHOING
THAT THANK YOU. ASSEMBLY MEMBER.
WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY IS THAT
YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN
CHAIRING THIS SELECT COMMITTEE,
NEXT YEAR. AND, YOU KNOW,
OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO CONTINUE
DOING THE WORK. I THINK IT WAS
VERY IMPACTFUL. DOCTOR GALLARDO
AND OTHERS THAT SHARED, WE WILL
LOSE IN OUR LIFETIME, EVERY
LATINA ESPECIALLY, I BELIEVE YOU
SAID THOSE WITH DEGREES AND IN
HIGHER ED OPPORTUNITIES, AN
AVERAGE OF MORE THAN $2 MILLION
IN OUR LIFETIME IN THE WAGE GAP.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S LATINA WOMEN
THAT HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
GO TO COLLEGE FOR LATINA WOMEN
THAT HAVE NOT HAD THAT
OPPORTUNITY, THAT $2 MILLION GAP
IS MUCH BIGGER, RIGHT? I DON'T
KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I'M NOT OKAY
WITH LOSING $2 MILLION IN MY
LIFETIME. AND SO IT'S DEFINITELY
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. AND I
THINK WHEN WE HAVE HEARINGS LIKE
THIS AND THE DATA IS IN FRONT OF
US, YOU CAN'T. IT'S NOT ABOUT
FEELINGS, RIGHT? IT'S ABOUT HARD
INFORMATION, DATA THAT HAS THE
OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THE WAY IN
WHICH POLICY AND LEGISLATION
MOVES FORWARD, THAT ULTIMATELY
CHANGES LIVES. ONE OF THE
CHALLENGING PART ABOUT THE WORK
THAT WE'VE DONE, AND I'VE WORKED
IN THE SPACE OF, TRYING TO
CREATE DIVERSITY AND EQUITY, IS
THAT CALIFORNIA IS THE ONLY
STATE IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS
BANNED AFFIRMATIVE ACTION WITH
PROP 209. AND SO WHILE THERE WAS
HUGE MOVEMENT FORWARD WITH
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION ALLOWING FOR
MINORITIES, LATINOS, AFRICAN
AMERICANS AND OTHERS TO HAVE
ACCESS TO HIGHER ED AND HAVE
ACCESS TO OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
THAT HAS BEEN DENIED FOR DECADES
NOW IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
WHEN WE KNOW WE ARE THE MOST ONE
OF THE MOST DIVERSE STATES IN
THE NATION, FOLLOWING TEXAS,
FLORIDA, NEW YORK, OR ALONGSIDE,
I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY SECOND,
IF NOT FIRST AT THIS POINT. NO,
ACTUALLY, NEVER MIND. LET ME
CORRECT THE RECORD. WE ARE THE
MOST DIVERSE STATE IN THE
COUNTRY BASED ON INFORMATION
THAT HAS BEEN SHARED TODAY WITH
MORE LATINAS AT THE FOREFRONT OF
THAT REPRESENTATION. AND YET WE
LACK PARITY ON A VARIETY OF
DIFFERENT, SEGMENTS IN THE
WORKFORCE. HOW WE CHANGE THAT, I
THINK, IS CRITICAL AND IMPORTANT
WITH POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS,
ÓRDENES OF BEING CREATIVE, OF
HOW WE MOVE TOWARDS ISSUES OF
EQUITY AND PARITY, WHILE NOT
VIOLATE THE CURRENT CALIFORNIA
CONSTITUTION THAT DOES. WE ARE
NOT ALLOWED TO MANDATE DIVERSITY
AND IT HINDERS AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR MINORITIES AND LATINAS IN
PARTICULAR, TO BE ABLE TO MOVE
FORWARD. NOT HAVING OPPORTUNITY
TO GO INTO A C-SUITE, MOVING
POLICIES THAT THAT, YOU KNOW,
CREATED EQUITY IN, A CORPORATE
BOARD ONLY FOR A JUDGE TO STRIKE
IT DOWN AND SAY IT'S AGAINST THE
CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION TO
MANDATE THAT WE ALL WANT TO SEE
SOMETHING DIFFERENT. AND SO IF
THE QUESTION I THINK AHEAD OF
THE BOARD, AHEAD OF ALL OF US AS
WE MOVE FORWARD, IS HOW DO WE
TAKE IT TO THE BALLOT BOX? HOW
DO WE CHANGE THE CALIFORNIA
CONSTITUTION TO ALLOW AND GO
BACK TO A PLACE THAT HAS BEEN
TAKEN AWAY FROM US, THAT ALLOWS
FOR ALLOWS FOR LEGISLATION AND
POLICY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH REAL
EQUITY AND DIVERSITY
MEASUREMENTS THAT ALLOW FOR THIS
DATA TO BE EVEN MORE PUBLIC AND
ALLOWS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO NOT
ONLY HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE,
BUT YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY CREATE
CHANGE FOR, FOR CALIFORNIA, AND
THERE'S A QUOTE THAT I LOVE THAT
SAYS, CALIFORNIA MAY NOT HAVE
BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE
FOUNDING OF THIS NATION, BUT IT
WILL CERTAINLY LEAD ITS FUTURE.
AND WHAT THAT TELLS ME IS THAT
IT'S LATINAS THAT WILL LEAD ITS
FUTURE. AND I FIND THAT
INCREDIBLY INSPIRING. SO THANK
YOU TO ALL OF OUR PANELISTS
TODAY. ALL ALL THREE, ALL THREE
OF THE PARTICIPANTS. I WOULD
WANT TO OPEN IT UP TO ANY PUBLIC
COMMENT AT THIS TIME. IF THERE'S
ANY, THE MICROPHONE IS ON THE
RIGHT. HI. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR
AND SOME URTEAGA. WE REALLY
APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE
HERE IN THIS ROOM AND JUST HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY HEAR ALL OF THE
STATISTICS THAT WAS SHARED ON
BEHALF OF ALL THE PANELISTS
TODAY. I'M HERE AS MYSELF, AS A
LATINA WHO GREW UP IN THE INLAND
EMPIRE. I KNOW I WEAR MANY HATS
AND I'M VERY PROUD TO BE IN THIS
SPACE TO HELP ADVANCE POLICY FOR
A LOT OF FOLKS ACROSS THE STATE.
BUT HONESTLY, IT'S REALLY AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO BE HERE
AND HEAR ALL THE THINGS THAT
PEOPLE ARE DOING TO HELP ADVANCE
LATINAS, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY,
THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
THAT YOU MAKE SPACE FOR US HERE
IN THIS CAPITOL. BECAUSE IT'S
NOT OFTEN THAT WE HEAR THAT.
IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT WE WALK
AROUND, THAT WE SEE LATINAS IN A
ROOM TALKING ABOUT THE NEEDS
THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS IN OUR
COMMUNITIES, AND SOMETHING THAT
I DIDN'T GET TO SEE IN THE
INLAND EMPIRE I'M VERY PROUD TO
SEE IS ASSEMBLYMEMBERS SABRINA
CERVANTES LEAD AND REPRESENT US,
ESPECIALLY AS A QUEER LATINA.
BUT IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT IF WE
DON'T SEE IT, WE DON'T THINK WE
CAN BE IT. AND NOW, AS SOMEONE
WHO HAS A SMALL BUSINESS, I DO
SEE A LOT OF THE ECONOMIC
DISPARITIES FOR OTHER LATINAS
WHO ARE LIKE ME, WHO WANT TO
ADVANCE OTHER POLICIES AND GROW.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND TO
SPEAK, AND JUST TO BE AROUND SO
MANY LATINAS WHO ARE DOING THE
WORK TO ADVANCE POLICIES FOR US.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CHAIR
CARRILLO AND ASSEMBLY MEMBER
ORTEGA. I'M VERONICA TERRIQUEZ.
I DIRECT THE CHICANO STUDIES
RESEARCH CENTER AT UCLA. IT'S A
55 YEAR OLD CENTER, AND I AM THE
FIRST WOMAN DIRECTOR. AND I'M
VERY PROUD TO BE HERE AND
EXCITED. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO
DO SO MUCH TOGETHER WITH
PARTNERS LIKE HOPE AND OTHERS
LIKE THE TRANS LATINA,
COALITION. THE THERE'S VARIOUS
WORKER GROUPS THAT WERE THE
DOMESTIC WORKERS ALLIANCE AND
OTHER GROUPS THAT WE'RE WORKING
WITH ACROSS THE STATE. I THINK
WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY
TO TACKLE THIS WAGE GAP. IT'S
HUGE. AND AS WE KNOW FROM THE
PANELISTS, IT VARIES ACROSS THE
DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF OUR
DIVERSE POPULATION. AND BECAUSE
OF THAT, TOGETHER WE'RE
COMMITTED. UCLA AND OUR PARTNERS
ARE COMMITTED TO FIGURING OUT
SOLUTIONS TO VARIOUS
MULTIFACETED SOLUTIONS TO
ADDRESSING THAT WAGE GAP. OUR
VISION AT THE LATINA FUTURES
2050 LAB IS TO HAVE EQUITY FOR
LATINAS BY 2050. WE HAVE TO
THINK BOLDLY. AND SO WHAT THIS
MEANS FOR US AT THE AT THE
RESEARCH LAB, IT MEANS DOING
RESEARCH ON CHILD CARE WORKERS.
78% OF CHILD CARE WORKERS IN
CALIFORNIA ARE LATINAS. AND IF
WE ADDRESS EQUITY IN WAGES FOR
LATINA CHILDCARE WORKERS AND
PROVIDE AFFORDABLE CHILD CARE
FOR LATINAS AND ALL MOTHERS, WE
WILL GO A LONG WAY IN ACHIEVING
EQUITY. WE NEED EQUITY FOR OUR
AGRICULTURAL WORKERS WHO FEED
US. WITHOUT THEM, WE DO NOT EAT
AND WOMEN'S HEALTH AND ECONOMIC
VIABILITY OF AGRICULTURE WORKERS
IN PARTICULAR, REALLY NEEDS TO
BE ADDRESSED. IT HAS STRONG
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE WORKERS
WELL-BEING AND OUR OWN
WELL-BEING. AND SO, YOU KNOW,
SONIA DIAZ HAS DONE AN
INCREDIBLE JOB AT REALLY
BRINGING TOGETHER THE POLICY
MAKERS AND OTHERS THAT I CALL
THE GRASS TOPS TO ALSO ADDRESS
THIS WAGE GAP AND ACCESS FOR
LAWYERS FOR OUR, MEDICAL
PROFESSIONALS, TEACHERS AND
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS. SO THANK
YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. SO THANK
YOU SO MUCH. MY NAME IS MARIA
MORALES. I'M A POLICY DIRECTOR
FOR HOPE, BUT ALSO A PROUD
DAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS, PROUD,
DAUGHTER OF A SINGLE MOTHER,
LATINA, FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE
STUDENT. AND I JUST WANT TO
THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR
LEADERSHIP AND CREATING THIS
SPACE THAT REALLY CENTERS OUR
EXPERIENCE. I THINK IT HEARTENS
ME THAT THE CALL TO ACTION FROM
HERE WAS NOT JUST ABOUT
STRATEGIES ON HOW TO CLOSE
EQUITY GAPS, BUT ALSO THE CALL
FOR DATA TO BE ABLE TO TRACK
OUTCOMES, TO BE ABLE TO TRACK
PROGRESS, AND TO BE ABLE TO
IDENTIFY DATA DRIVEN STRATEGIES
TO REALLY ADVANCE LATINAS. SO
REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO
PARTNERING WITH BOTH OF YOU AND
THE LEGISLATURE TO CONTINUE TO
ADVANCE THIS. SO THANK YOU SO
MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON.
CHAIRWOMAN, CARRILLO AND
ASSEMBLYWOMAN ORTEGA. I WANTED
TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR
HOLDING THIS HEARING AND JUST
EXPRESS THE URGENCY OF, OF THE
CONVERSATIONS WE'RE BEING THAT
ARE BEING HAD HERE. I'M THE
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS AT HOPE AND
A RESIDENT OF THE 61ST ASSEMBLY
DISTRICT, AND I HAVE THE
PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH YOUNG
LEADERS AND WITH LATINA LEADERS
OF ALL GENERATIONS, BUT
PARTICULARLY WITH YOUNG WOMEN.
I'M SEEING A DISILLUSIONED WITH
THE ECONOMY AND WITH SOCIETY AND
JUST THE SYSTEM IN GENERAL AND
HOW THEY'RE BEING IMPACTED. AND
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I
HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF
HAVING, SOUND PUBLIC POLICY THAT
IS GOING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE
STRUCTURAL BARRIERS THAT THEY
SEE ARE IMPACTING THEIR LIVES,
THEIR INABILITY TO BUY A HOME,
PAY EQUITY. AND SO I WANT TO
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR
YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THE
POLICIES TODAY, GOOD AFTERNOON,
CHAIR CARRILLO AND ASSEMBLY
MEMBER ORTEGA, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR HOLDING THIS HEARING, MY
NAME IS EMILY. I'M FROM THE LOS
ANGELES COUNTY REGION. I ALSO
WORK FOR HOPE AS THE COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT MANAGER. AND I WANT
TO THANK YOU BECAUSE AS YOU
HEARD, LATINAS REPRESENT ONLY 9%
OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
THAT ARE APPOINTED BY THE
GOVERNOR. ALTHOUGH LATINAS MAKE
UP 20% OF THE CALIFORNIA
POPULATION, AND SO WITHOUT
INCREASED REPRESENTATION IN
THESE KEY ROLES, LATINA VOICES
ARE ABSENT FROM CRITICAL
DECISION MAKING. AND THEN ALSO,
I THINK, ECHOING OTHER PEOPLE'S
SENTIMENTS, JUST TO EMPOWER THE
YOUNGER GENERATION OF LATINAS,
IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE, LATINAS
IN THESE POSITIONS OF POWER. SO
THANK YOU FOR HOLDING THIS
HEARING. I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS DIALOG,
AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU.
HI. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR
CARRILLO. AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS FERNANDA. I AM FROM
THE CITY OF FRESNO, AND I'M ALSO
A HOPE STAFFER, I WANTED TO SAY
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
THIS HEARING FOR US TODAY. TODAY
WE LEARNED, OF COURSE, THAT AS
OF 2022, LATINAS WERE PAID ONLY
$0.42 ON THE DOLLAR OF OUR NON
OUR WHITE NON-HISPANIC MALE
PARTNERS, AND IN 2023, WE
LEARNED THAT LATINAS MADE UP
ONLY 9% OF THE GUBERNATORIAL
APPOINTMENTS. SO THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR LETTING US SHARE THAT
INFORMATION AND CONTINUE HEARING
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR CARILLO AND
COMMITTEE MEMBERS. MY NAME IS
NATALIE AGUILAR. I'M ALSO A HOPE
STAFFER. I COME FROM ORIGINALLY
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, BUT I WAS
RAISED IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY AS
WELL. SO COMING FROM TWO OUT OF
THE THREE LARGEST POPULATIONS
WITH LATINAS AND AS A FIRST
GENERATION COLLEGE GRADUATE WITH
AN ADVANCED DEGREE, I WOULD JUST
LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
AND IT REALLY DOES TAKE SPACES
LIKE THIS TODAY TO BRING TO
LIGHT KEY ECONOMIC ISSUES
HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND
AMONG LATINAS. I HOPE THAT OTHER
MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE LEARN
ABOUT THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES OUR
COMMUNITY FACES AND THE NEED FOR
MORE VIABLE DATA. SO THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR CARRILLO
AND ASSEMBLY MEMBER ORTEGA. MY
NAME IS JASMINE CONTRERAS. I'M
FROM LA COUNTY, AND I ALSO WORK
WITH HOPE. I'M THE COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR, AND I
JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR
TODAY'S HEARING, AS SOMEONE WHO
IS A FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE
GRAD AND FIRST TIME HOME OWNER
IN THE US, WITHIN MY FAMILY, I
DO REALIZE HOW FORTUNATE I AM TO
BE ONE OF THE FEW PERCENTAGE OF
THE LATINAS WHO ARE NARROWING
THE GAPS, BUT AS THIS REPORT
SHARED, CALIFORNIA DOES HAVE THE
LARGEST LATINO POPULATION IN THE
US, AND I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN
THAT ONE OF EVERY FIVE, PEOPLE
AND CALIFORNIA ARE LATINAS, SO
WE MUST ENSURE THAT THESE
LATINAS ARE NOT LEFT BEHIND. I
DO BELIEVE REPORTS LIKE THIS,
BRING AWARENESS TO THE WORK THAT
STILL HAS TO BE DONE. SO I JUST
WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR
WORK, AND AS YOU CONTINUE TO
ADVOCATE FOR US AND FIGHT FOR
US, JUST, STRIVING FOR POLICIES
THAT CONTINUE TO BREAK DOWN
THOSE BARRIERS. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR CARRILLO AND
ASSEMBLY MEMBER ORTEGA. MY NAME
IS DOCTOR ALMA CASTRO, I AM HERE
AS AN EARLY 2024 ALUM AND ALSO
AS A SCHOOL BOARD SCHOOL BOARD
MEMBER FOR LYNWOOD UNIFIED
ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 62. THANK YOU
FOR CREATING THIS SPACE OF THIS
VERY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION, ONE
ITEM IN THE REPORT THAT REALLY
STOOD OUT WAS THE OVER 56, OVER
HALF OF OUR LATINO OF OUR
STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA. WE HAVE
6 MILLION STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE
OUR LATINO. AND REALLY IMPORTANT
TO THE CONVERSATION IS OUR
COLLABORATION AND OUR WORK
TOGETHER AND ADVOCATING TO BREAK
THOSE BARRIERS IN EDUCATION AND
PK 12 SETTINGS, AS WELL AS
HIGHER EDUCATION. I KNOW THAT
WE'VE MADE SOME GREAT PROGRESS
WITH THE 18% OF BACHELOR'S
DEGREE, BUT JUST RECENTLY,
ANOTHER PUBLISHING FROM THE UCLA
POLICY DEPARTMENT IDENTIFIED
ONLY 1% OF LATINAS WITH A PHD
DEGREE. SO WE HAVE WORK TO DO
TOGETHER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
YOUR COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP. HI.
GOOD AFTERNOON, XIOMARA PENA,
VICE PRESIDENT OF INNOVATION AND
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HERE AT
HOPE. I JUST STARTED WITH HOPE.
I'LL BE CELEBRATING A MONTH NEXT
FRIDAY, I'M A LONG TIME RESIDENT
FROM THE LOS ANGELES, REGION,
AND I JUST WANTED TO REALLY
ACKNOWLEDGE, BOTH OF YOUR
LEADERSHIP FOR BRINGING THIS
SPACE TODAY, ALLOWING US TO SHED
LIGHT ON THE PRESSING MATTERS AT
HAND. I DO WANT TO JUST TOUCH ON
ONE PIECE. WHICH IS THIS NEED
AROUND LONG TERM SOLUTIONS? YES,
WE ARE A COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW.
CANNOT CAN NO LONGER BENEFIT
FROM BAND AID APPROACHES, FOR A
LONG TIME, WE'VE DONE WHAT WE
CAN AS A STATE TO BRING
STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER AND DO OUR
BEST. BUT MANY OF THE SOLUTIONS
PRESENTED TODAY DO OFFER A PATH
FORWARD FOR THOSE SHORT TERM AND
LONG TERM, NEEDS THAT OUR
COMMUNITIES HAVE NARRATIVE
BUILDING AND, NARRATIVE CHANGE
CAN ONLY HAPPEN THROUGH A
MEANINGFUL DATA AND SO I JUST
ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR
COMMITMENT TO HOPE IN ALLOWING
US THE SPACE TO PUT TOGETHER
DATA THAT IS VERY MEANINGFUL, TO
SHAPE THE SOLUTIONS THAT WE NEED
TO BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. HI. GOOD AFTERNOON,
CHAIR CARRILLO, AS WELL AS
ASSEMBLY MEMBER ORTEGA. I JUST
WANT TO TAKE THE TIME AGAIN TO
ECHO EVERYONE'S APPRECIATION FOR
YOUR CONTINUOUS SUPPORT ON THIS
INITIATIVE, ON EMPOWERING
LATINAS NOT ONLY IN THE STATE,
BUT ALSO IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY,
AS WELL AS A FIRST GENERATION
COLLEGE GRADUATE, PROUD DAUGHTER
OF IMMIGRANT, PARENTS, AS WELL
AS PROUD CENTRAL VALLEY
RESIDENT. I AM CONTINUOUSLY
STILL FACING MANY BARRIERS TO
SUCCEED IN MY REGION, AND IT'S
EFFORTS LIKE THIS THAT REALLY
ARE ABLE TO LIFT ONE ANOTHER
WITHIN THE CENTRAL VALLEY. SO I
URGE YOU TO CONTINUE THESE
INITIATIVES TO BRING MORE
SUCCESSION, NOT ONLY TO THE
ESTATE, BUT LATINAS, ESPECIALLY
IN THE CURRENT COUNTY AREA.
THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS
LUPE SANTOYO. I REPRESENT THE
PUENTE HOPE HAYWARD COMMUNITY
K¾T I'M A HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR.
THIS IS MY 18TH YEAR AND I FEEL
REALLY GRATEFUL BEING IN THIS
SPACE WITH MANY, MANY OF US, YOU
KNOW, AS I WORK WITH YOUNG
PEOPLE AND FAMILIES, FINANCIAL
STRESS IS REAL. IT'S REAL ALL
OVER THE PLACE. AND I FEEL THAT
THE MORE FINANCIAL LITERACY AND
FINANCIAL WEALTH WE CAN BUILD
WITH, WITH OUR GENERATIONS, THE
MORE WE CAN REALLY HEAL. WHEN WE
LAY OUR FAMILY MEMBERS TO REST.
AS WE KNOW, FUNERAL EXPENSES ARE
EVEN CRAZY. BUT ULTIMATELY, BE
ABLE TO STILL FINANCIALLY INVEST
IN OUR IN OUR EDUCATION, IN
HEALTH CARE, ETC. SO THANK YOU
AGAIN FOR SHARING SPACE WITH US,
FOR PROVIDING CONTINUING TO
PROVIDE THIS SPACE. AND, I LOOK
FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS WORK
WITH YOU. THANK YOU. WHEN I
START THIS, LADIES, THIS IS
QUITE AN HONOR. I DIDN'T EVEN
KNOW THAT THIS SPACE EXISTED ON
ACTUALLY, THE LATINAS INEQUITIES
, SO I MOVED THE SCHEDULE
AROUND. SORRY, HELEN, BUT THIS
WAS CRITICAL BECAUSE MY NAME IS
DOCTOR VANESSA MONTANEZ. I'M
FIRST GENERATION MEXICAN
AMERICAN, THE HIGHEST IN MY
FAMILY TO RECEIVE A DOCTORATE.
AND MY SPACE IS HOUSING AND HOW
TO BUILD THAT GENERATIONAL
WEALTH THROUGH SUSTAINABLE HOME
OWNERSHIP AND LIVING IN
CALIFORNIA, WE HAVE A CRISIS.
NOT ONLY ARE WE PAID LESS, BUT
WE DON'T HAVE REPRESENTATION AT
ALL LEVELS. SO I WANT TO SAY
THANK YOU, HOPE. THANK YOU.
ASSEMBLYWOMAN WENDY CARRILLO AND
LUIS FOR DOING BEING THAT VOICE.
WE NEED TO BE AT THE TABLE. IT'S
UNACCEPTABLE TO BE PAID $0.40 TO
THE DOLLAR. NOTHING INFURIATES
ME MORE. AND THE HIGHER YOU GO
UP, THE CORPORATE SCALE, BECAUSE
THAT'S WHAT I DO. WE HAVE TO BE
AT THE TABLE AT ALL TIMES. IF
NOT, WE'RE GOING TO BE ON THE
MENU, LADIES. SO WE HAVE TO MAKE
THAT CHANGE. SO THANK YOU SO
MUCH. THANK YOU SO AGAIN, ONCE
AGAIN, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE
THAT PARTICIPATED TODAY, HELEN
TORRES, THE CEO OF HISPANOS
ORGANIZED FOR POLITICAL EQUALITY
DOCTOR ELSA MACIAS, THE LEAD
RESEARCHER AND AUTHOR OF THE
2024 ECONOMIC STATUS OF LATINAS
REPORT, DOCTOR STEPHANIE PAEZ
WITH THE CALIFORNIA CIVIL RIGHTS
DEPARTMENT. SONIA DIAZ, A
CO-FOUNDER OF THE UCLA LATINA
FUTURES 2050 LAB, AND NADIA DE
VEGA VARELA, THE DIRECTOR OF
POLICY FOR THE GENDER EQUITY
POLICY INSTITUTE. AND LASTLY,
DOCTOR RITA GALLARDO, GOOD,
COMMISSIONER FOR THE CALIFORNIA
COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF
WOMEN AND GIRLS. I'D LIKE TO
THANK, OF COURSE, MY STAFF AND
MARIA MARIA MORALES WITH. HOPE
ALSO WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN
HELPING US PUT THIS TOGETHER.
AND CAROL GONZALEZ, WHO LAUNCHED
HER NEW BUSINESS AS A CEO OF
LATINA ADVOCATE WHO MADE PUBLIC
COMMENT TODAY. SO THANK YOU.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE TODAY IS
TWO IMMIGRANT WOMEN, FIRST
GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS
LEADING A CONVERSATION ON THE
FUTURE OF LATINAS FOR THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA. THAT IS WHAT
REPRESENTATION LOOKS LIKE. AND
SO I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUE
AND THE CHAIR OF THE LABOR
COMMITTEE FOR BEING HERE
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE HEARING,
AS WELL AS THE MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE THAT WERE ABLE TO BE
HERE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. AND I
KNOW OTHERS HAVE BEEN GETTING
TEXTS ABOUT OTHERS THAT ARE
WATCHING AND COMING IN AND OUT
OF OTHER COMMITTEES AS WELL. SO
AGAIN, THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS
HEARING IT IS NOW STATE RECORD.
IT IS STATE RECORD THAT THIS
CONVERSATION HAPPENED IN THIS
BUILDING. AND WHAT WE DO FORWARD
AND WHAT WE DO TO IMPROVE THE
LIVES OF LATINA WOMEN, IMPROVES
THE LIVES OF ALL FAMILIES IN THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA. SO AGAIN,
THANK YOU ALL. THIS HEARING IS
ADJOURNED.