Latino Policy & Politics Initiative

Informing Policy, Improving Lives

California leads the nation on many fronts, from sustainability initiatives to technological breakthroughs. With its plurality of Latino residents, it also sets the default standard for political developments that support the well-being of 56 million people — the largest minority group in the U.S.

Yet, although Latinos represent over 38% of California’s population and significantly contribute to its economic, cultural, and community life, the state conducts no demographic research on the group. A thriving society needs informed policymaking, but without centralized data, political leaders must gather their own — potentially missing key issues and broader trends that affect Latinos and the state as a whole.

Enter UCLA, a premier research institution in the second-largest Spanish-speaking city in the world. Long a hub for Latinx studies across disciplines, the university is now home to the Latino Policy & Politics Initiative (LPPI), California’s first major, multi-issue policy initiative to focus on the population in nearly a decade. The nonpartisan think tank will convene experts from a variety of fields to inform and improve the economic, political, and social landscape for Latinos.

Take the academic achievement gap, for example: Latino fourth graders read at grade level and demonstrate math proficiency — indicators for success in school and beyond — at much lower rates than white peers. Closing this gap demands a comprehensive approach that LPPI is ready to deploy. Working together, UCLA professors of education can give insight on culturally-competent curriculum development; law and medicine faculty can explore the effects of immigration policy changes on children’s well-being; and urban planning researchers can advance anti-poverty measures and affordable housing for families to ensure youth have everything they need to learn.

Your gift will drive these collaborative efforts, establishing LPPI as the go-to source of information about the Latino population. By enabling staff and faculty to conduct research projects, meet with government and community partners, and mentor graduate students, your generosity will translate academics into action — as UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs Dean and LPPI Faculty Co-director Gary Segura promises: “We will be doing something in the world to improve the lives of the people we study, which, really, is why we do it.”