Solving Issues Affecting
the Latino Community
Energy Prices Financial Services Health Care Immigration Reform Senior Issues
The Latino community is the fastest growing ethnic group in the country. In California, more than 14 million Latinos reside in the Golden State, making it roughly 38 percent of the total population. And that number will only continue to grow. As consumers, Latinos represent a significant opportunity for businesses large and small.
Yet despite their growth and sheer spending power, Latino consumers have long been underrepresented in the halls of power at local and state levels. Not anymore. The Latino Consumer Federation is dedicated to protecting consumer rights, advocating on behalf of Latino consumers, educating Latino consumers, and acting as a constructive voice between the business community, elected officials, and Latino consumers.
The Issues
Energy Prices
Workers from households whose income is below the federal poverty level pay a larger proportion of their income for gas.
Financial Services
The recent economic downturn has left more Latino families in substandard and overcrowded rental housing compared to just five years ago.
Health Care
Nearly every health disparity experienced could be prevented or more effectively managed given timely access to Health Care.
Immigration Reform
The United States is in dire need of fundamental immigration reform that is realistic, flexible, & addresses the human & family toll.
Senior Issues
Economic insecurity is especially difficult for older adults who are often not physically able to improve their economic situation.
Help Us Work to Bring
Energy Costs Down
While the increase in gas prices has increased costs for all commuters, workers from households whose income is below the federal poverty level pay a larger proportion of their income for gas.
According to an Urban Institute Study, low-income commuters on average have slightly shorter commutes than those with incomes above the poverty level. However, because their incomes are much lower, poorer commuters spend a much higher portion of their wages on gas. As gas prices inch toward $5 per gallon, double, and in some cases triple, poorer families may see as much as 10 percent of their incomes devoted to buying gasoline.
Creating Better Futures for
All Latino Consumers
While the increase in gas prices has increased costs for all commuters, workers from households whose income is below the federal poverty level pay a larger proportion of their income for gas.
According to an Urban Institute Study, low-income commuters on average have slightly shorter commutes than those with incomes above the poverty level. However, because their incomes are much lower, poorer commuters spend a much higher portion of their wages on gas. As gas prices inch toward $5 per gallon, double, and in some cases triple, poorer families may see as much as 10 percent of their incomes devoted to buying gasoline.
Ensuring Access to
Affordable Health Care
While Latinos are affected by a wide range of risk factors and diseases, nearly every health disparity experienced could be prevented or more effectively managed given timely access to health care.
While a number of barriers including a widespread lack of health insurance and an inadequate supply of linguistically appropriate services preventing Latinos from gaining access to quality care have improved since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, much work remains to be done.
The LCF is dedicated to improving the health of Latinos by working with health care providers and consumers to make available high-qualit, culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate health care and prevention services to everyone regardless of ability to pay or immigration status.
Working Toward Realistic,
Flexible Immigration Reform
The United States is in dire need of fundamental immigration reform that is realistic, flexible, and addresses the human and family toll. Today, Immigration Reform remains a stubbornly difficult issue.
The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2010 provided such a framework but did not gain the necessary support.
Why is this a consumer issue? Simply put, immigration reform that works is an economic issue that will result in increased opportunities for local businesses. Latinos accounted for more than a third of all food process workers and construction workers, more than a quarter of all medical assistants and restaurant workers, and nearly half of the apparel manufacturing workforce.
Taking Care of Our
Senior Latino Consumers
According to recent studies, the poverty rate among Latino seniors is nearly 18%. Economic insecurity is especially difficult for older adults who are often not physically able to improve their economic situation by re-entering the workforce.
Moreover, most of the elders experiencing economic insecurity spent their youth and adulthood in the workforce, but were not able to save enough money to support their basic needs in older age.
The recent economic downturn has made conditions even more dire, wiping out wealth accumulated in Latino households during boom years, including property value, and making even low-wage and low-benefits jobs scarce.
According to the Pew Hispanic Center, Hispanic household wealth fell 66% between 2005 and 2009.
Latino families also endure disproportionately high levels of unemployment — 8.6% compared to the national rate of 5.7%, for their white counterparts, according to Center for American Progress. These current conditions among working-age Latino head of households point to even higher levels of economic insecurity among older adults in the future.
Moreover, the economic downturn combined with high national debt has resulted in a political push to put federal programs on the chopping block that were once considered immune to cuts, among them Social Security. Older Latino adults are more likely to be wholly dependent on Social Security than any other racial or ethnic group. Without Social Security, a full 50% of Latino older adults would be living in poverty.
