When LPPI set out to build the Latino Climate and Health Dashboard, the research team knew one thing: it couldn’t just be about numbers. It had to be about people—about the communities who live every day with the impacts of climate change and environmental injustice, and who are often left out of the conversations that shape solutions.

That’s why we brought together a group of trusted advisors from across the state—organizers, public health advocates, researchers, and longtime environmental justice leaders. They helped us think beyond technical accuracy. They asked hard questions, offered real-world insight, and made sure we didn’t lose sight of the bigger picture: this resource had to work for the people on the frontlines.

The result is a resource that reflects not only the data, but the values behind it—accessibility, accountability, and equity. In the conversation below, a few members of the advisory committee share their thoughts on what this project means to them, why it matters now, and how they hope others will use it.

Q: Why did you choose to be part of this advisory committee, and what drew you to the Latino Climate and Health Dashboard initiative?

Laura August: I have experience developing environmental health indicators at community scale through my work developing the CalEnviroScreen tool. I’m passionate about taking data and making it accessible, understandable, and actionable to California’s most impacted communities. 

Colleen Callahan: Because Silvia [González] asked! Kidding, sort of. California would not be what it is without Latinos and yet data about how Latinos are faring in this state is not always easy to find and use for policymaking purposes. 

Irene Burga Marquez: I joined the advisory committee because our communities have been demanding data that reflects our lived reality for years — data that doesn’t erase us or generalize our experiences. When I heard that UCLA was building a dashboard by and for Latine communities, I saw it as a powerful opportunity to shape something rooted in justice, not just metrics. At GreenLatinos, we work at the intersection of climate, health, and racial equity every day — so being part of this was about making sure the tool is usable, grounded, and ultimately, liberatory for the people who need it most.

Mar Velez: Latines make up 40% of California’s population. Additionally, half of the children in California under five are Latine and we make up almost half of the workforce in the state. The climate change we are seeing in California and its related impacts like extreme weather events, disruptions to ecosystems and agriculture, and rising temperatures will have a negative impact on Latine health. LCHC became a part of the advisory committee because we want to support research that will highlight the impacts that climate change will have on the Latine community – and most importantly, leverage this research to support policies that will ensure equity solutions for climate change impacts.

Q: From your perspective, how can resources like this dashboard help communities advocate for change or hold decision-makers accountable?

August: It is true that there are many dashboards and mapping tools in the climate and environmental justice space, both in California and nationally; however, I see a unique use with the LCHD. Specifically, it is unique in that it focuses on Latino communities and uses clear and straightforward statistics in dashboards and factsheets. The factsheets offer concise takeaways for the selected counties that I can see advocates using to share with decision-makers at both the local and state levels.

Burga: This dashboard gives us evidence to back up what we’ve known in our bones. When we show up to policy meetings, budget hearings, or permit fights, we can now say, “Here’s the data that proves the harm our neighborhoods are experiencing.” That kind of precision is key — it lets us demand targeted investments, fight environmental racism, and stop the cycle of decision-makers saying “we need more data” before they take action. Tools like this shift power into community hands.

Callahan: We’re all impacted by the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the ground we walk on. But some populations are more adversely affected by climate change and pollution than others. It is important to have that data in order to do something about the disparities and injustices that affect the health and quality of life of Californians. 

Velez: Data and research are important tools for passing and supporting policies and legislation in the advocacy process. At LCHC, we believe in empowering communities to see themselves as the experts who know firsthand the issues that impact their health. This dashboard will be a great resource that will support the knowledge and experiences of our community members by providing the quantitative data that is also important to legislators so they can make informed decisions around the issue of climate change. 

Q: What does it mean to center community in developing a resource like this, and why is that essential when we’re talking about data, health, and climate?

August: To me, centering community around developing a resource like this means that the community or audience of the tool is considered or included in all aspects of the development process. In the technical development of the tool, the community was considered in that the project was housed in the UCLA LPPI and that the advisory committee was made up of Latino CBOs representatives or researchers. I also remember hearing that a community event to disseminate the tool and discuss uses would include Latino CBOs and community members. 

Burga: Centering community means that the people most affected aren’t just consulted — they help shape the questions, the design, and the outcomes. That’s especially critical when we’re dealing with data that will be used to inform policies that directly impact our health and survival. If you don’t involve frontline communities from the start, you end up with data that may be technically sound but politically and socially meaningless. Centering community makes the data more accurate, more relevant, and more powerful.

Callahan: Centering community in a resource like this means making it easily accessible and useful for the public, and specifically for advocates representing Latino communities. In this case, advocates will now have data to push for more equitable investments. Communities hardest hit by pollution should be first in line to be prioritized for data-driven investments.

Velez: Centering a community in a resource like this dashboard means that community members have had the opportunity to weigh in and provide feedback for a tool that is supposed to communicate their experience with climate change. Health is something that is so personal and unique to a community. Therefore, when tools like this are created, they have to have community feedback and input that connects their experiences to the numbers. Without this, equity cannot be ensured to solve the issues that are disproportionately impacting communities like Latines. 

Q: We often talk about “data democratization.” What does that mean to you, and how does this project move us closer to it?

August: To me, this means taking complicated or big data sets, breaking them down, and making them accessible and meaningful to your audiences’ or project goals. In my work in CalEnviroScreen, I think about this in how we take many streams of data and bring them together to develop straightforward indicators that we can explain simply and that can be used meaningfully. Data democratization is also important as a government agency (me at CalEPA) or state university (UCLA) in developing authoritative and trustworthy datasets that can be accessed by the community in an accessible way. I appreciated how the UCLA team thoroughly evaluated the data that could be used for the dashboard/factsheet statistics and received input from the advisory committee, which had a range of expertise. 

Burga: To me, data democratization means breaking down the barriers — technical, linguistic, institutional — that have kept our communities out of the data conversation. It means shifting ownership of information from agencies and academia into the hands of the people. This project is a major step forward because it’s transparent, community-informed, and designed to be usable by promotoras, youth organizers, and local coalitions — not just policy wonks. That’s what democratizing data really looks like.

Velez: Data democratization to me means that more people know about and are empowered to use data to make decisions that will benefit their lives. This means that data is not just published, but it is accessible, meaning that everyday people can obtain data and are able to understand it, including both qualitative and quantitative data. This means that organizations and entities publishing data are also taking the extra step to create data tools that have practical, real-world use that matter to everyday people being impacted by issues that are being studied and researched.

Q: From your work in your field, what is one thing you hope users of this dashboard take away or act on?

August: In a time where Latinos in California are being targeted, I hope this continues to shed light on the importance of focusing on the unique vulnerabilities Latinos in California continue to face. The use of straightforward statistics that continue to illustrate the disproportionate impacts that Latino neighborhoods in California face will help advocate for policies to try to reduce these exposures and disparities. 

Burga: I hope users come away with a deeper understanding that climate and health are not separate issues — they’re deeply intertwined. I want people to use this dashboard to connect the dots between air pollution, housing conditions, heat exposure, and chronic illness in their own neighborhoods — and then feel empowered to organize, speak up, and push for change. Because this isn’t just about data — it’s about dignity, health, and our right to thrive.

Callahan: I’m glad that the resources section is included in the dashboard. The data paints a stark picture of disparity affecting Latino communities, so it’s important to balance that out with solutions. The resource list underscores that there are so many great organizations throughout California, with staff and citizen volunteers organizing, building power, and fighting for policies and system reform to change the data outcomes via a more livable and healthier future for everyone. 

Velez: I hope that policy and decision makers are able to see and understand the current impacts of climate change on Latines like extreme heat and the consequences of not taking action sooner rather than later. There are projections in the dashboard that show that this issue will only get worse in terms of health outcomes for Latines if we don’t take action.