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One of the early stories that emerged from the nation’s first COVID-19 hotspot was on the disproportionate infection and fatality toll that low-income residents and communities of color faced given their role as essential, frontline workers.

Press Release & Media Advisory → Demography & Population Studies

UCLA Study Finds National Latina Wage Gap Has Narrowed Just Seven Cents Since 1990

Despite substantial gains in educational attainment and a growing presence in the U.S. workforce, Latinas continue to face one of the largest wage gaps among women in the United States and California, according to two new UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI) data briefs examining national and California wage trends from 1900 to 2025.

Washington State’s Latino Eligible-Voter Population Grew 224% Since 2000

The findings also show that Latino eligible voters have the highest labor-force participation rate among the state’s major racial and ethnic groups, at 74%, and play an important role across many sectors of Washington’s economy, from education and health services to construction, agriculture, retail, and hospitality.

New Federal and State Policies Could Lead Up to 1M Latino Medi-Cal Enrollees to Disenroll in California

The researchers examined how changes under H.R. 1, the Department of Homeland Security’s new public charge rule, and California’s restrictions on Medi-Cal enrollment could affect enrollment in public programs for Latino families across the state. Together, these policies create three overlapping pathways to benefit loss: direct exclusion under new rules, procedural loss due to reporting or renewal requirements, or withdrawal from programs due to fear of potential immigration consequences.

Latino Republican Growth in South Texas Does Not Necessarily Reflect Weaker Ties to Latino Identity

The research analyzes data from the American National Election Study from 2012 to 2024, with 85 in-depth interviews conducted between 2020 and 2025 in the southern Texas counties of Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Willacy, and Zapata.

Texas’ Latino Electorate Has More Than Doubled Since 2000

Texas’ Latino eligible voter population has more than doubled over the past two decades, growing from 3 million in 2000 to 6.3 million in 2024. During that period, the Latino share of the state’s electorate increased by more than 9 percentage points, from 22.3% to 31.7%.

Examining North Carolina’s Growing Latino Electorate

The analysis, which draws primarily on 2024 data available through the LPPI’s Latino Data Hub, finds that Latino eligible voters are a young and growing segment of the state’s electorate.

Poll Reveals Political Divide Between California Latina and Latino Voters

The results show that voters from the same generation do not necessarily share the same political outlook. Latinas under 30 consistently express the highest levels of concern across the issues examined, while Latino men of the same age assign them less importance.

Severe Gaps in Protections for Altadena Wildfire Recovery Workers

The findings are based on 11 in-depth interviews conducted nine months after the Eaton Fire with outdoor workers who were employed or seeking employment during cleanup and recovery. Eighty-two percent of participants had worked directly in fire-affected areas, while 64 percent reported witnessing or experiencing immigration enforcement during the wildfire recovery period. The study is based on a limited qualitative sample intended to document workers’ experiences rather than represent all workers involved in recovery.

Altadena’s Recovery Extends Far Beyond Rebuilding More Than 18 Months After the Eaton Fire

The analysis combines campaign-level data with narratives describing the circumstances households faced while displaced, including efforts to secure stable housing, replace necessities, manage mental health concerns, and sustain caregiving arrangements.

Immigration Enforcement Surge Triggered Immediate and Lasting Economic Disruption Across Los Angeles County’s Latino Business Corridors

Analysis shows 46,000 fewer business visits and an estimated $3.16 million in accumulated losses near nine enforcement sites within two weeks. Latino entrepreneurs reported continuing financial, psychological, and physical consequences nearly one year later.

Latino Data Hub Expands Analytical Capabilities with 2026 Annual Update

The updates reflect LPPI’s ongoing commitment to providing timely, accessible, and reliable data that informs research, policy, and community action.

Introducing the 2026 Field Fellowship Cohort

This summer leadership program offers students from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs the opportunity to gain hands-on public policy experience through placements at government offices and community-based organizations across Los Angeles and Southern California.

New Federal Loan Caps Could Further Narrow the Path for Latino Medical Students

New analysis shows Latino medical students relied more heavily on federal loans, received less grant aid, and were more likely to turn to credit cards to finance education.

Lineage Logistics Fire Smoke Advisory Area Faced High Pollution, Health, Housing, and Economic Burdens Before the Fire

The analysis—second in a series examining the impacts of the Lineage Logistics fire—examines the demographic, socioeconomic, housing, health, and environmental conditions in the smoke advisory area, which includes much of Boyle Heights and portions of East Los Angeles

Boyle Heights Fire Smoke Advisory Zone Is Home to More Than 31,000 Workers, Most of Them Latino

LPPI researchers examined the communities living and working within the smoke advisory zone, which includes much of Boyle Heights and portions of East Los Angeles. Their analysis shows that the fire is not only a public safety and air quality emergency, but also a worker exposure, workplace disruption, and environmental justice issue.

Medi-Cal Expansion Enrollment Fell by Nearly 71,000 Amid Heightened Immigration Enforcement Activity

Findings suggest ICE raids may have influenced decisions to enroll in or maintain Medi-Cal.

New Federal Loan Caps Could Further Narrow the Path to Law School for Latino Students

New analysis shows Latino law students relied more heavily on federal loans, received less grant aid, and were more likely to turn to credit cards to finance legal education.

Latinos already spend more on gasoline, face higher housing burdens, and have fewer options to avoid rising fuel costs

Gas prices may have started to ease, but the pressure on household budgets is far from over.

Latino Workers Central to Wildfire Recovery in Los Angeles County Face Lower Wages and Weaker Economic Safety Nets

The analysis examines the workforce connected to the January 2025 Eaton and Palisades wildfires. It shows that recovery depends heavily on Latino workers who are already economically vulnerable for debris removal, construction, utility repair, landscaping, and other rebuilding needs.

Discriminatory Policy, Not Individual Circumstance, Created Today’s Latino Wealth Gap

The landmark analysis examines how deliberate decisions across five policy systems — immigration, housing, labor, public benefits, and education — shaped wealth inequality for Latino households across 175 years of U.S. history.

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