Accomplishments
2021-2022
The Latino policy Forum is the only organization in the Chicago area that facilitates the involvement of Latinos at all levels of public decision-making. Its goals are to improve education outcomes, advocate for affordable housing, promote just immigration policies, and strengthen leadership within the community. The Forum conducts analysis to inform, influence and lead, with an understanding that advancing Latinos advances a shared future. The Forum’s 2021-2022 accomplishments include:
Education
- Students receiving bilingual preschool have better grades, higher test scores, and stronger attendance than those not attending preschool, according to the groundbreaking study (2021) by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. The Forum convened an advisory committee for this critical research-policy partnership to promote equitable educational opportunities for English Learners.
- Enabled parents to understand their children’s educational rights to obtain bilingual education by creating and disseminating parent videos and fact sheets in Spanish and English, which have already garnered close to 700 views.
- Led to secure $4 million in COVID stimulus funding from the Illinois State Board of Education to address the shortage and increase the number of bilingual teachers.
- Partnered to secure a $2.3 million increase in the Minority Teacher Illinois scholarship program to address the shortage of black male teachers and bilingual teachers.
Housing
- Addressed the housing crisis and reduced pandemic-related evictions by partnering to secure a state investment of $490 million in ARPA funds to provide Emergency Rental Assistance and Emergency Mortgage Assistance to more than 7,000 Latino households, and nearly 65,000 total households. Ensured resources were available to all regardless of citizenship.
- Secured state-wide protections against a source of income discrimination, allowing thousands of people across Illinois to use non-wage income to pay for housing, partnering with others to pass HB2775.
Illinois Latino Agenda
- Over 500,000 low-income immigrant (ITIN) households in Illinois are now eligible to receive tax credits through the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), including a 2-percent increase of the federal EIC match. Partnered to secure passage by the Illinois General Assembly.
- Strengthened Latino unity and voice by convening the Illinois Latino Agenda 2.0, a group of Latino leaders that works to advance the Latino community’s economic, political, and social prosperity. The ILA launched a non-partisan voter-turnout campaign to encourage every eligible Latino voter VOTE in the 2022 elections.
Illinois Unidos/Addressing the COVID Crisis
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Educated thousands of Latino community members and provided consistent information on impact of COVID crisis by producing 3 TV programs televised on Telemundo; producing dozens of infographics in English and Spanish on topics such as why should I get a COVID booster shot?; and developing a health promotion network of 20 community organizations.
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Directly addressed COVID crisis by vaccinating over a thousand people.
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Produced “What is the ‘Lost Years’ Gap? Years of Potential Life Lost for Latinos and Black Communities”, a webinar detailing how COVID has impacted Years of Potential Life Lost for Black and Latino communities and thus the need for additional investments in these communities in collaboration with the Chicago Urban League and Illinois Unidos. The webinar has over 350 views on YouTube.
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Continue to elevate equity and how Latino have been impacted by COVID and its cascading social and economic consequences by publishing 23 blogs.
- Elevated the dialogue around COVID’s detrimental impact on the Latino community through two peer-reviewed papers published in academic journals.
- Illinois Unidos: A Community Demands Equity, Justice, and Inclusion, American Journal of Public Health, October 2021. Read here.
- Devastating effects of COVID-19 among Latinos have not been adequate emphasized by media, public health, research, or government, American Journal of Ethics April 2022. Read here.
Immigration
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Educated more than two thousand immigrants on their housing rights by informing them of tenant protections, housing laws, policies, and other resources by writing and distributing thousands of copies of Housing Rights for Immigrant Tenants Handbook, an accessible, introductory guide in English and Spanish.
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Partnered to secure cash assistance of $80 million for low-income immigrant families, who were previously ineligible for federal and other types of relief due to immigration status, assisting an estimated 23,000 households.
Multicultural Leadership Academy/Promoting Black Brown Unity
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Partnered in groundbreaking conversation on anti-blackness in the Latino community, reaching over 8 thousand households across the United States and Mexico, in collaboration with Univision Chicago on Facebook Live event in Spanish.
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Promoted Black and Brown unity through racial healing circles and art therapy and received mental health support resources by organizing more than 21 community-based events attended by over 300 residents. Events also highlighted local artists and supported small business owners.
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Elevated dialogue of role of the media in creating narratives around Black people, the race question in the U.S. Census, and recognizing privilege in communities of color through podcast created by MLA alumni, The Safe Space Podcast. Podcast episodes are available on Spotify and iHeart Radio.
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Strengthened relationships and collaboration between Black and Latino communities by co-hosting “Reimaging Unity in Black and Brown Communities in Chicago, a two-part conversation with Chicago Urban League. These conversations have over 300 views on YouTube.