For Immediate Release:
Contact: Robert Nunez, rnunez@lchc.org@lchc.org
LCHC Statement: Bill That Would Disaggregate Data for Indigenous Mesoamericans and Latinx subgroups Vetoed by Governor Newsom on the Eve of Indigenous Peoples Day
Despite unanimous support in both houses, Governor Newsom fails to lead the nation with his veto of SB435 – The Latinx and Indigenous Disparities Reduction Act – advocates vow to reintroduce measure.
[Sacramento, CA] – On the eve of Indigenous Peoples Day 2023, Governor Newsom issued a veto for SB 435, the Latinx and Indigenous Disparities Reduction Act. The rejection of this health equity bill continues to deny the existence of Indigenous Mesoamericans within health data and keeps the diversity of Latinxs suppressed.
“On what should be a day of celebration in not just recognition, but real progress for Indigenous peoples, the Governor has denied Indigenous Mesoamericans and Latinxs an opportunity to collect life-saving data that can achieve health equity for our communities. California missed its opportunity to lead. Instead of signing SB 435, the Governor’s veto message punts this responsibility to our federal government, who does not have the same unique window into our state’s needs.” states Dr. Seciah Aquino, LCHC Executive Director.
California continues to face public health challenges that disproportionately impact communities of color, including Latinxs and Indigenous people. As we face increases in COVID-19 cases, we see the state once again scrambling to target hard-to-reach communities. Bills like SB 435 would help prepare California by taking the first step to understand the needs of our communities, what languages we speak, and how to more equitably allocate resources – but today we have lost this opportunity with the Governor’s veto. Indigenous People’s Day is meant to reflect on the mistakes we have made as a nation since our inception. Our policies should ensure justice and protections for communities that have been invisibilized and directly disenfranchised by our systems. SB 435 would have been a clear and definitive step towards these goals. As a result of this decision, Indigenous Mesoamerican communities will continue to be overlooked in our state’s data and policymaking.
As co-sponsors of SB 435 we rebuke Governor Newsom’s veto on the morning of Indigenous People’s Day. It behooves California and its agencies and departments to seek this level of disaggregated data to not just do their jobs, but to achieve health equity in California. While we are deeply disappointed in this decision by the Governor, we are thankful to have had the full support of the legislature this year, and will continue to call on their support for data disaggregation for Mesoamerican Indigenous and Latinx communities in the future. We will not stop at this veto, but instead organize to ensure ALL of California’s communities are recognized, respected and protected by our policies.
” We are deeply disappointed in Governor Newsom’s veto of SB 435 on Indigenous People’s Day of all days. This veto represents the continued invisibility of indigenous Mesoamericans that are present in the state of California. This is not the end. We will continue our tradition of 500 years of resistance. We will continue to speak our languages and practice our cultures, and we will continue to advocate so that California sees and recognizes our indigenous community.” Arcenio J. Lopez, Executive Director, Mixteco Indigena Organizing Project
“Disaggregating data is crucial to prevent language violence and erasure from impacting indigenous migrant communities. When data fails to recognize our existence, it makes us invisible and creates language barriers that hinder our access to essential healthcare services and programs. This is a significant setback in our efforts to promote language and interpretation as a basic human right, rather than a mere service.” – Aurora Pedro, Indigenous interpreters program coordinator, Comunidades Indígenas en Liderazgo
Co-sponsoring organizations for SB 435 include:
- Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC)
- Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño (CBDIO)
- Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project/Proyecto Mixteco Indigena (MICOP)
- Comunidades Indígenas en Liderazgo (CIELO)
For questions or comments, please contact LCHC’s Sr. Communications Manager, Robert Nuñez, at rnunez@lchc.org or at (805)815-7730.
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About LCHC:
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC)— is the leading statewide policy organization with a specific emphasis on Latinx health. For over 30 years, LCHC has worked on transforming systems to achieve Latinx health justice. We pride ourselves in translating community solutions into equitable policy and lasting change.
