For Immediate Release:
Contact: Robert Nunez, rnunez@lchc.org@lchc.org
The Latino Coalition for a Health California (LCHC) Statement on Updated Federal Race and Ethnicity Standards
Yesterday, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released updated federal race and ethnicity standards. We are thrilled to see that these new standards are a step in the right direction for data equity on a federal level and support our urgency for SB 1016 in California. The latest OMB standards expand the minimum required categories to include ‘Hispanics and Latinos’ and leave room for Latines and American Native populations to write in their specific ethnicities, races, and places of origin. This includes Mesoamerican Indigenous populations who would fall under the later category. These standards support the need for the collection and reporting of disaggregated data under the minimum categories.
While there is a lot to celebrate, SB 1016 would go a step beyond by requiring disaggregation by Latine subgroups and additional Mesoamerican nations – in addition to the collection of Indigenous language data. In California, we NEED disaggregated data for Latine and indigenous communities to ensure equitable public health investments, and that solution is SB 1016.
For questions or comments, please contact LCHC’s Director of Policy, Mar Velez, at mvelez@lchc.org
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About LCHC:
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC)—the only statewide policy organization with a specific emphasis on Latinx health—was founded by health care providers, consumers and advocates in 1992 to impact Latino health by focusing on policy development, providing enhanced information, and community involvement.
