Aguilar Calls Attention to Economic Opportunities for Latinos

On Wednesday, Oct. 21, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-31) spoke at a press conference with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (NY-12), the ranking Democratic Member of the Joint Economic Committee. The press conference focused on a new report conducted by the committee, entitled “The Economic State of the Latino Community in America,” which highlights the obstacles that Latinos and Latinas face for accessing education and economic opportunity. “The Joint Economic Committee’s report tells us a great deal about the economic struggles the Latino community faces each and every day in the workforce—it’s something we know all too well in San Bernardino. While we have certainly fought our way back with the help of incredible community organizations, local leaders, and our tireless residents, we still have further to go,” said Aguilar. He continued, “There is so much potential in the Latino community, which we can see in this new study. There is opportunity for Latinos if we invest at every stage—from early education, to k-12, to college, to workforce training—we need to put in the effort to continue to get our community where it needs to be. As we move into an increasingly competitive economy, it’s essential that we keep this momentum going and continue to work together to broaden opportunities for Latinos and Latinas in every community across the country.” According to the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, which is cited in the Joint Economic Committee’s report, Hispanics are more than 1.5 times more likely to become an entrepreneur than the rest of the population. It also found that Hispanics have outpaced all other major racial or ethnic groups for entrepreneurs over the past few years. Rep. Aguilar co-chairs the Economic Development and Workforce Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which focuses on economic opportunities for Hispanic men and women throughout the United States. Recent Census data shows that California’s 31st Congressional District is over fifty percent Hispanic or Latino.