Today, Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44) introduced a resolution with 14 of her House colleagues that would support the designation of the third week in July as “Latino Conservation Week”. The resolution recognizes the importance of the Latino community’s contributions to the outdoor economy and outdoor recreation.
The resolution raises the issues of unequal access to urban parks and nature that Latino communities often experience and the implications for public health and the environment. For example, Latino children are more likely to die from asthma attacks due to the high levels of air pollution they are exposed to in their communities. The proximity of natural spaces to Latino communities can help mitigate air pollution and extreme heat that exacerbates the pollution. For example, Latinos are 21 percent more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to live in urban heat islands, or areas dominated by asphalt and concrete without access to parks that provide shade for urban cooling.
“Latino Conservation Week helps break down barriers for Latino communities to access public lands and waters, encourages new opportunities for engagement and inspires the next generation of environmental stewards,” said Maite Arce, President and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation. “We are grateful for Representative Barragán’s championship of this special time of year, in which thousands of Latinos participate nationwide, and for supporting equitable access to nature for our communities.”
From July 15 to July 23, communities throughout the country will enjoy and connect with the great outdoors during the 10th Anniversary of Latino Conservation Week (LCW), an initiative of Hispanic Access Foundation. Latino communities, organizations, businesses, families and individuals will participate in a variety of activities, both in-person and virtual, like hikes, kayaking, park clean-ups, online expeditions, roundtable discussions, Q&A sessions, scavenger hunts, film screenings, etc., with more than 280 events being celebrated nationwide.
The members cosponsoring the Latino Conservation Week Resolution are: Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09), Rep. Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Rep. Jim Costa (CA-21), Rep. Michael Levin (CA-49), Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-52), Rep. Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Rep. Grace Napolitano (CA-32), Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), Rep. Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX-16), and Rep. Raul Grijalva (AZ-03).
More than 100 organizations have endorsed the resolution introduced by Rep. Barragán, including Latino Outdoors, Azul, Continental Divide Trail Coalition, Corazon Latino, American Rivers, Sierra Club, EarthJustice, GreenLatinos, and more.
The activities during Latino Conservation Week span several states and a full listing of events is available at www.LatinoConservationWeek.com. Celebrate online by following #LatinoConservationWeek2023 and #LCW2023 on social media.
