Hello, Governor Newsom,

I am writing to advocate for high-quality, anonymous, and detailed demographic data that helps uncover and identify trends and potential barriers for specific ethnic groups that may otherwise go undetected. 

As you may know,  Latinos make up 40% of California’s population. Yet, Latinos are diverse and have a wide range of ethnic, cultural, and logistical backgrounds, and Indigenous Mesoamericans do not identify as Latino. Latino subgroups and Mesoamerican Indigenous Nations have specific needs, such as Indigenous language access, to obtain quality and reliable information and services from our state agencies and programs. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Indigenous communities could not access timely and reliable information to access vaccines in California and suffered higher deaths as a result. 

The state systems and program currently do not collect data on Latino Subgroups and Indigenous Mesoamerican nations. We cannot achieve health equity in California without recognizing Indigenous Mesoamericans. 

By signing this petition, we, the supporters of health equity and health justice, respectfully request your support for SB 1016 (Gonzalez), which will:
Require the California Department of Public Health to collect and release disaggregated data for the additional Latine and Mesoamerican Indigenous nations listed below.

• Latine subgroups: Mexican, Guatemalan, Salvadoran, Honduran, Nicaraguan, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban, Colombian, and Peruvian, followed by a blank space to fill in additional groups.
• Each major Mesoamerican Indigenous nation, including but not limited to Mixteco, Zapoteco, Mayan, Aztec, and Triqui, is followed by a blank space to fill in additional nations.
• And each major Mesoamerican Indigenous language, including, but not limited to Mixteco, Triqui, Zapoteco, K'iche, Mam, and Kanjobal, followed by a blank space to fill in additional languages.

We understand California is navigating a difficult financial situation, but data is critical to making cost-effective decisions. SB 1016 is an investment that will provide legislators and decision-makers with more accurate data to allocate resources more effectively and meet the health needs of all Californians.

Thank you for your attention on this pressing issue. We look forward to your response and being a champion of the Latine and Indigenous Mesoamerican community. 

Sincerely,

[Name of signed petition members]