This was written by EcoMadres Field Project Manager Liz Hurtado and EcoMadres Program Manager Carolina Peña:
For the last four years, Moms Clean Air Force has worked to uplift the voices of our Latina members through our EcoMadres program. Today, in honor of the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, we want to share with you more about this important work.
EcoMadres educates and empowers Latino communities to fight for clean air, climate change solutions, and protections from toxic chemicals. Through our vibrant network of state-based field coordinators and members across the country, we communicate with lawmakers about air pollution, climate change, and the needs of Latino communities.
These are some highlights of our recent work:
- EcoMadres has been featured in dozens of news outlets. In May, our DC area EcoMadres filmed a segment for Telemundo DC about our work in Latino communities.
- This spring, EcoMadres participated in the National Summit of Hispanic State Legislators. We were also invited to speak at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Health Summit to discuss the intersection of health and climate change, and how creating a better environment will improve health in Latino communities.
- In July, EcoMadres proudly supported a resolution, sponsored by Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44) and others, to designate the third week in July as “Latino Conservation Week.” The week will recognize the importance of the Latino community’s contributions to the outdoor economy and outdoor recreation.
- This summer, Moms Clean Air Force and EcoMadres launched a virtual panel discussion on “Protecting Latino Families from Extreme Heat / Protegiendo A Las Familias Del Calor Extremo,” in English with Spanish subtitles. The conversation explored the disproportionate burden from climate impacts Latinos face because of where they live, learn, and work, and the type of work they do.
- Iowa State Coordinator Karin Stein is a talented singer-songwriter who uses music in her activism. Next weekend, she’ll launch the EcoMadres Ensemble, a group of Latino artists who use a mix of original songs and cover songs to call attention to environmental injustice, but also offer hope and call out to Latinos and Latinas to take action. As a preview, check out Karin’s latest climate-centered music video, released in celebration of this year’s Latino Conservation Week.
- Colorado State Coordinator Shaina Oliver is advocating for stronger limits on pollution from the Suncor oil refinery, which sits in a largely Latino neighborhood. In July, Colorado EcoMadres joined our partners at Cultivando to host the second annual Commerce City EcoFiesta to celebrate wins in the local fight for environmental justice and to look ahead to work that still needs to be done.
- New Mexico State Coordinator Ana Rios delivered strong testimony at EPA’s virtual public hearing about its proposal to clean up tailpipe pollution from heavy-duty trucks and buses in April. Her remarks centered on the pollution her family experiences in their Albuquerque neighborhood, which lies near a major highway and a heavy-duty trucking facility.
- In Texas, State Coordinator Erandi Treviño is working with a coalition in Houston to elevate the Latino communities’ concerns and recommendations for reform of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Her work to fight air pollution was recently featured in an interview with Univision Houston (the largest Spanish-language media network in the US).
- In Florida, State Coordinator Yaritza Perez is working with partners, like Chispa and the Environmental Defense Fund, to organize a grassroots campaign for electric school buses in local communities.
In the coming weeks, our organizers across the country will be hosting and participating in Hispanic Heritage Month events to spread the word about local efforts to cut air and climate pollution and to share ways our communities can get involved in these efforts.
Find out more about the work EcoMadres is doing across the country and in your community — during Hispanic Heritage Month and throughout the year.