A Brighter Future

New hope

A new president in the White House means new priorities and a new vision for moving the country forward. No matter who’s in office, our mission remains the same: create opportunities for Latinos.

No matter who’s in office, our mission remains the same: create opportunities for Latinos. During President Biden’s first year, we fought to ensure that Hispanic needs were at the center of any new initiative.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) aimed to provide critical relief during a time when so many Americans were struggling. We advocated for the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to be expanded to provide potentially life-saving money to families, and made sure Latinos were aware of this new form of relief. In the end, the CTC was increased by a thousand dollars and lifted 1.4 million Latino kids out of poverty. Also, the Earned Income Tax Credit was tripled, and even more families were able to access it.

  • Large group of protesters holding signs at an DACA rally in Washington, D.C.
  • Three tween girls take a selfie in a classroom.
    Photo courtesy of Center for Latino Progress.
  • Smiling woman wears a hair net and does food prep.
  • Mother and child in front of a UnidosUS sign that has two superhero characters.

ARPA and Build Back Better bring much-needed relief to Americans, and we fought to make sure it included all Americans. DREAMers are now able to access COVID-19 relief, and mixed-status families are also eligible. We’re expecting changes to the U.S. immigration system soon, and to ensure our Affiliates are ready to assist with any changes to the system, we began working with 50 Affiliates that provide immigration legal services.

At the beginning of 2021 we launched Proyecto 20%, an initiative to see that at least 20% of the roughly 4,000 new positions to be filled by the new administration are held by Hispanics. Over the course of the year, our advocacy resulted in more Hispanic people appointed to the Biden administration than any other administration to date. So far, 15% of the 1,701 appointees identify as Latino or Latina, bringing Hispanic perspectives and priorities into some of the highest levels of our government, including four Cabinet positions.

15% of the 1,701 appointees in the Biden administration identify as Latino or Latina, bringing Hispanic perspectives and priorities into some of the highest levels of our government, including four Cabinet positions.

At the end of the year, we published our report Biden’s First Year: Latinos See Progress, But Permanent Investments Are Needed. It features the Latino Inclusion Tracker, assessing what the Biden administration has done to help Latinos, and how we can work together to bring Hispanic priorities into the White House.