Earlier this month, the Department of Commerce Office of Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships, in partnership with Hispanic Access, hosted the National Latino Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C. This summit was a significant step towards empowering the Latino community and building their capacity to advocate for themselves, their families, and their community. Secretary Raimondo, Deputy Secretary Graves, and Senator Padilla led the summit with keynote remarks, followed by remarks from David Armijo, Chief of Programs, Hispanic Access.

These principals emphasized President Biden's commitment to celebrate, empower and uplift the Latino communities nationwide. They provided an overview of the resources and opportunities disseminated from our bureaus and national partnerships and highlighted the range of programs being supported by the Biden-Harris Administration. In addition, they expressed their appreciation for the incredible ways Commerce has and continues to enrich the Latino communities and support businesses that are essential to America's ability to compete and win in the global economy.

Speakers also emphasized the important role the Latino community has in the U.S. economy and urged the business and organization leaders to continue engaging at the state and federal level to streamline access to resources supported by President Biden's Investing in America agenda which is unlocking new pathways to economic growth, entrepreneurship, and job creation.

The Bipartisan Panel included Congresswoman Lori Chavez-Deremer, Congressmen Darren Soto and Adriano Espaillat, and Representative Angela Romero, who shared success stories from the partnerships with the Latino community on various efforts. For instance, they highlighted how they trail-blazed to where they are today by advocating for increased representation and resources for the Latino community. They also discussed critical topics regarding economic equity in unrepresented and under-served communities in their respective locations.

National Latino Advocacy Summit Panel Discussion
 

During our Interagency panel, we heard from representatives from the White House, Department of Education (ED), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Economic Development Administration (EDA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and CHIPS for America who provided a range of resources and funding opportunities that support everything from workforce development & technical assistance to data analysis techniques for climate resilience & business innovation. Each shared how they partner with the Latino community, specifically in these efforts.

Our four breakout sessions provided in-depth examples of the accomplishments of leaders in the Latino community who continue to serve and advance their respective initiatives to improve the quality of life. A critical topic addressed in the discussion was unrepresented and under-served communities related to access to capital and digital equity.

In the sessions, there were various community and business leaders as well as Bureau leaders from the U.S. Census Bureau, EDA, CHIPS for America, International Trade Administration (ITA), Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), NOAA, NTIA, and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) who discussed workforce development, business and entrepreneurship, data, innovation, climate resilience, and financial literacy. The summit also included faith leaders who discussed key issues, from their top challenges and opportunities to ways they can partner more effectively with non-faith groups to achieve common goals.

Portions of the summit are available via recorded live stream.

Learn more about the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.