February 6, 2025

February 2025 Directors’ Letter

The last month has given us the clearest picture ever of the overlapping crises we are facing as a society. Our representative democracy is under attack, catastrophic fires in the west and blistering snow storms in the east have ravaged communities, and harmful narratives and actions of exclusion—from bans on government diversity programs to immigration raids—continue to divide us. Amidst all this, we’ve seen firsthand the power of community, from the outsized role of mutual aid to support victims of disaster to the dissemination of truthful, in-language information by trusted messengers to keep families together.

Over the next four years we have significant work to do to hold the line against a concerted effort to dismantle decades of progress for communities of color, women and other marginalized communities with the stroke of a pen. For too long, we’ve ignored critical voices advising us how to not only protect the progress we have made but advance inclusion to unleash the full ambition of all Americans. At the forefront of that chorus are women and girls, whose voices must be amplified – not as an afterthought, but as a necessity for ensuring a thriving, just, and inclusive future for all.

At the Latina Futures 2050 Lab, we are committed to centering Latina leadership in every sector—from grassroots advocacy to government to academia. Through our Unsilencing Bootcamp, we are equipping leaders with the opinion and commentary bonafides to voice their perspectives on the Trump administration’s first 100 days.  Under the direction of senior journalism fellow Jean Guerrero, the bootcamp challenges entrenched ideas of whose voices should be heard and whose expertise is valued. We are pushing for a future where the myriad perspectives that encompass Latina life in the U.S. shape the policies and decisions that impact us all, from gender equity to environmental justice to housing policy.

Paralleling our investments in narrative change, are purposeful investments in increasing the power and influence of GenZ and Alpha Latinas. In partnership with Future Leaders of America (FLA), we are equipping the next generations with culturally rooted skills, confidence, and knowledge to lead regional transformation.  By fostering civic engagement and amplifying youth voices at important decision-making tables, we are strengthening a leadership ecosystem so that young people can wield influence over decisions that impact their families and futures.  Similarly, the HSI Research Colectiva is elevating the opportunity to transform higher educational institutions to better meet the educational needs of Americans today and well into the future. With the diversity and youthfulness of students born in the 21st century, higher education needs to shift to meet the needs of a digital-first student body whose adolescence has been marked by COVID-19, global warfare, worsening economic inequality, and compounding environmental disasters.  Finally, in the face of an assault over fundamental rights like voting, birthright citizenship, and privacy, our collaboration with a leading civil rights organization, LatinoJustice PRLDEF seeks to defend the U.S. constitution through advocacy and litigation, so that new generations of Americans have more, not less, rights than their predecessors. The future is being written, and we’re laser focused on ensuring that young women and girls are primary contributors to decisions over their bodies, lives, and livelihoods. 

We know that no issue exists in isolation. Climate change is a health crisis. Economic inequality is a democracy crisis. And the erasure of Latina voices is a governance crisis. To meet this moment, we must resist the temptation to address each challenge in silos. Further, we must create, not just react. We must invest in our greatest strength – people – to resource them to meet their full ambition. That’s why our work must be both grassroots and grasstops – prioritizing communities most impacted and informed by rigorous research. We are working across disciplines and sectors to foster information-sharing between scholars, advocates, and policymakers, ensuring that the proven potential and capacity of Latinas is harnessed to its full potential. Girls and women are societal architects and Latinas are central to democratizing prosperity for everyone.

En Cominudad,