This comprehensive document explores how Latinos in the United States are facing challenges to their health, safety, food security, livelihoods, and cultural legacy as a result of the severity of climate change's consequences and features case studies of both climate threats and solutions for heritage preservation, along with a set of policy recommendations to better preserve all aspects of Latino heritage from the threats it faces moving forward in an extreme climate event-stricken future.

“The Latino community accounts for 46 percent of construction laborers and 47% of agricultural field workers in the U.S., and extreme summer heat poses threats to the continuity of these forms of livelihoods,” said Natalie De La Torre, Latino Climate Council network member and report co-author. “This report aims to elevate these issues by discussing the connections between Latino communities, history, well-being, and climate change. It answers the question of what Latino heritage is, why it matters, and how it is affected by climate change and the legacies of colonialism.”

Latinos are on track to become 30 percent of the U.S. population by 2050, and over half of them reside in states with the highest levels of climate change threats, such as air pollution, extreme heat, and flooding. And 71 percent of Latino adults said climate change already impacts their local community, at least some.

“This report is unique because it considers heritage, both tangible things and intangible traditions, to explore better ways to protect our rich, shared legacies against climate change,” said Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation. “The protection recommendations provided are based on a foundation of historical recognition, conscious progress toward eliminating stereotypes, and a willingness to use a multilateral conservation approach centered on local communities.”

The full “Cultural Erosion: The Climate Threat to Latino Heritage” report is available for download at https://bit.ly/CulturalErosionReport23.