By Suzanne Porter
May 11, 2026
Latino leaders are asking candidates running for governor in the Golden State to commit to the policies contained in their new “Health, Wealth and Dignity Agenda for California.”
The nonprofit Hispanic Federation called for what it described as bold changes to the way the state treats Latinos, who make up 40% of the population.
Sonja Diaz, founder of the nonprofit Unseen, contributed to the policy agenda.
“We sought to design a vision of really responding to what people on the ground need,” Diaz explained. “People want housing, they want a good job, they want dignity and they want healthcare.”
The agenda suggested a series of policies designed to counteract Trump administration moves to defund social services, influence the democratic process and crack down on undocumented workers.
German Cash, California state director for the federation, said the next governor needs to help immigrant communities traumatized by the Trump administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.
“Latino communities have been demonized and dehumanized very intentionally through deportation campaigns,” Cash stressed. “We really hope that California will lead the way.”
Advocates also support measures to increase access to the ballot box, in contrast to Republican efforts to limit mail-in voting and make it harder to register to vote. The policy framework addresses wealth inequality, proposing the state invest in an “opportunity fund” for every child born in the state so when they turn 18, they could use the money to pay for college, buy a home or start a business.
Cash added the federation supports a new Golden State residency program, which would even the playing field for undocumented Californians.
“If you live here, work here and you contribute to the state, California should have your back,” Cash argued. “You should be able to access all state services and be a part of society, regardless of immigration status.”
The agenda called high-quality healthcare a human right and called for big investments in community health centers.
