LiPP steering committee: (back row, left to right): Diego Villegas, Abraham Bedoy; (front row, left to right): Beda Castillo, Belinda Magallon, Julia Rosales.

Latinx in Public Policy (LiPP) is a community of Goldman School of Public Policy students gathered to foster creative dialogue regarding policy issues impacting Latinx students and communities, including DEI, labor, immigration, poverty and social inequality, international relations, environmental justice, education, and health.  
 
For the 2022-2023 academic year, LiPP plans to strengthen a sense of community through cultural and professional events, including conducting a community-student engagement event to celebrate Latinx heritage. Gathering UC Berkeley professors, students, staff, and members of the broader Berkeley community, LiPP hopes to foster connection over the joy of being Latinx while also discussing issues, solutions, and broader visions. 
 
LiPP events will include community volunteering and organizing opportunities, speaker forums highlighting community leaders and Latinx movements within the U.S. and abroad. They'll also host a series of documentary showings to shed light on ongoing Latinx struggles in Latin America, the U.S., and their intersectionality with Black and Indigenous movements. In particular, LiPP will continue last year’s celebration of the Day of the Dead by creating a collaborative Ofrenda at the Goldman School. 

On and off campus, LiPP leaders emphasize how important it is to have Latinx policymakers at the table. Latinx policymakers often uniquely have lived experiences or closely understand the issues affecting Latinx individuals in a way that would inform culturally appropriate policy solutions. Latinx policymakers may have foresight on why policies may not have the intended effects or what aspects of the implementation plan will be necessary to ensure success for Latinx individuals. They also often have the cultural competency to directly work with Latinx communities, many of which are predominantly Spanish speaking, to build trust and conduct community-based research.

Additionally, “diversity” and “inclusion” have become buzzwords that too often tokenize communities of color because no substantive thought is given to ensuring diverse voices are heard and supported. By having more Latinx policymakers at the table, LiPP hopes there is intentionality in truly uplifting the needs of Latinx individuals and communities.

For more information, contact Diego Villegas and Belinda Magallon.