Latino and Black families are being regulated to a generational and permanent underclass population status. The history of Texas’ minimalist approach to policymaking has perpetuated limited human capital investments, and unequal opportunities to achieve family bienestar (well-being) – real middle-class equivalency.
Remember Texas’ election law Senate Bill 1, which became active on December 2, 2021? SB1 demonstrated its negative impact on Latino and Black voters through restrictions on voting, voter assistance, and voter outreach. Now, Republican ideologues who passed SB1 are at it again.
The U.S. Civil Rights Commission Hearing held in San Antonio in 1968, and the 1997 publication “The New Texas Challenge: Population Change and the Future of Texas” led by Steve H. Murdock are entangled. Latino bienestar improvements are noted but remain unsatisfactory across the state.
The Latino Texas Policy Center (LTPC) is a developing statewide organization based in San Antonio. The Texas Latino Policy Symposium (TXLPS), which includes this blog, has described the need; and advocated for leadership to establish a Latino ‘Think Tank.’ Its purpose is to increase the policy-making influence of Latinos.