Centering the lived experiences and needs of low-income communities of color and working families, Latino Health Access joined the People's Redistricting Alliance to pursue maps that are representative. To ensure a community voice in statewide and local redistricting processes, the LHA Community Engagement and Advocacy (CEA) Department (1) informed participants and residents about redistricting, (2) created a space for residents to identify and articulate communities of interest (COI) important to them, (3) mobilized community members to present testimony at public hearings, and (4) worked closely with them to create city redistricting maps that best address the needs of low-income communities of color and working families.
We want to highlight the story of Jorge Casillas, a CEA participant and community member, who provided various public comments in support of the creation of the first majority-Latinx supervisorial district in Orange County (OC). Jorge Casillas has been a resident of Santa Ana for more than 40 years and a participant in the CEA department for more than 3 years. Aware of the need for the Latino community to have a voice at the table of the Board of Supervisors, Casillas focused on highlighting various communities of interest that must be kept together. In his public comment on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, Casillas mentioned that his communities of interest were the “immigrant communities, the Latinx communities, Limited English Proficient (LEP) communities, low-income communities, nail salon worker communities, Pacific Islander communities, [and] uninsured communities” in Orange County. Casillas described his Santa Ana community as being composed of hardworking and responsible people who want the best for their community. In addition, Casillas urged the Board of Supervisors to maintain key and similar Latinx communities like West Anaheim and Santa Ana together, a demand that is reflected in the majority-Latinx District 2. The OC Board of Supervisors approved the new district map on December 7, 2021, which includes the new Latinx-majority district 2 centered on Santa Ana and Anaheim. The county will hold its first primary election using the newly approved districts on June 7, 2022. See the new district map here: https://cob.ocgov.com/sites/cob/files/202112/2nd%20Supervisorial_0.pdf .
All in all, we are proud to recognize the CEA participants and community members who actively engaged in the redistricting process, especially given that this process has historically lacked low community inclusivity despite its strong impact on wellness outcomes. CEA promotorxs continue to partner with residents toward an Orange County that treats everyone equitably and with justice.
If you would like to participate in our CEA efforts, please contact Hilda Ortiz at hortiz@latinohealthaccess.org
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