Climate change is not a future threat—it impacts communities across the United States right now, including Latino communities. Whether it’s the crushing heat we experienced across the country this summer or the devastation caused by Hurricanes Milton and Helene in large swaths of the South, we are experiencing the effects of climate change right now.
As the Representative for California's 44th Congressional District, I know firsthand the devastating impacts of climate change on our Latino communities. Surrounded by several of Southern California’s busiest freeways, home to the Port of Los Angeles and the refineries and urban oil drilling in Wilmington, and heavy industry in the communities of Carson and South Gate, our district is on the frontlines of toxic air pollution as well as the climate crisis. These communities are exposed daily to harmful emissions and extreme heat exacerbated by climate change, putting them at risk of respiratory illnesses and heat-related health problems.
