As part of Cal Wellness’ investments to address racial health inequities, we are proud to be longtime partners of Hope and Heal Fund, a donor collaborative taking a public health and race equity approach to reducing firearm violence and suicides. Hope and Heal Fund applies proven solutions and elevates promising strategies toward their vision of safe homes and communities. Its holistic and innovative approach is setting the stage to significantly lower firearm suicides and homicides statewide over the next five years. As part of its commitment to addressing firearm deaths, injuries, and trauma in California’s Latino community, Hope and Heal Fund hosted the inaugural National Latino Leadership Convening on Gun Violence in February. This is the first in a series of guest blogs profiling important work happening in communities across California.
I have devoted 20+ years to work that ensures everyone—no matter their background—has a fair chance at life. As my colleague and Hope and Heal Fund Executive Director Brian Malte previously shared, reducing firearm injuries, deaths, and trauma is vital for communities to thrive.
Latinos on the Frontlines
Latinos are the fastest-growing demographic group in the U.S., and they are among those most at risk from firearm injuries, deaths, and trauma. According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, firearm suicides and homicides killed nearly 75,000 Latinos between 2001 and 2021. Latinos are suffering disproportionately, and we need equitable solutions.
Although Latinos share similar challenges to other communities of color around firearm violence, our unique experiences and history raise specific issues that are not homogeneous to other populations. Key among these are language access, residential citizenship status, and issues related to firearm trafficking abroad. These factors are crucial because interventions that do not account for these unique challenges risk being ineffective. Applying equitable approaches requires addressing these issues head-on. Unfortunately, conventional gun violence prevention organizations often sideline these critical considerations. For instance, in some cases of intimate partner violence, victims hesitate to engage in interventions that rely on law enforcement due to their residential citizenship status and risk of deportation. This is just one example where traditional interventions fail to consider the broader implications.
Uniting Leaders Toward Solutions
Hope and Heal Fund seeks to surface and support such tailored solutions, and that’s why we held the inaugural National Latino Leadership Convening on Gun Violence. The event brought together 100 Latino leaders from across the country to underscore the need for tailored, community-driven solutions that honor cultural identity and leverage community wisdom in the fight against gun violence. It was an important first step to galvanize Latino voices and drive culturally appropriate and relevant resources to those working with Latino communities across the U.S.
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