Issues

Latinas are among the most adversely affected by the gender pay gap. We are paid just 43 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men in New Jersey, compared to 53 cents nationally. There were about 11.1 million Latinas in the civilian labor force in 2015, representing one in seven women in the labor force, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. In order to increase economic opportunity for Latinas, LUPE Action supports legislative efforts at the state and federal level to address issues such as equal pay, increasing the minimum wage, and the right of workers to organize into unions. We also demand investment in Latina entrepreneurship via access to diversity programs for small and women owned businesses, as well as the development of small business loans targeted at women and minorities.

Education is a pathway to economic prosperity. All Latino children, independent of their parents’ immigration status and/or zip-code, deserve equal educational opportunities in New Jersey and under the US Constitution. Therefore, all Latino children must have access to programs, services, or resources, available to any other child. We favor in-state tuition for children of undocumented immigrants that have grown-up in New Jersey and graduated from a New Jersey high school. We also support investment in institutions of higher education such as state universities and community colleges and advocate for access to apprenticeships for women and minorities.

LUPE Action supports a woman’s right to make her own reproductive health care choices. We believe Roe vs. Wade is a fundamental right that allows young women the opportunity to make their own choices about how and when they decide to start a family. A historic decrease in Latina youth pregnancies has drastically increased the number of Latinas who complete high school and enter higher education, hence increasing their economic opportunity and earnings in adult life. Women must have access to affordable reproductive healthcare services that prioritize the well-being of women and children in our communities. We also believe in continued investment in educational services to reduce sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies among our Latino women and youth.

LUPE Action believes that our immigration, asylum, and naturalization policies should respect the dignity of the individual. We support comprehensive immigration reform legislation that focuses on the fundamental rights of immigrant families, protects the rights of workers and secures a path to citizenship for all immigrants. LUPE Action is committed to ensuring that America continues to be a safe haven for all who come seeking asylum. We support access to education opportunities for young DREAMERs, and we oppose the efforts of local, county, and state governments to enforce federal immigration laws. We strongly encourage the State of New Jersey to pass legislation that grants driver’s licenses for the undocumented and call on local governments to adopt welcoming policies regarding the humane treatment of immigrants living in their local communities, including the adoption of municipal IDs.

Latinas are concerned about safety as victims of crime as well as the treatment of their children by law enforcement. LUPE Action supports legislative efforts to regulate the sales of guns as well as efforts to reduce and monitor instances or racial profiling by law enforcement in our communities.

We are deeply committed to equal opportunity and the rule of law based in justice and equality. We oppose any and all forms of discrimination including those based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, class, disability, or sexual orientation. We believe in a full population count in the 2020 Census and the adoption of an electoral map that increases the electoral influence of our communities. We advocate for equal access to employment opportunities and appointments to public boards and commissions, both in the public and private sector.