Unequal Growth in Wealth

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12
PROGRAM #11235 12:00 PM PT

Unequal Growth in Wealth. 

Latinos drive the vast majority of workforce growth in the United States and contribute more than $4.1 trillion to the annual GDP. Yet that contribution has not translated into financial security for Latino households. It is no coincidence. A new report analyzes how key systems — immigration, housing, labor markets, and education — have historically structured unequal pathways to wealth-building. What does the analysis find? What are the determining factors? And how do current policies widen these gaps?

Guest: David Hayes-Bautista, Chief of Demographics, Latino GDP Project and Director, Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles-UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.

Exploring the ‘Health Care Market.’ Uninsured and facing an unavoidable surgery, Ronmel Rangel refused to accept a bill of tens of thousands of dollars. With his doctor’s support, he compared hospitals and surgical centers inside and outside the United States until he found a far more affordable option. His story reveals the enormous price disparities in medical care, the risks faced by those without coverage, and the strategies that can help avoid devastating medical debt throughout the process.

Guests: Paula Andalo, Ethnic Media Editor, KFF Health News, Silver Spring, MD; Ronmel Rangel, Patient, Portland, ME.

July is the Hottest Month in Texas, California and Other States. Last July was the hottest month ever recorded in the U.S. since records began in 1895, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In California, where Latinos make up 40 per cent of the population and face energy costs that are approximately 20 per cent higher than those of white households, the record-breaking heat is driving up electricity bills just as overall costs continue to rise. Which government policies are causing this increase in energy costs, and why? How are extreme heat, rising energy costs and federal cuts affecting Latino families across the country?

Guest: Dr. Julie González, Environmental Justice Data and Mapping Society Coordinator, FracTracker Alliance, Rio Grande Valley, TX.

Photo: darshika/Adobe Stock

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