Kamala Harris announces agenda for Latino men

Vice President Kamala Harris, Governor Tim Walz and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff went out on a media spree last week on Latino network channels and radio stations such as El Bueno, La Mala, y El Feo, Univision’s nationally syndicated afternoon radio program, El Free-Guey Show, Alex “El Genio” Lucas on Nueva Network Radio, and Telemundo 52 to present and talk about their new Opportunity Agenda, a policy agenda she aims to move forward on if elected as the new president of the United States. 

The Opportunity Agenda hopes to support Latino men's ambition and potential and invest in their success and future. Harris said her policy agenda will help create different pathways to help Latino men start their businesses, build wealth, take care of their families, get well-paying jobs, and buy a home. 

“I think of the Latino community in terms of the extraordinary ambition, the aspirations, the dreams that exist in the community, understanding it is not a monolith but that, not unlike any other community, there are dreams and hopes, but not necessarily always access to opportunity,” Harris told Telemundo’s Julio Vaqueiro on Wednesday. “A lot of my agenda is about creating opportunities for people to succeed.” 

Some of the key highlights of the agenda include efforts to create opportunities for Latino men in the workforce through training programs, including doubling registered apprenticeships and eliminating unnecessary college degree requirements. Harris believes this could benefit two million workers. 

If elected as President, Harris said she would look to eliminate unnecessary degree requirements for Latino men without college degrees for 500,000 federal jobs while working with the private sector to do the same. 

This type of plan will also impact younger workers, as her plan will expand innovative partnerships with 1,000 high schools throughout the nation to allow students to start working toward a good career while they are in high school, whether through a guaranteed job at a partner employer or a head start on a college or technical degree.

Ricardo Zúñiga, former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State and a foreign service officer with National Security Action, said this agenda shows Harris, Walz and Emhof were “really paying attention to the values in the community.”  

“I think [the agenda items] reflect a recognition from the Harris campaign of what an engine for growth the Latino community represents for the U.S.,” Zúñiga told CALÓ News. 

When it comes to small businesses, Harris also promises to increase start-up funding for Latino men starting or expanding their businesses with one million forgivable loans of up to $20,000 for Latinos.  

“As President, Kamala Harris will genuinely invest in our future and ensure everyone has a fair shot at achieving their American Dream,” said National Advisory Board Member Senator Alex Padilla. “The choice in this election couldn’t be more clear: Kamala Harris will include the Latino community in the success and well-being of our country, while Donald Trump is shamelessly running to cut taxes for corporations, raise health care and grocery costs, and demonize our community.”

On Wednesday, Harris also talked about the way Latinos are more likely to be denied large loans by banks, even with less debt and similar credit scores to their white counterparts. 

Vice President Harris promised to help Latino entrepreneurs and other entrepreneurs expand their businesses by working with community banks, community development financial institutions (CDFIs), and other trusted partners to provide them with no- or low-interest loans or deferred loan repayments. 

“The Vice President is going to unroll an agenda that […] trains about 2 million, specifically Hispanic men, on issues where we know they’re out there working. We know they need to make more money. We know we need to keep prices where they’re at. But the opportunity then to think about small businesses to be able to have $20,000 forgivable loans and $50,000 tax credit [for startups], because we know that folks want to live that American Dream,” Walz said in El Bueno, La Mala y El Feo this week. 

In 2023, the homeownership rate for Latinos in the United States was 49.5%, which is close to a record high, according to Housing Wire. 

As part of the Opportunity Agenda, Harris has a plan to build 3 million new affordable homes, lowering the cost of renting and homeownership. Within her plans, she will also provide $25,000 in downpayment assistance for first-time homebuyers. including those who lack inherited wealth—making the dream of homeownership and building multi-generational wealth a reality for hundreds of thousands more Latino families across the country every year.

‘My own children wonder if they're going to be able to afford a home. This is the most important economic decision almost everybody makes in their own lives,” Zúñiga said.  “Harris’s plan has hit on a very important piece: the way to get people invested in their community is by allowing them to invest in their community through homeownership.

When asked how feasible this policy agenda is to become a reality in the form of legislation or propositions in the near future, Zúniga, who is also an expert on Central America, Brazil, Cuba, democracy issues and regional diplomacy, said “very feasible.” 

“These are very practical, middle-class objectives. It's about promoting American values. The main next move is getting the support of not just the Latino community but support from the private sector, from governors, and other government representatives.”

General election day will take place on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Early voting began on October 7. You can register to vote or check your registration status online on the California Online Voter Registration page.

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