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California Sen. Alex Padilla Introduces Legislation to Expand Higher Ed Opportunities for Latino Students

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, California Senator Alex Padilla introduced legislation initiatives to expand opportunities for Latino students in higher education and highlight Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI).

Published

2 years ago

October 10, 2023

Magaly Muñoz

Senator Alex Padilla meets with then-Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson.

By Magaly Muñoz
Post Staff

The first part of the bipartisan legislation is being supported by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J) to establish the week of September 11th as National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week, according to a press release from Padilla’s office.

Hispanic Serving Institutions make up about 23% of all colleges in California with another 47 emerging institutions. Colleges have to have 25% of their population be Latino or Hispanic students to be considered an HSI.

The second part of Padilla’s legislation, co-led in the House of Representatives by Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-Texas-20) and Jenniffer González-Colón (R-Puerto Rico), is the Hispanic Educational Resources and Empowerment (HERE) Act that looks to give resources to Latino students to bridge the educational gap.

Twenty-eight percent of Latinos have an associate’s degree or higher compared to that of their white counterparts with 48%. At two-year institutions, Hispanics’ graduation rate was five percentage points lower than that of their white, non-Hispanic peers and at four-year institutions, Hispanics’ graduation rate was 13 percentage points lower than that of their white, non-Hispanic peers, according to Exelencia in Education.

Padilla said the grants are tailored to help students through the application and transition process for college. The grants would also be put toward non-academic needs that deter students from achieving success in higher education.

“Our current education system has failed to sufficiently support Latino college recruitment and retention – just 28% of Latino adults have an associate’s degree or higher,” Padilla said in an email to The Post. “My legislation invests in both the educational and economic success of the next generation of Latinos in the workforce by creating a new federal grant program to fund partnerships between Hispanic-Serving Institutions and school districts with significant Hispanic and Latino enrollment to improve college readiness and completion.”

Some universities in California are already making changes to reflect the focuses that the HERE Act is looking to make.

San Francisco State University has a 36% population of Hispanic students enrolled in the school and initiatives are being made by leadership to help foster success for them.

SFSU President Lynn Mahoney said coming back to post-pandemic, in-person instruction in 2021 made her reflect on what more the university could be doing. She said being an HSI shouldn’t just be because of the chance of demographics, it should come with intention, and the campus should reflect the students’ needs.

“We recognize that students need to have faculty, staff and administrators that reflect their own ethnic and racial backgrounds. And this has not been easy in some cases. The pipeline is small,” Mahoney said.

Latinos makeup only 16% of staff and administration, and 9% of faculty, according to Robert King, the director of Communications at SFSU. Mahoney said STEM-related majors are where they’re lacking the most Latino and Hispanic representation.

Mahoney said some of the programs they have on campus are the Latino Student Success Center. Established in 2022, Spanish language orientations and a Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning welcome educators to learn how to become culturally competent in their teachings when they have such a diverse class makeup.

“The future of California is our first-generation students of color, and Latinx students are the fastest-growing population here,” Mahoney said. “This state will only continue to be the best place in the world, if, in fact, we get college degrees into the hands of our Latinx students. So this is an investment that the state and every single citizen has to make.”

PIQE, or Parent Institute for Quality Education, is an organization that works primarily with high school students and parents, but has programs that address major gaps in education like STEM and offer transitional tools to help with higher education.

Andrew Ferson, the director of Policy and Partnerships at PIQE, said their “Family Bridge to College” looks to address what they call the “summer melt.”

“Summer melt is this idea that you have students who are accepted into and then intending to enroll in higher education, but then in the summer, for whatever reason they basically stopped going to or ended up not going to college,” Ferson said.

He said the program works with the districts and colleges to bring in families during the summer to foster the relationships early on and keep students on track with what they need for higher education. They’ve also partnered with UC San Diego to bring in professors and counselors to familiarize parents and students with resources and tools that the university offers.

Ferson said although they work primarily with high school families, a lot of the needs that parents are worried about – like digital divide and financing– can also be seen in college family concerns. He added that legislation, like what Padilla is introducing, is “smart policy” and addresses the relationship that colleges should have with families.

“I certainly hope that that bill gets passed and funded,” Ferson said. “But in the meantime, it’s on all of us to be actively reaching out to families and forming those relationships and meeting them where they’re at so that all of our students can succeed.”

Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper.

Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities.

The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

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Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper. Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities. The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 3, 2025

Published

10 minutes ago

May 30, 2025

Oakland Post

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Black Feminist Movement Mobilizes in Response to National Threats

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

Published

46 minutes ago

May 30, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States. The event, led by the organization Black Feminist Future, is headlined by activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. Paris Hatcher, executive director of Black Feminist Future, joined Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known to outline the mission and urgency behind the gathering, titled “Get Free.” “This is not just a conference to dress up and have a good time,” Hatcher said. “We’re building power to address the conditions that are putting our lives at risk—whether that’s policing, reproductive injustice, or economic inequality.” Hatcher pointed to issues such as rising evictions among Black families, the rollback of bodily autonomy laws, and the high cost of living as key drivers of the event’s agenda. “Our communities are facing premature death,” she said.

Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”

The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”

Stacy M. Brown

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Hoover’s Commutation Divides Chicago as State Sentence Remains

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial.

Published

1 day ago

May 29, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The federal sentence for Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover has been commuted, but he remains incarcerated under a 200-year state sentence in Illinois. The decision by Donald Trump to reduce Hoover’s federal time has reignited longstanding debates over his legacy and whether rehabilitation or continued punishment is warranted. The commutation drew immediate public attention after music executive Jay Prince and artist Chance the Rapper publicly praised Trump’s decision. “I’m glad that Larry Hoover is home,” said Chance the Rapper. “He was a political prisoner set up by the federal government. He created Chicago Votes, mobilized our people, and was targeted for that.”

But Hoover, the founder of the Gangster Disciples, is not home—not yet. Now in federal custody at the Florence Supermax in Colorado, Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial. “There is a divide in the Black community here,” said Chicago journalist Jason Palmer during an appearance on the Let It Be Known morning program. “Some view Hoover as someone who brought structure and leadership. Others remember the violence that came with his organization.” Palmer explained that while Hoover’s gang originally formed for protection, it grew into a criminal network responsible for extensive harm in Chicago. He also noted that Hoover continued to run his organization from state prison using coded messages passed through visitors, prompting his transfer to federal custody.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is widely considered a potential 2028 presidential contender, has not issued a statement. Palmer suggested that silence is strategic. “Releasing Hoover would create enormous political consequences,” Palmer said. “The governor’s in a difficult spot—he either resists pressure from supporters or risks national backlash if he acts.” According to Palmer, Hoover’s federal commutation does not make him a free man. “The federal sentence may be commuted, but he still has a 200-year state sentence,” he said. “And Illinois officials have already made it clear they don’t want to house him in state facilities again. They prefer he remains in federal custody, just somewhere outside of Colorado.”

Palmer also raised concerns about what Hoover’s case could signal for others. “When R. Kelly was convicted federally, state prosecutors in Illinois and Minnesota dropped their charges. If a president can commute federal sentences based on public pressure or celebrity support, others like R. Kelly or Sean Combs could be next,” Palmer said. “Meanwhile, there are thousands of incarcerated people without fame or access to public platforms who will never get that consideration.” “There are people who are not here today because of the violence connected to these organizations,” Palmer said. “That has to be part of this conversation.”