The Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s signature annual event highlighted the Latino population’s growing economic and political clout but also provided some sobering data on the high numbers of Latinos experiencing hunger or lack of access to nutritious food.
As the Latino population continues to grow, “that purchasing power is only going to get bigger, and we are going to keep the economy going,” said Monica Villalobos, the president and CEO of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, during the DATOS event, held Thursday in front of a capacity crowd at the 2,200-seat Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix.
The release of the chamber’s yearly DATOS report coincides with National Hispanic Heritage Month, which spans Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 . The report is intended to provide the community with data to help inform decisions about economic opportunity, education and health care.
One in three Arizonans are Latino, and one in four eligible voters are Latinos, Villalobos said.
In metro Phoenix, Latinos make up an even greater share of the population — 40%, Villalobos said.