SACRAMENTO – (MAY 24, 2019) – On behalf of members of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), Caucus Chair, and Senator Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), Vice Chair, issued the following statement in a letter to the UC Board of Regents regarding the opportunity at the UC Merced campus to appoint a representative Chancellor:
“Latino students are underrepresented across all sectors of higher education in California, but the worst case is at our UC campuses. Our community represents nearly half of California, yet we are just 27 percent of the population of UC students. How can we expect students to aspire to achieve at our exceptional public institutions for higher learning if they literally cannot see themselves there? A simple step you as the Board of Regents for the UC system can make right now is to support the appointment of a Latino UC Chancellor at the UC Merced campus.
“In the 2018-19 academic year, nearly half of all freshmen applicants to the UC Merced were Latino as well as 62.3 percent of UC Merced freshmen students enrolled. Half of all UC Merced transfer students enrolled in fall 2018 were Latino. These students deserve representation on their campus. In the entire history of the UC system, a Latino Californian has been appointed to serve as a UC chancellor only twice. Our entire community deserves better representation than that at our flagship university system. Members of the California Latino Legislative Caucus urge the University Of California Board Of Regents to not squander this opportunity.”
For questions or to schedule an interview with a member of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, contact Sami Gallegos (209) 658-7617.
