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| GreenLatinos | |
|---|---|
| Name | GreenLatinos |
| Formation | 2009 |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Region served | United States |
| Leaders | Brenda Mallory; Luis Figueroa |
GreenLatinos
GreenLatinos is a nonprofit civic and environmental organization that seeks to engage Latino communities in environmentalism, sustainability, and public policy processes across the United States. Founded in 2009, the organization operates at the intersection of Latino civic engagement and environmental advocacy, linking community health, climate resilience, and natural resources to Latino leadership and public affairs. Its activities span outreach, policy advocacy, leadership development, and partnerships with national and local institutions.
GreenLatinos was established in 2009 by a coalition of Latino leaders, activists, and professionals drawing on networks connected to figures such as Xavier Becerra, Sonia Sotomayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, Julian Castro, and Dolores Huerta who had increased visibility on civic issues. Early years included collaboration with organizations like League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Environmental Defense Fund to build Latino engagement in environmental debates shaped by events including the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and policy initiatives during the Obama administration. Over time, GreenLatinos expanded outreach to states with large Latino populations—California, Texas, Florida, Arizona, and New Mexico—while interacting with municipal governments such as the City of Los Angeles and activist movements linked to leaders like Julián Castro and Elizabeth Warren.
The organization's mission centers on mobilizing Latino communities for environmental justice, climate action, and sustainable economic opportunities, aligning with platforms advanced by entities like Greenpeace USA, 350.org, and the United Farm Workers. Activities include voter engagement modeled on campaigns seen in Mi Familia Vota and Voto Latino, community education similar to programs from American Lung Association and March of Dimes, and policy advocacy comparable to efforts by Center for American Progress and Brookings Institution. GreenLatinos frames issues in culturally relevant ways referencing leaders and events such as Cesar Chavez, the Bracero Program, and the Immigration Reform debates to connect environmental priorities with Latino civic concerns.
GreenLatinos is structured as a membership-based organization with a board of directors, executive leadership, and local chapters in multiple states, following governance practices seen at institutions like NAACP, League of Women Voters, and Human Rights Campaign. Leadership has included policy directors and executive directors with backgrounds similar to figures at EPA leadership and NGO executives like Van Jones and Brenda Mallory. Staffing and advisory roles have engaged activists, scientists, and lawyers associated with institutions such as University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, Columbia University, and think tanks like the Urban Institute.
Programs span youth leadership academies invoking pedagogical models from Teach For America and YouthBuild USA, community health campaigns comparable to American Heart Association initiatives, and bilingual outreach mirroring strategies used by National Council of La Raza and UnidosUS. Initiatives include training Latino leaders in climate policy and renewable energy workforce development, similar to programs run by Solar Foundation and National Renewable Energy Laboratory, as well as community resilience projects tied to disaster response organizations like Federal Emergency Management Agency and Red Cross. GreenLatinos runs signature fellowship and ambassador programs modeled on civic fellowships such as the Presidential Management Fellows Program and the Echoing Green fellowship network.
GreenLatinos advocates for policies addressing climate change, clean air and water, and environmental justice, taking positions that align with priorities in legislation such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, while engaging with regulatory processes at agencies like Environmental Protection Agency and debates around infrastructure exemplified by the American Jobs Plan. The organization supports energy transition policies referencing research from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and renewable energy deployment efforts akin to initiatives by Department of Energy. Its policy toolkit frequently intersects with immigration, public health, and labor policy conversations involving stakeholders like Service Employees International Union and AFL–CIO.
GreenLatinos collaborates with a wide range of partners, including environmental NGOs (Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council), Latino civic groups (UnidosUS, Voto Latino), academic institutions (Stanford University, University of California system), foundations (Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation), and government agencies (EPA, Department of Energy). It often coordinates coalitions with organizations engaged in environmental justice litigation and campaigns such as Earthjustice and Center for Biological Diversity, and participates in national campaigns alongside networks like Climate Action Network and We Are Still In.
GreenLatinos has been recognized for increasing Latino participation in environmental policy dialogues and voter outreach in key battleground states such as Nevada, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. Reception among environmental and civic groups has highlighted its role in framing environmental issues through lenses used by leaders like Cesar Chavez and contemporary advocates including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pramila Jayapal. Critics from some industry groups and political actors compare its positions to broader progressive coalitions including Democratic National Committee platforms, while supporters cite collaborations with scientific institutions such as National Institutes of Health and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as evidence of its community health and climate science grounding.
Category:Environmental organizations based in the United States