ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

EDITOR'S LETTER

THE 26TH DATOS REPORT SPOTLIGHTS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR AZ HISPANICS

The Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (AZHCC) is tremendously honored that our signature annual event, DATOS: The State of Arizona’s Hispanic Market, is a part of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) National Conference being held OCT. 2–4 in Phoenix. This year, we will release our 26th DATOS report at the USHCC’s opening breakfast session on Monday, Oct. 3. Our 26th DATOS report primarily focuses on Economic Opportunity, including a comprehensive collection of data under this theme that uses demographic, sociographic and psychographic data collected to show the impact of Hispanics on Arizona. By partnering with the Vitalyst Health Foundation this year, we were able to analyze the economy and all the data we have collected through a dynamic framework that lets us see the contributions of Arizona Hispanics in relation to the social determinants of a healthy community. Our partnership with Vitalyst, a nonprofit that is working to “connect, support and inform efforts to improve the health of individuals and communities in Arizona,” is modeled after the work of the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We firmly believe that good health is good business—and everyone deserves an opportunity to live in a safe, healthy environment. A critical measure of a community’s overall health is access to economic opportunity (p.36). However, there are many other important factors at play—and we explore each one in this report: educational opportunity (p.89), community safety (p.181), affordable quality housing (p.113), health care (p.161), environmental quality (p.143), quality affordable food (p.131), community design (p.217), parks and recreation (p.203), social/cultural cohesion (p.227), social justice (p.245) and transportation options (p.191). Presented together, we can easily envision how a community’s health is shaped by every one of these vital elements. As in years past, the AZHCC’s talented team of researchers, writers, interns and editors behind DATOS have tirelessly and magnificently documented and interpreted the implications of the major market trends in Arizona’s increasingly diverse and shifting demographics. Their work is essential to ensuring that Arizonans are fully aware of the broad and diverse contributions that Latinos make to our beautiful state and its growing economy. Being at this breakfast session is a big step toward that awareness. Thank you all for joining us for this milestone event. Enjoy the USHCC conference and, for non-locals, enjoy your time in beautiful, sunny Arizona!

MÓNICA S. VILLALOBOS

President & CEO, AZ Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Editor, DATOS: The State of Arizona's Hispanic Market

Photo by Basaca Art Photography