Latino Public Policy Center

IN THE NEWS

Video series: The changing face of Arizona

The Latino Center was launched in October 2012 in recognition of Arizona's rapidly changing demographics.

The state's growing Latino population increasingly will have unprecedented impact on Arizona's workforce, education, leadership, and ability to compete economically.

The Latino Center uses various venues, formats and publications to improve Arizona's understanding of Latino-related opportunities and challenges, and how resulting public policy decisions will affect Arizona's future for all.

Using credible data, analysis and projections, the nonpartisan Latino Center operates under the auspices of Morrison Institute for Public Policy, a trusted brand since 1982.

SELECTED ARTICLES & PUBLICATIONS

NEWS: Border wall is out of synch with Southwest's changing politics (The New York Times)

BLOG: 'Latino vote' is larger than simply votes cast by Latinos (Joseph Garcia)

NEWS: CPLC forum highlights Latino voters (Vanguardia Arizona)

REPORT: Arizona's Emerging Latino Vote

Why must Arizona better understand 'Latino issues'?

Because they are 'Arizona issues,' determining our state's future Arizona is expected to become a majority-minority state perhaps within the next two decades, with its younger citizens largely Latino. Eighty-two percent of the state's Latino youth under age 20 are naturalized citizens or were born in the United States. For Arizona Latino children under 5 years old, 97 percent are U.S. citizens. Latinos are Arizonans. And they represent our state's future. With our state's workforce, electorate, economic drivers and leadership largely affected and dependent on informed public policy as it relates to Arizona Latino citizens, Morrison Institute established a new center to house a growing collection of related articles, analysis, videos, blogs and polls, as well as further the dialogue through presentations and forums.

Morrison Institute Latino Public Policy Center was launched in October 2012 with a mission to provide a better understanding of how Latino public policy issues affect all of Arizona and our shared future opportunity. Joseph Garcia, Latino Center director.

Center Director

Joseph Garcia is the director of Morrison Institute Latino Public Policy Center. He also is director of communication, managing media relations and public outreach for Morrison Institute.

Garcia began work at Morrison Institute in April 2009 after a career in journalism that included experience as a top editor, columnist and/or news reporter at The Arizona Republic, The Daily Times, Tucson Citizen, USA Today and The Associated Press.

His articles, analysis and commentary have appeared in such publications as Latino Perspectives, The Denver Post, Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight, The East Valley Tribune, Huffington Post, The Arizona Republic, Financial Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle. He has appeared on several TV shows, including Sunday Squareoff, Horizonte, Arizona Week and The O'Reilly Factor.

Garcia, a former political reporter, also is an instructor of journalism at Arizona State University's Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He also has taught journalism at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

A UA graduate, Garcia has a strong connection to Arizona. He grew up in Flagstaff, lived many years in Tucson and has lived in the Valley since 2005.

Garcia is a member of the board of directors for Arizona Children's Action Alliance, as well as an advisory board member for the Raul H. Castro Institute at Phoenix College, and the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting. He presently is working toward his master's degree.