Law Updates Data Collection Practices to Reflect
Illinois’ Increasingly Diverse Population
Contact: Ray Rubio, Director of
Community Engagement and Media- Juliana Jara Social Media
August 17, 2014 - CHICAGO – Governor Pat
Quinn today attended the Fifth Annual Cuban Festival in Chicago to sign
legislation to update state agency data collection policies to reflect
Illinois’ increasingly diverse community. The new law will help ensure the
state meets the needs of every community and is part of Governor Quinn’s agenda
to make Illinois the most welcoming state in the nation.
“As the most welcoming state in the
nation, we need to ensure that we support every person that lives and works
here,” Governor Quinn said. “This legislation updates government practices to
reflect our state’s diverse population and best meet the needs of all people in
Illinois.”
House Bill 5793, sponsored by State
Senator Iris Martinez (D-Chicago) and State Representative Lisa Hernandez
(D-Cicero), adds “Hispanic or Latino” as a separate racial or ethnic group in
state agency reports and data collection. This brings currently inconsistent
state agency data collection practices closer in line with the racial and
ethnic classifications used by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Including Latinos as a distinct ethnic
group will enable state agencies to compile more accurate data, better identify
the needs of Illinois’ Latino population and create or modify services to meet
those needs. The law is effective immediately.
"This landmark legislation will
provide lawmakers, especially the Illinois Latino Legislative Caucus, the data
we need to better advocate for Latinos across every level of state
government." Representative Elizabeth Hernandez (D-Cicero) said. "I
am very proud to have sponsored HB 5793 and today we say to the Latino
communities across the State, 'you are no longer invisible, you matter and you
will be represented!'"
"With all state agencies on the
same page, able to collect and share data about the quality of services
available to residents of all races and ethnicities, we can break down barriers
to improvement," State Senator Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) said. "We
can take the guesswork out of identifying discrepancies and direct services
where they are needed most."
Governor Quinn is a strong supporter of
legislation and programs to support the needs of Illinois’ growing Latino
population. Governor Quinn worked to enact the Illinois DREAM Act and make
Illinois the first state to require bilingual education programs to be
available for non-English speaking students beginning in pre-school.
Since the Governor took office, Illinois
has seen a surge in the number of Latino-owned businesses – now at 70,000 – and
he has also worked to increase the number of state contracts to minority- and
women-owned businesses by 60 percent. In addition, he launched a partnership
with the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to help more Latino-owned firms
better competes for highway construction contracts.
Governor Quinn has made it a goal to
make Illinois “The Most Welcoming State” in the nation for people of all races,
ethnicities, religions and nationalities. The Governor has long been a strong
advocate for immigrants’ rights by working to ensure that everyone takes full
advantage of health insurance, job training and foreclosure prevention programs
by creating and pushing multilingual awareness campaigns so that no one misses
out. He also expanded his Office of New Americans Welcoming Centers as
immigrants settle in non-Chicago communities across
Illinois.
Dr. Layla Suleiman
Gonzalez, Executive Director of Illinois Latino Family Commission addressed the
crowd at the festival after the signing of the Bill by the Governor and talked
about the importance of this historic momento and what this law means to the
latinos in Illinois.
