Racial and Ethnic Equity
Featured Content
The Well-Being of Black Children in New Mexico
Although our state’s Black children are generally faring better than Black children nationally, they still face significant obstacles to success. This report, created in partnership with the NM Office of African American Affairs, looks at how New Mexico’s Black children are doing on 20 indicators of child well-being. (A special KIDS COUNT report)
Racial and Ethnic Bias in New Mexico Drug Law Enforcement
For more than four decades, governments have used harsh criminal punishments as the primary tool to address the possession, use, and sales of illegal substances. Complex laws and regulations have been created to penalize drug use and the possession of controlled substances. These drug laws have resulted in disparate impacts for people of color. (Policy brief)
Native American Children and Families in New Mexico: Strengths and Challenges
This special report looking at economic indicators and social conditions in New Mexico’s 22 tribal communities—including the high rate of Native children who can speak a language in addition to English. (A special KIDS COUNT report)
Recent Publications
It’s Time to Repeal the Capital Gains Deduction
Policy brief New Mexico is one of just nine states to effectively tax capital gains less than the wages and salaries earned by hard-working New Mexicans. Beginning in 2003, those with capital gains income – who are overwhelmingly the wealthiest in New Mexico – were allowed to deduct 50 percent of their capital gains from their state income taxes. In 2019, legislators reduced the amount to 40 percent.
Professional Licensure Means an Inclusive Workforce and a Better Future for New Mexico
Fact sheet Like most states, New Mexico has a shortage of professionals whose occupations require licensure - most notably, doctors, dentist, and teachers. We cannot afford to lose talented professionals, but we are because of federal laws that keep educated and trained immigrants from getting the professional licenses required to practice here. New Mexico needs to follow other states that have removed these barriers.
Recent Blog Posts
Advancing Equity in New Mexico: The 2020 Census
Despite numerous challenges, including counterproductive federal policies and now a global pandemic, New Mexico policy-makers and local non-profit organizations are working together to make sure all New Mexicans are counted during the 2020 Census.
Advancing Equity in New Mexico: Education
The decision in the Yazzie/Martinez education lawsuit was a watershed moment for the state of New Mexico, allowing us to finally address the chronic under-funding of our public schools and to tailor them to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of our children. And while the Legislature did provide more money for the system, they failed to meet the judge's order.
Recent News Coverage
Progress report: Albuquerque neighborhood among many tricky for 2020 census in NM
“The big challenges in those areas are connecting to the folks who we know are likely to be undercounted,” said Amber Wallin, deputy director of New Mexico Voices for Children. “So people who may be poor or housing-insecure can be a real challenge in those areas, especially in communities that are changing.”
U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on citizenship question draws reaction
"With that potential citizenship question in there it was pretty clear that was intended to have a dampening impact on the willingness of particularly the immigrant population, but also others, to participate in the census," said Jimenez. Jimenez said New Mexico already leads the country with the highest hard-to-count populations.
Resources
We led an initiative called Race Matters in 2006 with funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The materials they developed for this work are still available on their website.