State Senator Iris Y. Martinez and the Latino Caucus held a press conference last week to raise awareness about the disparity of Hispanic Americans in administrative and management positions in Illinois. In attendance were the Illinois Association of Hispanic State Employees, the Hispanic Illinois State Law Enforcement Association, the Illinois Latino Council on Higher Education, the Latino Policy Forum, and the League of United Latin Americans. “The State needs to ensure equality in the workforce,” Martinez said. “We must find ways to diminish the cultural gaps that we have in the workplace to ensure equality across the board.”

Hispanic Americans comprise only four percent of the state’s total workforce, which is extremely low representation compared to the number of Hispanic Americans who live in Illinois. Hispanic Americans make up 15.8 percent of the state’s population. “In order for our state to have a fair understanding of the cultural aspects that make up Illinois, the state won’t have an accurate, accountable pool of information to pull from,” Martinez said. “We need to make it the priority for the State to shrink the racial employment gap in Illinois.” The organizations visited Springfield last week to advocate to elected officials about the importance of minority representation in state agencies. The groups will also be holding a conference to provide training session, workshops, and speakers on: immigration diversity, human rights, health, education leadership and issues that will enhance knowledge and understanding of the needed services of the multicultural communities in Illinois.