The number of Latino residents dying by suicide has gone up 48% over the last 15 years while making up half of Santa Clara County’s homeless population — and they’re reporting more instances of unfair medical treatment than any other demographic in the county.
These are just a sampling of the findings from a massive, yearslong effort to survey the health needs of Latinos who comprise about a quarter of Santa Clara County’s total population — most of whom live in East San Jose and agricultural South County. Of Santa Clara County’s 2 million residents, more than 480,000 are Latino.
The findings range from social alarm bells to systemic red flags. For instance, the report found East San Jose has double the number of tobacco and smoke shops compared to the rest of the valley. The area saw twice as much tobacco retailer density at 6.7 smoke shops per square mile, compared to the countywide density of three.
Officials with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department are recommending the creation of a South County cultural center to serve as a safe youth space and resource hub for families. They also say the county should invest in more early childhood education programs, with the goal of having at least 40% of Latino children ready for kindergarten by 2030.
“These aren’t ideas for tomorrow. They are responsibilities for today,” District 1 Supervisor Sylvia Arenas, who requested the Latino Health Needs Assessment in 2023, said at a Monday news conference about the findings. “Our families have waited long enough in a crisis that is too great.”
The findings will be presented to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday, where supervisors will grapple with grim statistics on mortality and health, including the finding that 29% of Latino adults are obese, compared to 18% of all adults in the county. The Latino life expectancy is two years below the countywide average of 84 years, according to the report.
“I’m going to keep repeating it: Slow systematic death we are experiencing,” Victor Vazquez, co-executive director of SOMOS Mayfair, said at the news conference.
Vazquez noted the timing of the report’s unveiling.
“In the spirit of Cinco de Mayo — it’s not time to panic, freeze or get caught up in hopelessness. It’s time to organize so we can stand together and take action for our community,” Vazquez said. “We urge the board to not only look at the data, not only study it, but take concrete actions.”
Santa Clara County is already taking steps to serve Latinos in more profound ways. Last year, supervisors unanimously approved moving forward with plans for a Latino health and wellness center that would be informed by this month’s report — and whether there should be multiple locations.
Arenas vowed the county’s response to the report will be led by residents — not the county.
“The report belongs to you and our next steps will be shaped by you,” she said.
Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X.
