2024 Raíces Report
Executive Summary
The 2024 Raíces Report is a community-centered policy and data resource developed by the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation (ILLCF) in partnership with the University of Illinois Chicago’s Great Cities Institute. Grounded in direct community engagement, the report documents priorities, lived experiences, and data-informed challenges facing Latino communities across Illinois. It draws heavily from feedback collected at the 2023 Raíces Public Policy Conference, which convened more than 500 community members, advocates, policymakers, and stakeholders in a series of facilitated roundtables and breakout discussions.
Organized around five policy pillars—Health Equity, Latiné Representation, Economic Justice, Education, and Immigration and Language Access—the Raíces Report integrates qualitative community input with quantitative indicators drawn from sources such as the American Community Survey, County Health Rankings, and state administrative data. Each section pairs participant feedback with fact sheets, data visualizations, and maps to contextualize community concerns and identify structural inequities affecting Latino communities statewide. Rather than framing communities through a deficit lens, the report emphasizes asset-based approaches, coalition-building, and accountability in policymaking.
The Raíces Report is intended to inform legislative agendas, guide advocacy efforts, and support philanthropy, service providers, and policymakers in developing responsive, equitable public policy. While the recommendations are not exhaustive, they represent critical first steps in strengthening the bridge between community voices and state-level decision-making, ensuring that policy solutions are grounded in the realities and priorities of Illinois’ diverse Latino communities.