To: Board of Supervisors
From: Shanelle Scales-Preston, District V Supervisor
Report Title: Declare September 15 through October 15 as Latin X Heritage Month in Contra Costa County and Affirming the County’s Commitment to Safety, Dignity, and Full Participation of LatinX Residents in all Areas of Public Life.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2025- Declare September 15 through October 15 as LatinX Heritage Month in Contra Costa County, and Affirming the County's Commitment to the Safety, Dignity, and full participation of LatinX residents in all areas of public life.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None
BACKGROUND:
See Resolution.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
N/A
The Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County, California IN THE MATTER OF DECLARING SEPTEMBER 15 THROUGH OCTOBER 15 AS LATINX HERITAGE MONTH IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, AND AFFIRMING THE COUNTY’S COMMITMENT TO THE SAFETY, DIGNITY, AND FULL PARTICIPATION OF LATINX RESIDENTS IN ALL AREAS OF PUBLIC LIFE
WHEREAS, September 15 through October 15 is observed nationally as Hispanic / Latinx Heritage Month to celebrate the histories, cultures, languages, traditions, and contributions of people whose roots are in Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America; and
WHEREAS, Contra Costa County is home to a large and diverse Latinx community - representing 27% of the County’s population and is an essential part of our civic, economic, and cultural life - whose labor, entrepreneurship, artistry, caregiving, public service, and civic leadership enrich the entire region; and the County recognizes the importance of celebrating this heritage while honoring the specific histories and contemporary realities of Mexican, Central American, South American, Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, Indigenous Latin American, and other Latinx-identifying communities within our borders; and
WHEREAS, Latinx Contra Costans operate businesses and farms, staff hospitals and classrooms, serve in essential industries, deliver public services, strengthen neighborhoods, and contribute to the County’s economic vitality and social fabric in ways that deserve explicit acknowledgment and gratitude; and
WHEREAS, honoring Latinx Heritage Month provides an opportunity to teach and learn countywide - in schools, libraries, civic institutions, and public events - the fuller histories of Latinx people in this region and nation, including migration histories, labor struggles, artistic achievements, multilingual and multicultural contributions, and longstanding efforts for civil rights and equity; and
WHEREAS, this current moment in our national life includes the expansion and increase of federal immigration enforcement operations in which individuals of Latinx appearance - including U.S. citizens and lawful residents - have been stopped, questioned, wrongfully detained, or otherwise harmed; these practices have caused fear, trauma, and chilling effects in immigrant and Latinx communities and raise serious civil-liberties and public-safety concerns for our County residents; and
WHEREAS, many cities and counties across California and the United States mark Latinx / Hispanic Heritage Month with ceremonial proclamations and substantive policy commitments - pairing celebration with concrete steps to expand language access, legal and social services, and culturally responsive programming - and Contra Costa County intends to follow this example by standing with national and local advocates calling for accountability, due process, and clear protections for residents of all immigration statuses.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Contra Costa, State of California, that:
1. The Board hereby proclaims September 15 through October 15 as Latinx Heritage Month in Contra Costa County and calls upon all residents to join in celebration and reflection.
2. The Board honors and commends the cultural, social, political, and economic contributions of Latinx residents - past and present - and recognizes the role those contributions play in the County’s shared prosperity, creativity, and civic life. The Board affirms that the County’s diversity is a strength that must be protected and cultivated.
3. The Board condemns any federal, state, or local enforcement practice that unlawfully targets people on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, language, national origin, or perceived immigration status; and recognizes the documented harms when Latinx individuals, including U.S. citizens and lawful residents, are stopped, detained, or profiled; and calls for accountability, transparency, and respect for civil and constitutional rights in all enforcement activities.
4. The Board affirms its commitment to establish a countywide SAFE Center that aims to support Latinx and immigrant communities by expanding accessible legal advocacy and other comprehensive support services, that include but are not limited to: o Expanding and publicizing legal-advocacy resources, know-your-rights materials, and referrals to trusted community legal and social-service partners o Strengthening language access across County services (translation and interpretation, multilingual outreach, and signage) so that Latinx and other immigrant residents can fully access public health, safety, housing, education, and economic resources
5. The Board affirms its commitment to equity and inclusion and to working across County departments and agencies to review County policies to ensure they do not facilitate or assist in federal immigration enforcement in ways that compromise public safety or residents’ willingness to seek emergency care, report crime, or use County services, and to and pursue policy changes that protect civil liberties, reduce the harms of overcriminalization and detention, and expand pathways to family unity and economic stability for all County residents.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Supervisors encourages all residents, public agencies, community organizations, civic groups, faith communities, employers, and schools in Contra Costa County to recognize Latinx Heritage Month by honoring Latinx histories and cultures and by committing to build a County where every person - regardless of background, language, or immigration status - can live with dignity, safety, and the opportunity to thrive.