San Jose

Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley's Latino Report Card a ‘Huge Wake Up Call'

The Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley has published its latest Latino report card, measuring successes and failures in education, health and other issues. And the numbers look bleak.

The results are going to disappoint a lot of residents in East San Jose. And for many, it's a huge wake up call.

Research from the report card shows between 2012 and 2016, the Latino high school dropout rate has not changed -- it is still at 23 percent. The overall grade for education in the report was a "C."

"If this was my report card, I'd hide it from my parents," said Ron Gonzales with the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley.

The foundation gave Latinos in health a "D," with diabetes and child obesity at the top of the list.

Gardner Health Services said the working poor in Silicon Valley are paying the price.

"They have to make choices between food, transportation, health, housing," Gardner Health Services CEO Reymundo Espinoza said. "How do you get people to eat the right things?"

Stakeholders held breakout sessions Friday, hoping to find solutions to the worsening conditions for Silicon Valley Latinos.

"It's important for us to come together as a community and hear the facts," Gonzales said. "As hard as it is to hear them, we understand we have a long way to go."

Financial stability in the report received a "D" grade. Another "D" grade was given for housing. Meanwhile, environmental issues received a "B" grade.

Overall, this year's report card is worse than the last one that came out seven years ago.

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