LOS ANGELES — The members of the California Immigrant Relief Assistance Coalition announce the release of one of the largest surveys of undocumented immigrant needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 91,000 Californians participated in the groundbreaking survey.
Among the findings: nearly 60 percent of respondents report hunger in their households, and of those that have children at home, 53 percent said they would use the aid to buy food.
Assembly Members Miguel Santiago (CA 53) and David Chiu (CA 17) will join members of the coalition to speak about the problems highlighted in the report, as will Angelica Salas, CHIRLA executive director; Connie Chung Joe, CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice; Martha Arévalo, CARECEN executive director; Chris Olsen, policy director at Jewish Family Service of San Diego; Ester Cadavid, development director at the UFW Foundation; and immigrants speaking of their experience in receiving the aid and their concerns for the future.
The coalition's members are community organizations that this summer managed the Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants (DRAI) program, an unprecedented effort by California Governor Gavin Newsom to provide one-time cash aid to undocumented immigrant workers, many on the front lines of the pandemic, who were left out of federal relief.
They include: the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Jewish Family Service, the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ), California Human Development, Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, and the UFW Foundation.
During the aid distribution to more than 150,000 people, these organizations conducted a uniform survey to determine immigrants' most pressing needs and their biggest concerns. The resulting study, Forgotten During Covid: An Assessment of Immigrant Needs in the Pandemic, used responses from more than 91,000 people to determine top concerns of immigrant workers and families coping with COVID in California.
Forgotten During COVID, the largest recent survey of undocumented immigrant needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, will be made available during a virtual press conference and online thereafter.
The press conferent will take place on Monday, December 7, 2020 at 10 a.m. (PST) on Zoom at us02web.zoom.us/j/84220090847 .
Miguel Santiago, Assembly member 53rd District; David Chiu, Assembly member 17th District; Angelica Salas, CHIRLA executive director; Connie Chung Joe, CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice; Martha Arévalo, CARECEN executive director; Chris Olsen, policy director at Jewish Family Services of San Diego; Esther Cadavid, development director at the UFW Foundation; and immigrants speaking their experience and concerns.