Michigan has the 20th largest Latino population. Between 2010 and 2020, Michigan’s Latino population increased in 81 of 83 counties, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As of 2020, the number of Latino’s in Michigan reached 564,422, equaling 5.6% of our state’s population. Significant Hispanic population concentrations are in major urban counties along the Grand Rapids and Detroit corridor. There is a need for support throughout the Latino communities, which lag behind whites on all educational performance and attainment indicators and suffer high dropout rates and low college attendance rates. Latinos are the least represented in managerial, professional, sales and office occupations, and have consistently lower rates of self-employment and business ownership in each of the measured counties.  

Despite holding lower paying jobs, Latinos have a higher labor force participation rate at 67.4 percent than all other racial or ethnic groups. As a result, Latinos are vulnerable to economic downturns and experience high poverty rates, especially among working families with children and are less likely to receive health insurance through their employment and more likely to enroll in Medicaid coverage. The uninsured rate among Latinos is still more than double that among non-Latino Whites (11 vs. 3.9 percent in 2021). Lack of awareness and understanding regarding eligibility for Medicaid and Marketplaces remains a barrier to obtaining health coverage.  

The hope for our future Latino well-being is in education and advocacy. Latinos are the fastest-growing student population in all regions of the country. They form a significant proportion of school enrollments from early childhood to higher education and continue to narrow the educational attainment gap between them and their White peers. In 2023, 22% of Latinos (ages 18 to 34) were enrolled in higher education, compared to 23% of White non-Latinos in Michigan. But only 30% of Latino adults (25 and older) had earned an associate degree or higher, compared to 43% of White non-Latino adults. There is still a significant opportunity to support our students, communities and healthcare professionals. 

The goal of the NALHE Michigan Chapter is to partner with community organizations and health systems to target the health and well-being of the Latino population in the state. NALHE Michigan is dedicated to supporting Latino leaders and students in their professional growth, ensuring proper leadership representation is at the table to effectively advance health equity for diverse communities and ultimately improve health outcomes of Latino and other minority groups within the state.