
Arturo Angeles
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT: Why California’s National Monuments Must Be Defended Against Federal Rollbacks
From the rugged coastlines to desert wilderness and culturally sacred sites, national monuments preserve the stories, ecosystems and cultural legacies of California and the United States.
COMMON DREAMS: Toxic Waters Know No Borders: The Tijuana River Crisis
The intense, acidic stench of raw sewage penetrating your nose and clinging to the back of your throat and yellow “Keep Out, Sewage Polluted Water” warning signs have become far too “normal” for us, southern San Diego, California residents. The Tijuana River once carried stories of binational friendship, but now it carries toxic pollution, including human feces and disease, into the United States.
El Aire Que Respiramos Marks Two Years with First Insights into Latino Air Pollution Exposure and Awareness
Hispanic Access Foundation is commemorating the second anniversary of El Aire Que Respiramos (The Air We Breathe), a groundbreaking air quality monitoring initiative that is, for the first time, shedding light on both air pollution and air quality awareness in Latino communities. After two years of community-based monitoring, the project is now beginning to uncover valuable insights into air quality conditions in Latino neighborhoods—insights that had previously been missing.
Hispanic Access Raises Concerns Over Passage of ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ and Its Impact on Environmental Protections
On July 3, Congress passed the final version of H.R. 1–the Lower Energy Costs Act–as part of its budget reconciliation bill, which was signed into law on July 4. While the legislation is framed as an energy initiative, it includes provisions that scale back key environmental protections, potentially increasing pollution risks and long-term climate impacts, especially for Latino communities. In response, Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, issued the following statement:
Raising My Voice for the Coasts of Puerto Rico
My participation in Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2025 and UpWell: A Wave of Ocean Justice renewed my sense of hope in the face of the many challenges we face in protecting Puerto Rico’s coastal and marine environments. As a U.S. territory without voting representation in Congress, we are in a particularly vulnerable position when it comes to influencing federal decisions that directly affect the management of our coastal resources.
Hispanic Access Foundation Opposes the Public Lands Sell-Off in Budget Reconciliation Bill
On June 11, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) released the Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s budget reconciliation text, which includes sweeping provisions that would mandate the sale of over 2 million acres of public lands across 11 western states. This Senate proposal significantly builds on a version of the reconciliation bill passed earlier by the U.S. House of Representatives, which called for the sale of approximately 500,000 acres of public lands in Utah and Nevada, alongside rollbacks to key environmental protections. In response, Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, issued the following statement:
Hispanic Access Foundation’s Statement on Ocean Protection Rollbacks in 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill
On May 22, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 2025 budget reconciliation bill, which includes the repeal of offshore clean ocean energy credits, cuts to coastal air pollution and methane monitoring and reduction programs, rollbacks of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, and the defunding of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In response, Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, issued the following statement:
Hispanic Access Foundation's Statement on Methane Protections Rollbacks in 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill
On May 22, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 2025 budget reconciliation bill which includes the defunding, delay, and weakening of the Methane Emissions Reduction Program and Waste Emissions Charge (also known as the methane polluter fee). In response, Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, issued the following statement:
El NUEVO DÍA: Piden la intervención de Pablo José Hernández y Nydia Velázquez en la construcción de la controvertida ciclovía de Rincón
Washington D.C. - La Fundación Surfrider Puerto Rico llevó este martes al Congreso la denuncia de que la Ruta Escénica para Ciclistas y Peatones de Rincón, financiada con fondos federales, puede provocar daños irreversibles a la Reserva Marina Tres Palmas, la costa y la playa de la “capital del surfing”.
HISPANOS UNIDOS: La Gente: Founder, Advocate, and Visionary Maite Arce
Building Community from the Ground Up: The Heart Behind Maite Arce’s Work
When Maite Arce reflects on the founding of Hispanic Access Foundation, she doesn’t begin with policy or plans. She begins with the quiet, steady example of her parents, and a commitment that began long before it even had a name.