For the past five months, we have witnessed mass deportations. Latino and Latina workers and their family members being detained—at work, at school, awaiting legalization hearings, or even on their way to swear their citizenship oath to the United States of America. This is painful to watch, saddening on a humanitarian level, and deeply worrisome for the damage it inflicts upon our Constitution.

While I never want to diminish the cruelty of these actions, it's crucial to understand the profound economic consequences of the current administration's efforts to dismantle the Latino community, particularly in California. If you believe the mass deportations won't affect you because you don't have Latinos in your immediate circle, think again.

One unfortunate cultural trait among Latinos is our reluctance to boast. Even writing this is difficult, but the truth must be told because what I'm about to describe will hurt everyone.

Latinos in California contribute a staggering $1 trillion to the gross product, representing 25% of the state's total gross domestic output.

If Latinos in California or in the wider U.S. constituted their own economy, their GDP would be among the world’s largest.

California Latino GDP: In 2023, the economic output of Latinos in California surpassed $1 trillion. If California Latinos were their own state, their GDP would rank as the sixth-largest among all U.S. states, and without their contribution, California’s global ranking would drop from fourth to eighth.
U.S. Latino GDP: For 2023, the total U.S. Latino economic output reached $4.1 trillion. If U.S. Latinos formed an independent country, their economy would be the fifth largest in the world, ahead of nations like the United Kingdom, India, and France, and just behind Germany and Japan. The Latino GDP is also the fastest growing among the world’s top 10 economies.

For comparison:

Mexico’s GDP (2024) is approximately $1.85 trillion.

LatinoVoterUSA.com Summary Table

Region/Economy	2023/2024 GDP (USD)	Global Rank Equivalent
California Latinos	$1 trillion	6th largest U.S. state GDP
U.S. Latinos	$4.1 trillion	5th largest GDP globally
Mexico	$1.85 trillion	15th-16th largest GDP globally

If mass deportations are allowed to continue and a critical number of Latinos cease working because they are being pulled from the workforce, California will plummet from its position as the fourth largest economy in the world to the eighth. This is assuming it can even recover from the dynamic impact of the loss of productivity already beginning to occur.

A vibrant economic future in California, or in most of the top five most productive states, is impossible without Latino gross domestic output. This is not only about honoring farmers in the field or construction workers who build homes; Latinos have integrated into nearly every sector of California's economy, an economy that leads the nation in productivity and contribution. The widespread assault we're witnessing—Latino businesses closing, the entrepreneurial spirit deliberately stifled by this administration—will be felt by every single person in this state. Everyone should note that when California's economy catches a cold, the country's economy catches the flu.

Some elected officials have dismissed these immigration issues as distractions or sideshows. Others argue we cannot halt the entire government apparatus for one population. But let's be clear: the entire apparatus of our economy is being jeopardized by these mass deportations. The question is, will we stand up to it?

The negative economic impact of mass deportations is no longer a threat; it's a reality. We are seeing Latino commercial areas close, and this will spread. Restaurants buy supplies and employ people. Real estate offices contribute to the tax base. Legal firms, tax attorneys, the corner entrepreneur, the street taco entrepreneur—all contribute to the economy. As these businesses retreat, the enterprises that support them are already feeling the pain, and the ripple effect will hurt even more household incomes.

The broad assault on California's way of life is undeniable. We can debate later whether this assault on Latinos was an accident or intentionally designed to collapse California's economy. But right now, whether intentional or a just horrible side effect, it is happening.

Without exaggeration this situation should be enough to halt all legislation in the U.S. Senate, and certainly in the California State Assembly and Senate. The ramifications extend beyond the beloved tamale vendor, the elotero, or the honored farm worker; they affect all of us. If the humanitarian crisis isn't enough to stop the gears of government and restore our constitutional republic—where people aren't simply picked off the street and scared into abandoning their businesses—then the economic impact should be.

This should also serve as an urgent wake-up call for the Latino community itself. Latinos have only privately and quietly acknowledged our significant contributions to the state, often ignored by those in power. The Democratic party, which is teetering on the brink of losing power for decades, has always relied on our vote. Latino voters must approach them and declare: We know who we are. Our contributions to the state, the country, and the party are now painfully undeniable. Those in power must pay attention to our needs right now.

Spring is Here, But the Latina/o Middle-Class Faces Economic Winter

April 6, 2023 |

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