Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) presents its first report for the state of New York in its ongoing series on the Economic Status of Latinas. The report lays out how Latinas in New York State are faring, and the conditions that impact their ability to thrive economically as the COVID-19 pandemic emergency comes to a close while its effects linger and the nation hovers on the brink of a recession. Data on national, state, and regional indicators of Latina and Hispanic economic, leadership and educational progress are compared primarily to White men and women. Additionally, a series of focus groups were conducted with a cross-section of Latina professionals in the corporate sector, in nonprofit and government organizations, and with small business entrepreneurs to address how they could be better supported in their career trajectories and to gauge how they are faring post-pandemic.

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The findings illustrate how deeply Latinas suffered and adapted during the early parts of the pandemic. Latina professionals offer a more intimate look into how they are overcoming barriers to their success and their hopes for their future as they deal with inflation in the post-pandemic recovery. Despite population shifts, uneven educational outcomes, ongoing wage and leadership inequities and persistent reports of burnout, Latinas reveal that their enduring optimism reported in previous HOPE and other research remains one of their greatest assets to overcoming adversity.