The Stakes for Our Community
Our community is growing, contributing, and building roots across the greater St. Louis region. The numbers also show us how much work remains.
More than 110,400 Hispanic and Latine residents now call the St. Louis metro area home — the largest number ever recorded, up from under 80,000 a decade ago.
Missouri's Hispanic population grew 30.5% from 2011 to 2021, outpacing the national Hispanic growth rate of 20.9%.
Only 37% of Missouri's nearly 130,000 voting-age Latino residents cast a ballot in the 2022 midterm election. Nearly two out of three did not vote.
For every $4.47 held by the median non-Hispanic white household, the median Latino household holds $1 — a wealth gap that shapes life in St. Louis every day.
Hispanic-owned businesses in the St. Louis region have grown 42% over a five-year span, with around 8,800 Hispanic-owned small businesses in the area and growing, according to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of St. Louis.
Our Priorities
Civil Rights
Every member of our community deserves to be treated with dignity and protected under the law, regardless of race, national origin, language, or immigration status. HLG advocates for the full civil rights of Hispanic and Latine people in Missouri and the St. Louis region, working to combat discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations, and to hold institutions accountable when they fall short. From the courtrooms of St. Louis City to the neighborhoods of St. Louis County and St. Charles, we believe that justice is not a privilege. It is a right.
Voting & Political
Empowerment
Our community's voice belongs in every St. Louis election, every city hall hearing, and every seat of power from Jefferson City to Washington, D.C. HLG is committed to increasing civic participation among Hispanic and Latine residents through voter registration, candidate education, and advocacy for policies that make it easier to vote. Political empowerment also means developing the next generation of Hispanic leaders in our region, people who will shape the decisions that affect our families and our city.
Education
From early childhood programs in South St. Louis to higher education at our region's universities, every Hispanic and Latine student deserves access to a quality education that honors their identity and prepares them for success. HLG champions equitable school funding, bilingual education, culturally responsive curricula, and pathways to college and vocational training. Through our Hispanic Scholarship Alliance, we invest directly in the academic futures of students right here in Greater St. Louis.
Immigration
Our community includes immigrants who contribute every single day to the fabric of St. Louis, as workers, entrepreneurs, parents, and neighbors. HLG advocates for fair, humane immigration policies at the local, state, and federal level. We support pathways to citizenship, protection from unjust deportation, due process rights, and an end to policies that tear families apart. St. Louis has taken steps to welcome newcomers, including through the City's Office of New Americans, and we will continue to push for a region that lives up to that welcome.
Health
Good health should not be determined by zip code, language, or immigration status. Latinos make up a disproportionate share of the uninsured in this country, and that reality is felt across St. Louis every day in delayed care, unpaid bills, and untreated conditions. HLG works to expand access to affordable, culturally competent healthcare for Hispanic and Latine residents across the St. Louis metro area. We advocate for eliminating health disparities, increasing bilingual healthcare providers in our region, and ensuring our community has the information and resources needed to make informed decisions, from mental health to maternal care, in every neighborhood we call home.
Financial
Empowerment
Economic security is foundational to a thriving community. HLG advocates for policies and programs that expand access to banking, credit, home ownership, and small business resources for Hispanic and Latine families in our region. St. Louis is home to a growing number of Hispanic-owned businesses, and we are committed to ensuring that growth reaches every corner of our community. We support initiatives that close the wealth gap, combat predatory lending, and help our families build generational prosperity right here in St. Louis.
LaNGUAGE
access
Language should never be a barrier to justice, healthcare, education, or civic life in St. Louis. HLG advocates for meaningful language access across public-facing institutions throughout Missouri, including courts, schools, hospitals, and government agencies. Expanding language access is widely recognized by local leaders as a key factor in retaining and empowering our growing Hispanic community in this region. We push for robust interpretation services, translated documents, and policies that treat our linguistic diversity as a strength.
wORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT
Hispanic and Latine workers are an essential part of the St. Louis economy across industries including healthcare, construction, hospitality, and manufacturing. HLG supports workforce development programs that connect community members to good jobs, apprenticeships, and professional advancement throughout the region, while also advocating for workplace protections, fair wages, and an end to wage theft and labor exploitation. We want every member of our community to not just find work in St. Louis, but to build a lasting career here.