Can Latinos Help Solve the Water Crisis in California?
My mom grew up in a 20-acre farmland in “Las Pampas de Argentina”, and she often tells me stories about how my grandfather dug his own water well to retrieve water for his family and the household. At barely 5 years old, my mom says she remembers pumping water to take inside for her baths. If you wanted water, she said, you had to work hard at getting it. Every drop mattered, nothing went to waste.
In the face of California’s severe drought, it
was alarming to see the latest survey findings by ThinkNow Research indicating
that Latinos in California lag in awareness of drought mandated water
reduction. In our fourth year of a
crippling drought, Governor Brown issued mandatory water cutback across the state
that were put into effect on June 1, 2015. According to this survey, while 79%
of Latinos have “heard” about the mandatory water reductions, only a mere 16%
knew that the reduction in water use is by 25% for California cities. Latinos
in the state are also “less likely to mention the drought as the most critical
issue facing the state” vs. Non-Hispanics.
With California being a minority/majority state,
having targeted, multicultural, initiatives has never been more important. Not
enough is being done to communicate such an important mandate and issue. I still
see green, manicured lawns, people washing their cars a long time, and other
careless uses of water. Water is so important in life and to life. It sustains
us, it keeps us clean, it grows our food, it keeps us cool, it hydrates our
pets and so much more. We are privileged to live in a country where water runs
free and is so easily available and accessible, and because that is the case, the
need to conserve may not seem dire. The water streams that come through in our
homes, at water fountains, at work, in restaurants, at theme parks seems
endless, but it is not.
A change in consciousness needs to happen in
order for change to happen. Many campaigns were successful at changing behavior
like Rock the Vote who used celebrities
and essentially made voting cool. Rock the Vote has had a consistent presence
for many years, and they have managed to simplify and demystify voting all
while making people understand that every vote matters. Another example that
comes to mind is the CDC’s Anti-Smoking ad
campaigns that drove millions to quit smoking and influenced others not to
light up in the first place. Their commercials are graphic and provocative in
nature but powerful and effective.
To win our battle and to learn to save water for
the future, we need campaigns like these at a national, state and local level. Latinos
are a powerful force and where there’s a will, there’s a way. Data indicates that Latinos care about
environmental issues, and given our population size, we certainly possess the
ability to positively affect the water crisis on a big scale.
When I tell my kids how their grandmother had to
work hard for the water she used and consumed they just can’t believe it. I
tell them that even a few small changes can save hundreds and hundreds of
gallons of water each year. They need to
know that their individual efforts can – and will- make a difference for us
all.
Sources:
ThinkNow Research – CA Hispanics Lag in Awareness
of Drought Mandated Water Reduction
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