Standing Up in the Wake of the “Big Ugly Bill”

July 01, 2025

At Silicon Valley Latino, we are dedicated to spotlighting the strength, creativity, and accomplishments of our community. Our mission is to uplift through stories of triumph and progress. But there are moments—like this one—when we must also shine a light on what threatens our collective future. The recent approval of the “Big Ugly Bill” by the Senate is one of those moments. It’s a setback not only for our environment, but for the Latino and Brown communities fighting every day for clean air, clean water, and climate justice and basic human rights.

With the Senate's approval, the “Big Ugly Bill” puts our oceans, coastal communities, and environmental protections in real danger. It paves the way for expanded offshore drilling, slashes clean energy incentives, and weakens critical safeguards designed to protect marine life and public health. For Azul—an organization rooted in Latino-led ocean advocacy—this is a direct blow to their mission and the communities they serve.

The impact is especially harmful to Latino and Brown communities, who are already on the frontlines of environmental harm. GreenLatinos reminds us that these communities often lack access to clean, affordable water and safe coastal spaces. The bill's cuts to water infrastructure funding and environmental justice programs deepen those disparities and ignore the historical exclusion of Latino voices in conservation policy.

As GreenLatinos powerfully states, we are “hijos de la Tierra y el Mar”—children of the land and sea. Our cultura and connection to nature run deep. Yet this legislation prioritizes polluters and profit over people and planet, endangering not just ecosystems, but also cultural heritage and community health.

While this moment is discouraging, it’s also a call to action. We stand with Azul, GreenLatinos, and all who continue the fight for environmental justice. Our voices are strong, our presence is powerful, and our commitment to defending our communities—and our oceans—remains unwavering.

We invite you to to not only join these organizations but to support them!

#JuntosAdelante #LatinoRights #HumanRights