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A new effort is underway to secure significant funding for New York’s diverse Latino community. Leaders of the newly formed coalition, Latinos United for Change (LUCHA), are asking Gov. Kathy Hochul for a $350 million allocation in the 2025 state budget to support Latino-led and Latino-serving organizations. “Latinos represent 1 in 5 New Yorkers…When you look at indicators of success, Latinos are really not doing well. Only 54% of Latinos have a high school diploma or less. Latinos are locked into low-wage work, and we’re not going to college,” said Assembly Member Amanda Septimo. The coalition’s mission is to tackle these issues through a comprehensive Latino legislative agenda aimed at creating new pathways to success. They believe $350 million in state funding would be a vital step toward addressing these inequities. “$350 million would go to nonprofit organizations that exist all across New York, that are already serving the Latino community and doing great work,”…..