7 in 10 Latinos worried about keeping up with bills amid the pandemic: poll

Latino households in Illinois and across the country are struggling to make ends meet during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a poll released Wednesday.

Around 60% of Latinos polled nationwide said they or someone in their household had either lost their job, taken a pay cut or were furloughed because of the pandemic.

That loss of income has translated into anxieties about keeping up with the bills: Nearly 70% of Latinos in the national poll said they soon won’t be able to afford basic expenses like rent, food, utilities and mortgage payments. For Latinos polled in Illinois, it’s closer to 80%.

Almost a third of Latinos said they hadn’t received a coronavirus stimulus check, and half of Latino business owners said they found it difficult to access small-business loans offered by the federal government.

A quarter of Latinos also reported they or a family member had contracted COVID-19.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said

Wednesday the poll highlights how Latinos are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus.

“For many politicians, even well-intentioned ones, the Latino community is still a blind spot, and so this [poll] is important in shedding light on the impact of this pandemic, which has been both a public health emergency and a health emergency for many Americans, and most especially for Latino Americans,” Castro said.

The poll was conducted May 10-16 in both English and Spanish by Latino Decisions, a Seattle-based pollster. Just over 1,800 Latino adults nationwide were interviewed, including 235 from Illinois.

Confirmed coronavirus cases among Latinos in Illinois more than doubled since May 1 to 30,000 as of Wednesday. Deaths from COVID-19 among Latinos have also more than doubled, from 351 to 828, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.