History of CESLAC

The Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture (CESLAC) at UCLA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to research, education, and community service as a platform for the ongoing dissemination of accurate information about Latino health, history, and culture. CESLAC was founded in 1992 by Dr. David E. Hayes-Bautista, in response to the low enrollment of Latinos in higher education, the lack of health resources for the working class, and the overall disparity of resources for low-income and immigrant communities of Latinos living in California.

Since 1992, CESLAC has provided fact-based, cutting-edge research, education, and public information about Latinos, their health, their history, and their roles in California. CESLAC was established to educate the public about ongoing important contributions by Latinos to California and the nation, and to address issues important to Latinos. Although originally CESLAC only addressed Latinos’ health issues, it later expanded to include both Latino health and Latino culture, in recognition of the importance of cultural, historical, and linguistic knowledge for addressing health disparities among the Latino population.

Our mission is to provide science-based, data-driven studies to help decision makers guide California and its economy and institutions towards a productive, inclusive Latino-majority future.

• Create a knowledge base about Latino demographics, behavior, and civic engagement
• Create a knowledge base about Latino health that will guide health care providers in managing the health of a Latino patient base effectively, efficiently, and economically
• Prepare the next generation of researchers in Latino health and civic engagement
• Inform California’s institutional leaders, and the general public, about the opportunities to be found in engaging the state’s Latino majority