ORLANDO, Fla. — The Hispanic community continues to face financial struggles because of the coronavirus pandemic.

What You Need To Know

  • Hispanic unemployment rate is higher than national average

  • Rep. Darren Soto says stimulus checks will be huge help to Hispanics

  • One woman shares the hardships that she has faced during the pandemic

Many are hopeful the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) can help get them through this pandemic such as Hilda Renteria-Hernandez.

Last year, she worked at a restaurant at the Orlando International Airport. She said she and several other HMS Host employees were on their way to unionizing.

She said as things began to progress she lost her job because of the pandemic. It came at a difficult time because she had big plans for her family.

“2020 was the year to buy our home,” Renteria-Hernandez said.

A year later, other than temporary side jobs, she is still unemployed.

“It was the first time that I had been unemployed long term having to think about how we were going to pay our bills and help our family,” she revealed.

She and her husband moved out of the house they were renting into an apartment to save money.

Like Renteria-Hernandez, many in the Hispanic community has been devastated by the coronavirus.

Here are the numbers:

  • The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the Hispanic unemployment rate is 8.5% higher than the national average.

  • A series of Census Bureau surveys found 25% of Hispanics report they are behind on rent, about 16% report they are either not or slightly confident they will be able to pay their mortgage.

“The Hispanic community has been hard hit, unemployment, being behind on rent, food assistance,” Rep. Darren Soto said.

Soto said the $300 unemployment benefits extension through early September and another round of stimulus checks will be a huge help to the Hispanic community. A U.S. Census Bureau survey found about 66% of Hispanics earn less than $75,000.

“That’s why we dug deep with the American Rescue Plan,” said Soto.

One of the side jobs Renteria-Hernandez worked was phone banking to help garner support for the ARPA.

“Without the unemployment, we wouldn’t be able to make our bills,” Renteria-Hernandez said.

Renteria-Hernandez hopes she can return to her job sometime this year.

Several of those $1,400 stimulus checks showed up in bank accounts last weekend.