Tierra Mía Heads to California, Where Latino Communities Face Costs of Extreme Heat, Wildfires and Contaminated Water

The latest episode of the Latino-focused docuseries shows how climate impacts and the loss of federal climate investments are compounding pressures on California communities. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, El Tiempo Latino, Climate Power En Acción and Poder Latinx released the latest episode of the Tierra Mía docuseries, traveling across California to document how Latino communities are confronting three climate crises at once: extreme heat, devastating wildfires, and contaminated drinking water.

The episode, “California: Latinos on the Front Lines of the Climate Crisis,” shows what these challenges look like on the ground—and how the rollback and freezing of federal climate investments are shifting the burden onto states, local governments, community organizations, and families already struggling to keep up.

From the fields of California’s Central Valley to fire-affected communities in Southern California, the episode follows Latino residents confronting the daily economic and human costs of a changing climate. Agricultural worker Martha Torres describes what extreme heat means when workers face shortened shifts, lost wages, and fewer opportunities to make ends meet. The episode also examines the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires, where approximately 35,000 jobs held by Latino workers were put in jeopardy as communities began the long process of rebuilding.

In another community, viewers meet Leonel Morales, whose neighbors confronted contaminated drinking water and had been counting on federal investment to address the problem. When that funding was cut, the community organized and fought to secure a solution—showing both the power of collective action and the consequences of making communities fight for resources that could have addressed the problem in the first place.

Together, these stories demonstrate how the climate crisis and affordability crisis are increasingly intertwined. When extreme heat limits the hours a farmworker can work, families lose income. When wildfires destroy homes and businesses, workers lose livelihoods. And when investments in clean water and climate resilience disappear, communities are left to shoulder costs that should not fall on them alone.

“Just days after the fourth anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, the California episode shows us what is at stake when climate investments disappear. Cutting climate programs doesn’t make the heat less brutal or the water cleaner. It just means families like Martha’s are left to absorb costs that should never have fallen on them,” said Antonieta Cádiz, Executive Director of Climate Power En Acción. “In communities like Leonel’s, what should have been a federal investment in clean water became a fight they had to win on their own. Tierra Mía shows that resilience is real, and our community is leading the fight.”

California has historically been a leader in climate investment and clean energy, and the episode highlights how those investments have translated into tangible benefits for communities. But as federal support is rolled back, projects and protections that communities have come to rely on are increasingly at risk.

“California’s story goes beyond any single community or cause,” said Rafael Ulloa, Deputy Publisher of Tiempo Company. “Through Tierra Mía, we have set out to document what is actually happening on the ground—the economic pressures, health risks, and daily calculations families are forced to make when they are caught between a changing climate and a shrinking safety net. These are stories that deserve to be told with care and without simplification, and we remain committed to doing exactly that.”

“California shows what is possible when communities have the resources and support to turn climate action into real, measurable improvements in people’s lives,” said Yadira Sánchez, Executive Director of Poder Latinx. “But when that support is pulled back, the burden falls hardest on the communities already facing the greatest climate risks. Tierra Mía reminds us that Latino communities are not simply on the front lines of these challenges—they are organizing, leading, and building the solutions.”

Tierra Mía is a joint storytelling initiative launched by Climate Power En Acción and El Tiempo Latino in 2024 to highlight how Latino communities across the country are experiencing climate impacts, advancing solutions, and organizing for a cleaner, more affordable future. The series has evolved alongside the climate landscape, documenting both the benefits of historic federal climate investments and the consequences communities face as those investments are dismantled.

The California episode is now available as part of the Tierra Mía series. Viewers can watch the episode and learn more about climate solutions and resources available to Latino communities at tierramia.tiempocompany.com.

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