Comparative Analysis of Environmental Justice in US Hispanic Communities of Puerto Rico and New Mexico State

Environmental Justice (EJ) seeks to uncover the disproportionate distribution of environmental harm among ethnic/racial minorities and low-income groups. This paper compares the state of EJ in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (PR) to the state of New Mexico (NM). The two states have similar populations (3.2 and 2.1 million residents, respectively) and the USA's highest percentage of Hispanic-origin residents (49.9% in NM and 98% in PR).Previous economic research has found links between ethnicity and exposure to toxic environmental factors that harm human health. However, no studies were conducted to compare PR to other US states with a large Hispanic population. PR is a unique subject for EJ analysis for several reasons: it is large, ethnically homogeneous (98% Hispanic), geographically autonomous, and has a high level of poverty. Although PR is subject to strict environmental compliance regulations in the United States, enforcement may be less effective. Our analysis reveals that the Puerto Rican population has been more adversely impacted by environmental pollution than the majority of Hispanic districts in the southern United States, with a greater impact on Health Equity. Overall, the findings confirm that geospatial factors (rural residence) and socioeconomic status challenges have a greater negative impact on majority-Hispanic communities. The majority of Hispanic areas in New Mexico suffer from high median diabetes prevalence and socioeconomic challenges that are significantly higher than the US average.