Annual DATOS event highlights growth of Arizona Latinos | Arizona

The Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce hosted its 29th annual DATOS event at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix, bringing together business and community leaders, media and agency executives and entrepreneurs from across the state to highlight the power and growth of the Latino market. 

For nearly three decades, the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (AZHCC) has published DATOS: The State of Arizona’s Hispanic Market, the most comprehensive research compilation on the impact Latinos have in Arizona’s market. 

In partnership with Vitalyst Health Foundation, the 2025 publication explores data across the 12 social determinants of healthy communities, including education, economic opportunity and healthcare. 

This year’s event also marked a new step in cross-border collaboration, with the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Sonora Global, a partnership aimed at fostering economic growth and regional cooperation.

“Sonora Global has been a partner for many years, and this agreement will help both sides continue to exchange and promote each other’s members,” said Monica Villalobos, president and CEO of AZHCC. “It ensures we move all business forward together.”

Arturo Fernández, president of Sonora Global, said the only path to building the mega-region is by creating bridges and strengthening relationships.

“We are convinced that to realistically speak of a Sonora-Arizona community, we need to establish broad lines of communication between Arizona and Sonora business leaders,” Fernández said. “Only then can we build a business community that promotes not only the exchange of goods and services, but also investment and, of course, economic development.”

He said the agreement is intended to encourage joint events, business missions and stronger cross-participation, with Arizona business leaders active in Sonora and Sonoran leaders equally engaged in Arizona.

The event officially opened with ABC15 Arizona anchor and reporter Javier Soto, who introduced the presenting sponsor before welcoming Gov. Katie Hobbs to the stage to a standing ovation.

“This DATOS report is a cornerstone of the chamber’s work,” Hobbs said. “It is critical to the growth and prosperity of our communities across the state. It helps us identify gaps, highlights the economic contributions of Arizona’s Hispanic community and provides unparalleled insights that allow us to better meet their needs.”

She added, “This year’s focus on economic freedom and community prosperity speaks to our shared mission of creating an Arizona where every person has the opportunity, security and freedom they need to thrive.”

The report highlights factors that influence economic mobility and long-term stability, including affordable housing, workforce participation, small-business growth and access to capital.

According to the data presented, more than 65 million Hispanics live in the U.S., contributing $4.1 trillion to the national economy. In Arizona, where the Latino purchasing power totals $72 billion, Latinos make up 30% of the state’s population — 40% of the Phoenix metro area and 50% of K-12 students.

“The AZHCC created DATOS: The State of Arizona’s Hispanic Market so that we can own our narrative, take the emotion out of the conversation, present facts and show the contributions of Latinos not only to the state’s economy but to the nation’s,” Villalobos told CALÓ News in an interview.

Additional data presented indicate that Hispanics account for nearly 20% of the U.S. population and 31.6% of Arizona’s population. The U.S. Latino GDP reached $3.6 trillion in 2024, growing at 4.6 % per year—making it the world’s fifth-largest economy and projected to surpass Japan by the end of 2024 and Germany by 2027.

“So, with all of those facts we see that Latinos have strong social power, strong economic power and now strong political power so we have a voice in Arizona and the rest of the country,” Villalobos added.

Keynote speakers included Dr. Judith Robles, associate director of student-athlete and family engagement at Arizona State University and Dr. Mark Hugo López, director of race and ethnicity research at the Pew Research Center..

López noted that during a recent high point in January 2025, more than 53 million immigrants — about 15.8 % of the U.S. population—were living in the country, meaning roughly one in seven Americans is an immigrant. 

“We are in a period where immigrants and immigration are a bigger part of the U.S. demographic story,” López added.

To close the event,  Robles took the stage with a deeply personal and inspirational story of resilience and perseverance. She spoke about becoming pregnant as a teenager and the uncertainty she faced when her son was born with one leg. Robles also shared how she found the courage to leave two marriages and build a path forward despite adversity.

Her son, Anthony Robles, went on to defy expectations as a wrestler, becoming a national champion and the inspiration for “Unstoppable,” a biographical sports drama that tells his remarkable story of overcoming obstacles to achieve greatness

At the end of the event, Joshua Molina, co-founder of Palabra Media, emphasized the value of both the data and the connections made at DATOS.

“Being among peers in the Latino community is super important—not only learning from DATOS and the facts, but also from each other,” Molina told CALÓ News. “The data, especially from sources like Pew, really helps us take this information to our clients so they can better understand how to engage with our communities. It shows just how impactful Latinos are to the overall economy in Arizona and the U.S., how much money there is to spend, and how they can get in front of those communities,” he concluded.

Dawn Page (she/her; Latine) is a freelance writer for CALÓ News. She grew up on the U.S.-Mexico border between Douglas, Arizona, and Agua Prieta, Sonora. She recently earned a Master’s in Bilingual Journalism from the University of Arizona. Her reporting focuses on immigration, borderlands issues, lifestyle, business and entertainment.