By
Like many states, New Mexico’s air quality is worsening. The American Lung Association reported in 2020 that vehicle emissions, drought and oil-producing ozone pollution are major contributors. Living in a minority-majority state, many New Mexicans are familiar with environmental racism, which is the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on people of color. From the San Juan Basin to the Permian Basin and everywhere in between, low-income communities and primarily communities of color have had to go to the back of the bus when it comes to pollution vs. dollars, health vs. illness. Racial discrimination defines and contributes to how citizens are affected by environmental policies, the enforcement of regulations and laws, the targeting of minority communities for hazardous waste dumping sites and official sanctioning of dangerous pollutants in these minority communities.