Toward 2050 in California: A Roundtable Report on Multiracial Collaboration in Los Angeles

8/2/2019 Toward 2050 in California: A Roundtable Report on Multiracial Collaboration in Los Angeles

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Toward 2050 in California

A Roundtable Report on Multiracial Collaboration in Los Angele

Julie Ajinkya March 2012

www.americanprogress.o


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Toward 2050 in CaliforniaA Roundtable Report on Multiracial Collaboration

in Los Angeles

Julie Ajinkya March 2012

About Progress 2050

Progress 2050, a project o the Center or American Progress, seeks to lead, broaden, and strengthen the progressive

movement by working toward a more inclusive progressive agendaone that truly reects our nations rich ethnic and

racial diversity. By 2050 there will be no ethnic majority in our nation and to ensure that the unprecedented growth o

communities o color also yields uture prosperity, we work to close racial disparities across the board with innovative

policies that work or all.

About PolicyLink

PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing economic and social equity by Liting Up What Works.

Founded in 1999, PolicyLink connects the work o people on the ground to the creation o sustainable communities o op-

portunity that allow everyone to participate and prosper. Liting Up What Works is our way o ocusing attention on how

people are working successully to use local, state, and ederal policy to create conditions that benet everyone, especially

people in low-income communities and communities o color. We share our ndings and analysis through our publica-

tions, website and online tools, convenings, national summits, and in briengs with national and local policymakers.

About PERE

PERE conducts research and acilitates discussions on issues o environmental justice, regional inclusion, and social move-

ment building. PEREs work is rooted in the new three Rs: rigor, relevance, and reach. We conduct high-quality researchin our ocus areas that is relevant to public policy concerns and that reaches to those directly afected communities that

most need to be engaged in the discussion. In general, we seek and support direct collaborations with community-based

organizations in research and other activities, trying to orge a new model o how university and community can work

together or the common good.


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1 Introduction and summary

4 Why California, and specifically why L.A.?

7 Demographic change presents challenges to Los Angele

10 Los Angeles overcomes challenges through

multiracial collaboration

17 Conclusion

18 List of participants at the convening in Los Angeles

19 About the author and acknowledgments

20 Endnotes

Contents


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1 Ceter or Amerca Progress |Toward 2050 Caora

Introduction and summary

As he Unied Saes prepares or a sizable demographic shi ha will urn he

counry ino a majoriy-minoriy naion by 2042, here are noeworhy communi-

ies across he counry ha have already experienced his ransiion and may hold

lessons or he change ha lies ahead. Caliornia in paricular is a sae made up o

a number o such communiies and has operaed as a sor o bellweher or he res

o he naions racial and ehnic demographic shis or he pas ew decades.

Te mos recen U.S. CensusBureau daa projec ha he

counry will no longer have a

clear racial or ehnic majoriy

by he year 2050, ye Caliornia

reached his milesone more

han a decade ago in 2000. (see

Figures 1 and 2)

Caliornia has no only served

as a bellweher or he demo-

graphic shi ha he res o

naion will soon experience, bu

he sae has also experienced

some o he opporuniies and

challenges ha may accompany

such populaion change. Te

racial and ehnic dispariies in

educaion, healh, and employmen, or insance, have been on he oreron o

Caliornias progressive public policy agenda or decades, wih he saes com-muniy leaders, advocaes, and decision makers undersanding ha such dispari-

ies preven he sae rom realizing is ull poenial.

FIGURE 1U.S. changing demographics, 19702050

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

1%

1970

83%

11%

4%

1%

1980

80%

12%

7%

2%

1990

1%

76%

12%

9%3%

2000

3%

69%

12%

13%

4%

2010

3%

64%

12%

16%

5%

2020

3%

59%

12%

20%

6%

2030

4%

55%

12%

23%

7%

2040

4%

12%

27%

7%

50%

Non-Hispanic White African American Latino

Asian/Pacific Islander Other or Mixed Race

100%

90%

Note: Other includes all persons who are n

included among other groups shown, andnon-Latinos who identiy racially as being

American or Alaska Native, some other racor multiracial.

Source: PolicyLink/PERE analysis o StatistiAbstract o the United States (1970 and 19

Census Bureau, decennial censuses (1990 SF3, and 2010 SF1); U.S. Census Bureau PoProjections, 2008 (2020-2050), adjusted us

results o the 2010 Census.


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Te res o he Unied Saes aces hese same ypes o dis-

pariies. I hey are allowed o persis, he counry will have

arguably squandered one o is greaes asses and poenial

conribuors o economic growh in he 21s cenury.

Wha lessons does Caliornias experience wih demo-graphic change hold? Are here paricular challenges ha he

populaion change presens? Have Caliornian communiies

developed any noably successul iniiaives o urn such

challenges ino opporuniies or he saes uure?

I is in his spiri ha he Progress 2050-PolicyLink

parnership hosed is second even in a series o round-

able discussions ocusing on demographic change in Los

Angeles, Caliornia, in conjuncion wih he Universiy

o Souhern Caliornias Program or Environmenal andRegional Equiy, or PERE. Progress 2050a projec o

he Cener or American Progressand PolicyLinka

naional research and acion insiue advancing eco-

nomic and social equiyormed a parnership o iniiae a naional conversaion

o explore a new vision o wha America can and should be in 2050. Te longer-

erm objecive o his eor is o learn rom local leaders which invesmens are

needed o make sure our naion embraces is diverse uure. We inend or hese

conversaions o inorm our policy agenda and ulimaely cra policies ha li up

communiies o color and creae a uure in which all can prosper.

Roundable paricipans included communiy aciviss, policy researchers, busi-

ness leaders, and academics. (see atached lis o convening paricipans on page

18 o his repor) Te range o heir experise was diverse, as hey represened

groups ha ocused on issues rom labor o business developmen, rom educa-

ion o media represenaion.

We chose Los Angeles as a sie or his discussion because o is subsanial experi-

ence wih demographic shis, no only beween is whie and nonwhie populaions

bu also wihin is communiies o color. o underscore his poin, rom 1990-2010,he Laino and Asian/Pacic Islander populaions o he ciy each increased by 32

percen, while he Arican American populaion decreased by 24 percen and he

whie populaion ell by 16 percen.1 Along wih hese populaion shis, Los Angeles

has also orecased major rends ha he res o he counry has only jus begun o

experience, including:

FIGURE 2

Californias changing demographics

Population projections by race/ethnicity

Note: Other includes all persons who are nincluded among other groups shown, and

non-Latinos who identiy racially as being American or Alaska Native, some other racor multiracial.

Source: PolicyLink/PERE analysis o 1980-2

decennial census data rom CensusScope American FactFinder, and 2020-2050 data Caliornia Department o Finance, with pro

data adjusted using the 2010 census.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

2000

47%

6%

32%

11%

3%

2010

6%

40%

38%

13%

3%

2020

5%

13%

3%

37%

41%

2030

5%

3%

13%

33%

45%

2040

5%

3%

30%

49%

14%

Non-Hispanic White African American Latin

Asian/Pacific Islander Other or Mixed Race

100%

90%


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Te culural generaion gap, which compares aging baby boomers a one end

o he specrum o he growing group o young people who are he mos racially

diverse generaion he counry has ever seen2

Te suburbanizaion o diversiy and povery

Tis change has a imes been accompanied by ensionbeween he old and

he young, beween whies and nonwhies, and wihin communiies o color

paricularly as compeiion over increasingly scarce resources and employmen

coninues o be ramed as a zero-sum paradigm.

Ye Los Angeles does no only highligh problems ha he res o he counry may

soon acei also oers soluions o hese problems. In he repor ha ollows,

we provide an accoun o he conversaion ha ook place a his ciy s roundable

discussion and is paricular ocus on he imporan role ha muliracial coaliions

play in counering hese anxieies. o be sure, while coaliions are hough o beeecive a ranslaing he growing numerical power o communiies o color ino

acual poliical power, here are numerous kinds o collaboraionsome proving

more susainable han ohers.

We begin our accoun wih some demographic conex abou he sae o

Caliornia and he ciy o Los Angeles. We hen move on o discuss coaliion poli-

ics and heir paricular hisory in L.A., ideniying some o he dieren mulira-

cial coaliions ha roundable paricipans argued counerac he ciy s repuaion

as a hobed o inerehnic srie.

Lasly, we recoun some lessons in orging such coaliions ha emerged rom L.A.s

experience, which could hold value or he res o he naion as we move closer o

he day where here will be no clear racial or ehnic majoriy in he counry.


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Why California,

and specifically why L.A.?

Manuel Pasora proessor o Geography and American Sudies and Ehniciy

a he Universiy o Souhern Caliornia and he direcor o PEREprovided

he backdrop or he roundable discussion wih a presenaion on Caliornia

and Los Angeles demographics. Pasor argued ha he populaion change in

Caliornia rom 1980 o 2000, which saw he saes non-Hispanic whie popula-

ion shrink o 47 percen, is roughly he change ha he res o he Unied Saes

will experience rom 2000 o 2050. In 2000, or insance, he counrys whie

populaion was roughly 69 percen, whereas in 2050 i is projeced o be 46percen. He elaboraed ha wo oher specic rends in Caliorniaand in Los

Angeles specicallyserve as a bellweher or he res o he naion.

The cultural generation gap

Brookings Insiuion demographer William Frey has argued ha one o he press-

ing concerns acing he naion as our demographics shi is he culural genera-

ion gap beween an aging, largely whie populaion and he growing young

diversiy in communiies across he counry. Pasor explained ha Caliornia has

once again been a bellweher or he res o he counry and has experienced his

gap or some ime. Recen PolicyLink/PERE repors have also described his gap

as a racial generaion gap.3 In his presenaion, Pasor explained ha mos o he

populaion growh conribuing o his generaion gap in Los Angeles does no

acually come rom immigraioncouner o how i is represened in he popular

mediabu insead comes rom he birhs o he second and hird generaion. He

poined o he ollowing acors underlying his generaion gap:

Decline in foreign-born residents. Pasor argued ha an imporan par o heregions prophecy lies in is share o oreign-born residens. While he share o

oreign-born residens wen up mos dramaically in he region in he 1980s, he

share o oreign-born people in Caliornia acually ell in he pas ew years. Los


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Angeles, in ac, is he only major meropolian area in he counry ha did no

see an increase in Laino children in he pas decade.

A more settled immigrant population. Pasor noed ha in 1990, 53 percen o

he oreign-born populaion in Los Angeles Couny had been in he Unied Saes

or less han 10 years. From 2005 o 2009, he share o he counys oreign-bornwih less han 10 years in-counry was only 20 percen. In conras, by ha same

ime he vas majoriy o oreign-born residens had been in he counry beween

10 years and 30 years (55 percen) and ully 25 percen had been in he counry

or more han 30 years.4 Te image o recen immigrans is now a realiy o long-

setled immigrans and heir second generaion children.

Rapid growth of youth population. Te median age o non-Hispanic whies

in he Unied Saes is 41, whereas he median age or Pacic Islanders is 35,

is 32 or Arican Americans, and is 27 or Lainos. Tis 14-year gap beween

non-Hispanic whies and Hispanicswhich almos consiues an enire gen-eraion gapis even more pronounced in Caliornia, where he median age o

whies is 43 and o Lainos is 27.

Mixed-race population boom.While he res o he counrys youh populaion

is also prediced o have much higher percenages o mixed-race individuals over

he nex ew decades, Caliornia has once again emerged ahead o he curve.

As early as 2000, census daa repor ha 7.3 percen o Caliornias popula-

ion under age 18 idenies being descendan rom wo or more races, and Los

Angeles is home o one o he larges populaions o mixed race-individuals.

The suburbanization of diversity

I used o be he case ha diversiy was much more concenraed in urban ceners

while suburban areas were predominanly whie. Ye Pasor noed ha one o he

mos imporan rends ha Los Angeles has orecas or he res o he counry is

he suburbanizaion o diversiy.

Diversity spreads to the suburbs. In 2010 he larges suburbs across he UniedSaes were 65 percen whie, abou 10 percen Arican American, 17 per-

cen Laino, and 6 percen Asianwhich is acually quie comparable o he

American populaion disribuion.5 Again Los Angeles saw his spread o diver-

siy ino he suburbs as early as he 1990s.


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Increased proximity between

communities of color. Spaial

changes increased he prox-

imiy beween Los Angeless

Laino and Arican American

populaions in suburban andexurban areas, which is par-

icularly eviden i we look a

he change in composiion o

high schools in souhern Los

Angeles. (see Figures 3 and

4) Manual Ars High School,

or insance, wen rom being

68 percen Arican American

in he early 1980s o being 81

percen Laino in 2008-2009,while Alain L. Locke High

School wen rom being 98

percen Arican American o

being 67 percen Laino.6

FIGURE 3

South Central Los Angeles High School demography,198182 school year

FIGURE 4

South Central Los Angeles High School demography,

200809 school year

Source: USC PERE analysis o Caliornia BasEducation Data System (CBEDS)

Source: USC PERE analysis o Caliornia Bas

Education Data System (CBEDS)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Crenshaw

99%

1%

Dorsey

91%

5%

4%

Fremont

7%

93%

10%

Jordan

90%

100%

90%

Jefferson

42%

57%

1%

ManualArts

31%

68%

1%

Locke

98%

2%

Wa

African American Latino Other

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Fremont

90%

9%

Locke

100%

90%

W

67%

Manual

Arts

81%

31%

18%

1%

Crenshaw

68%

30%

2%

Dorsey

57%

42%

1% 1%

Jefferson

90%

9%

1% 1% 1%

Jordan

77%

22%

African American Latino Other


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Demographic change presents

challenges to Los Angeles

Pasor kicked o he roundable discussion by asking paricipans how hese

demographic shis resonaed wih heir work. Paricipans began by describing

challenges ha rapid populaion change had presened in he region, including

beter daa collecion, he high incarceraion raes ha disproporionaely aec

communiies o color, and he challenges ha increasing diversiy in he suburbs

presens o inrasrucure invesmens.

Several paricipans immediaely noed ha while such demographic daa is enor-mously helpul in undersanding populaion changeno only in Los Angeles bu

across he counry as wellcommuniy groups were in need o beter disaggregaed

daa o ge a many subgroup needs as well. Manju Kulkarni rom he Souh Asian

Nework and Chancee Marorell rom he Tai Communiy Developmen Cener

boh expressed rusraion wih join Asian daa ha oen did no break ou dier-

en sub-Asian ehnic groups and ailed o represen he diverse economic sruggles

ha some members o he communiy suered more han ohers.

In 2010, or insance, he American Communiy Survey documened naionwide

raes o economic insecuriy or he Tai populaion relaive o he aggregae Asian

populaion. While 22.8 percen o Tais lacked healh care coverage and 13.1 per-

cen o Tai amilies lived below he povery line, 15.7 percen o Asians repored

lacking healh care coverage and 9.1 percen o Asian amilies were living below he

povery line.7 Healh care and povery are wo issues ha Tai CDC ocuses on in

he communiy, meaning disaggregaed daa or Los Angeles, which are currenly

nonexisen, would aid heir work remendously.

o his end, i should be noed ha he Cener or American Progress recenly joined

wih he Whie House Iniiaive on Asian Americans and Pacic Islanders and heUniversiy o Caliornia, Los Angeles, o release a special issue o heAsian American

Pacifc Islander Nexus Journal, iled Forging he Fuure: Te Role o New Research,

Daa, and Policies or Asian Americans, Naive Hawaiians, and Pacic Islanders.

Te repor addresses he urgency o beter daa collecion on AAPI communiies
http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/aascpress/nexus9_1_2_full.pdfhttp://www.aasc.ucla.edu/aascpress/nexus9_1_2_full.pdfhttp://www.aasc.ucla.edu/aascpress/nexus9_1_2_full.pdfhttp://www.aasc.ucla.edu/aascpress/nexus9_1_2_full.pdf


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in ve secors: civil righs, economic developmen (including susainable neighbor-

hoods), educaion, healh, and Naive Hawaiians and Pacic Islanders.

Aer discussing daa collecion eors, Shana Redmond rom he Universiy o

Souhern Caliornia raised he issue o disproporionae incarceraion in com-

muniies o color. We know ha as o 2010, Caliornias prisons were operaing a175 percen o heir design capaciy, and ha here are signican racial and ehnic

dispariies in he saes prison populaion25.6 percen o inmaes are whie,

while 39.3 percen are Laino, 29 percen are Arican American, and 9 percen are

oher communiies o color.8 Redmond argued ha he raes o Arican American

incarceraion are increasing while he populaion is saying relaively consan,

eecively diluing he poliical power o he communiy. Maisie Chen o CADRE,

a group based in L.A. ha works o ge parens involved in schools serving low-

income neighborhoods o color, agreed wih hese concerns, arguing ha high

incarceraion raes resul in locking away he diversiy o he region insead o

appreciaing i as a poenial asse o regional economic growh.

Nex, Linda Wong o he Cener or Urban Educaion spoke o he suburban-

izaion o diversiy issue rom Pasors demographic presenaion and voiced

concern ha he needs o ouer-ring communiies are oen overlooked in

conversaions ocused on inrasrucure invesmens and social services. Te

diversicaion o he suburbs has been accompanied by higher povery in hese

areas, ye misconcepions prevail abou srucural invesmens such as access o

public ransporaion as only being needed in inner-ciy locales. Research on he

growing social service challenges o rising suburban povery suppors Wongs

concerns, conrming ha while povery raes approach 20 percen in many Los

Angeles suburban communiies, hese areas rely on relaively ew social service

organizaions ha are orced o srech operaions across much larger service

delivery areas han heir urban counerpars.9

Numerous paricipans also raised he issue o inerehnic ension, as he rapidly

changing demographics o Los Angelesspecically he growh in Laino and

Asian populaions and he decline in he Arican American populaionhave

oen pited communiies o color agains one anoher in a zero-sum cones over

limied resources. Conics range rom redisricing batles over he geographicalconcenraion o cerain communiies o color and heir corresponding poliical

represenaion, o saewide ballo measures ha propose denying public benes

o undocumened residens while documened residens suer rom economic

insecuriy as well.

The diversicati

o the suburbs

been accompan

by higher pove

in these areas, y

misconceptions

prevail about

structural

investments suc

as access to pu

transportation a

only being need

in inner-city

locales.


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o be sure, his ension has in ac become a serious concern o he paricipans,

who specically highlighed social, economic, and poliical compeiion beween

Arican American and immigran populaions. Te growing proximiy o hese

populaions menioned in Pasors presenaion means ha immigrans are oen

moving ino radiionally black neighborhoods and bringing new businesses, new

churches, and new ways o living wih hem. Tis has also been inerpreed as dis-placemen, negaive impacs on naive-born wages, and compeiion over limied

employmen and oher resources.10


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Los Angeles overcomes

challenges through multiracial

collaboration

Ye he inracable naure o his ension ha is oen porrayed by he media ignores

he various levels o muliracial collaboraion ha are ourishing across he ciy.

Ange-Marie Hancock rom he Cener or he Sudy o Immigran Inegraion a

USC suggesed ha he discussion could ocus on he posiive vision o muliracial

collaboraion ha Los Angeles has experienced and could share wih he res o he

counry insead o harping on pas encouners wih conic.

In ac, Los Angeles has a rich hisory o such collaboraion and coninues o oer

examples o cross-communiy coaliion work ha eecively couners he challenges

posed by demographic change discussed above. In he ollowing secions, we oer

disinc cases o coaliion work ha have ourished in he ciy and could oer lessons

o he res o he Unied Saes as he counry prepares or similar populaion shis.

Los Angeles has a rich history of multiracial coalitions

In 1969 an Arican American poliician named om Bradley ran agains incumben

Mayor Sam Yory, challenging he esablishmen in a largely conservaive ciy, which

made litle room or progressive or nonwhie poliicians. Bu ha year brough

wha poliical scienis Raphael J. Sonenshein calls he big bang o minoriy and

progressive poliics in L.A.an alliance o Arican Americans and whie Wesside

liberals who came ogeher or he rs ime in suppor o common ineress.11 Boh

groups el ha hey had been excluded rom he elie, exclusive, conservaive group

ha radiionally ran he ciy and hough i was ime or a change.

Unorunaely, Yory ran a slanderous campaign ha pained Bradley as anunknown black milian o be eared, and voers succumbed o Yorys scare ac-

ics, re-elecing he mayor. When, our years laer in 1973, Bradley again ook on

Yory, Los Angeles was ready or a change and eleced Bradley as is rs Arican

American mayor. Wih he bene o beter amiliariy, which counered voers


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ears, and he suppor o he same srong biracial coaliion, Bradley was able o

secure a solid vicory.

More han 30 years laer, hisory repeaed isel. In 2001 Anonio Villaraigosa ran

agains hen-incumben Mayor James Hahn. Hahn received srong suppor rom

he ciys Arican American populaionhe resul o his poliical legacy and obeing he son o a longime progressive advocae or communiies o color. Some

pundis also believed ha he Arican American communiy was araid ha elec-

ing he ciys rs Laino mayor would mean ha he black communiy would

lose poliical clou o he ciys increasing Laino populaion.12 Villaraigosa ran an

energeic campaign and assembled a rainbow coaliion bu in he end was unable

o deea Hahns coaliion o black and whie supporwhich harkened back o

1969 mayoral race wih he incumben his ime using scare acics ha pained

Villaraigosa as so on crime.

In anoher nod o he race beween Bradley and Yory, our years aer his rs deea,Villaraigosa again challenged Hahn in 2005, ha ime becoming he ciys rs

Laino eleced mayor in 133 years. Te dierence our years laer has been cred-

ied o Villaraigosas increased suppor among non-Laino voershis whie voer

suppor increased o 50 percen in 2005 rom 41 percen in 2001; his black voe

increased o a sunning 48 percen rom 20 percen; and his Asian voe increased o

44 percen rom 35 percen.13 Tough some analyss argue ha he 2005 Villaraigosa

vicory may have had less o do wih he srengh o his muliracial coaliiongiven

ha he had, aer all, buil a similar coaliion in 2001i sill oers an example o

how once-divided communiies came ogeher o ranslae heir numerical srengh

ino poliical srengh ha neiher communiy could wield alone. Los Angeles has

also had more recen experience wih nonelecoral coaliions, which roundable

paricipans argued unied diverse groups behind common rames, increased rus

beween communiies, and addressed he generaional gap raised above.

Common frames enable issue-based coalition work

Roundable paricipans also discussed labor exploiaion as a poenial cross-

communiy organizing rame ha aecs various communiies o color in LosAngeles. Chancee Marorell rom Tai CDC explained ha labor has acually

been a very successul inerehnic organizing rame or Asian organizaions in he

ciy and described a reailer accounabiliy campaign ha brough Asians and

Lainos ogeher o gh or workers basic human righs.

The 2005

Villaraigosa

victory ofers an

example o how

once-divided

communities

came together

to translate thei

numerical stren

into political

strength that

neither commu

could wield alon


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In he mid-1990s a Los Angeles group hen-known as he Korean Immigran Workers

Advocaes, or KIWA, became inspired by a workers righs campaign in San Francisco

and began a similar reailer accounabiliy campaign in Souhern Caliornia o orga-

nize Asian and Laino garmen workers who were owed back-wages by reailers. Teir

invesigaion ino he indusry revealed ha reailers and manuacurers were making

up o 600 percen pro o heir producs while depressing he wages o workers,paricularly emale workers o color. Te reailers repeaedly denied heir culpabiliy,

claiming insead ha heir subconracors were he rue culpris.

Bu in 1995 when he rs case o modern-day slavery broke in Los Angeles, i

presened a golden opporuniy or he campaign o capialize on he medias as-

cinaion wih workers condiions in Los Angeles. El Mone, a Souhern Caliornia

garmen company, was owned and operaed by seven members o a Tai amily

brough up on criminal charges involving 72 Tai naionals who had been ra-

cked o L.A.s garmen indusry. Tese Tai naionals lived lives o indenured

serviude and were held agains heir will in deplorable condiions.

Te Deparmen o Jusice prosecued ve o he seven owners as rafckers o

modern-day slavery, and hey were senenced o ve o eigh years in prison.

Te civil case, which was brough by he Asian Pacic American Legal Cener

(APALC), also resuled in a $4 million setlemen in back-wages ha he reailers

and manuacurers agreed o pay because o he poor publiciy garnered by he

scandal. Te case se a preceden because i held he reailer and manuacurer

responsible or subconracor worker condiions. In addiion, he case also had

wo imporan impacs on communiy relaions in Los Angeles.

Firs, he liberaed Tai workers became highly involved in KIWAs reailer accoun-

abiliy campaign and srenghened he inerehnic organizing rame o labor. Given

ha he majoriy o L.A.s garmen workers are Laino, drawing on he common

working experience rom he Asian communiy, paricularly one ha had prevailed

in he courroom, increased he condence o workers on he campaign. Organizers

described an aspiraional shi rom workers iniially seting ou o win back-wages

o evenually waning o change a sysem and reorganize an enire indusry. Te new,

srenghened coaliion wen on o achieve sae-level legislaive vicories, including

codes o conduc on he par o conracors and hird-pary monioring sysems haensure he condiions are legal and air.

Second, hough immigran labor movemens have hisorically had a complicaed

hisory wih he Arican American communiyparicularly because o economic

compeiion issueshis campaigns abiliy o use he rame o slavery resonaed


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wih members o L.A .s progressive black communiy. Te campaign gave rise o

a group called he Coaliion o Abolish Slavery and rafcking, or CAS, which

mainains an inerehnic organizing rame and has won suppor rom black leaders

in he communiy. CAS is seen as a pioneer organizaion ha combines direc

services, raining, and advocacy. While is ocus is inernaional vicims, i has

recenly branched ou o domesic vicimsor insance, he Mary Magdaleneprojec in Souh L.A., which provides oureach services o young Arican

American women lured ino prosiuion and heir amilies.

Trust facilitates coalition work between African Americans

and immigrants

Roundable paricipans underlined he imporance o building rus beween

dieren communiies beore coaliion work is possible, paricularly ciing he

ension beween Arican Americans and immigrans as an example. Linda Wongo he Cener or Urban Educaion argued ha ace-o-ace organizing helps break

down barriers and preconceived, derimenal sereoypes ha communiies may

harbor o one anoher. Regina Freer o Occidenal College also conended ha

successul coaliions are ieraive. Freer explained ha in order o reach a consruc-

ive level o rus ha allows groups o connec wih individuals ouside o heir

paricular group, i is imporan o rs discuss wha hese demographic changes

mean wihin heir group in order o reach a more democraic level o consensus

abou how heir group has been aeced.

A recen repor, iled All ogeher Now, by he Cener or he Sudy o

Immigran Inegraion a USC, wries more abou he imporance o Arican

American-Immigran Coaliions and echoes hese senimens abou building rus

in coaliion work. Te auhors argue ha a common and uniying agenda should

be based on a vision o everyday social jusice, meaning ha boh communi-

ies mus have an hones dialogue abou heir daily needsrom educaion o

economic sabiliy o healhcarebeore hey come ogeher. Tese discussions

can oen be painul bu are considered necessary by he auhors o ranscend shal-

low coaliion poliics, which are based on ragile and episodic ineress. Insead,

coaliions should be ormed around shared values, which will lead o coninuedengagemen and social movemen susainabiliy.

Te repor also noes ha labor can be a successul organizing rame across

communiies, paricularly because boh Arican American and immigran com-


17/24


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Tis is precisely why, according o oher roundable paricipans, youh leader-

ship is vial o nurure. Megan Scot rom Sraegic Conceps in Organizing and

Policy Educaion, or SCOPE, argued ha capaciy and leadership developmen

was crucial o building grassroos power o ensure ha communiies o color

could organize or more social and economic opporuniies. Ange-Marie Hancock

rom USC, who has writen exensively on youh coaliion work in Los Angeles,expressed grea opimism ha i is such youh work ha is building a srong uure

or Los Angeles and could be modeled by he res o he counry.

One paricular iniiaive is he Communiy Coaliion, known as CoCo, in Souh

Los Angeles. CoCo has a youh program called SC-YEA (Souh Cenral Youh

Empowered hrough Acion) ha includes abou 50 leaders and 250 youh who

orm high school organizing commitees in eigh souhern L.A. high schools.

Te sudens come ogeher o address dispariies in how resources are allocaed

a he Los Angeles Unied School Disric, he naions second-larges school

disric. Te sudens ake par in leadership raining, ineracive poliical educa-ion and discussion, and hands-on organizing, bu he coaliion also direcly

invess in basic suppors such as ransporaion, dinner, academic counseling,

and ree or low-cos SA courses.15

CoCo ocuses on black and brown uniy and inergeneraional leadership, and has

won campaigns ha ocus on closing he achievemen gap by improving Souh

L.A. high school aciliies and ensuring access o college preparaory course-

work. One angible success was he campaigns role in creaing he Archiecure,

Consrucion, and Engineering Academy a Locke High Schoolan academy ha

prepares high school sudens o go direcly ino a career in a growing indusry or

o coninue on o a our-year universiy.

Anoher successul youh iniiaive called he Freedom Riders recenly hosed

a very successul even in Los Angeles ha encouraged coaliion work no only

across race and ehniciy bu also across generaions. Te Cener or American

Progress parnered wih he Coaliion or Humane Immigran Righs o Los

Angeles, or CHIRLA, o show clips rom he civil righs documenary Freedom

Riders, ollowed by a panel discussion comprising wo Arican American reedom

riders who were suden aciviss 50 years ago and wo undocumened Lainoimmigran sudens who are acive in he gh or immigran righs oday.

Te projec seeks o expand he undersanding among odays suden aciviss

abou he sraegies and acics o young people 50 years earlier who were able

Capacity and

leadership

development w

crucial to buildi

grassroots powe

to ensure that

communities

o color could

organize or

more social

and economic

opportunities.


19/24


o undamenally change American hisory. Key o his success was he abiliy o

engage people o color in leadership roles while also reaching ou o oher ehnic

groups in order o expand he range o aciviss working o suppor he righs

o people o color. Te projec also seeks o connec he civil righs sruggles o

Arican Americans who relied on suden proes o he immigraion sruggles o

odays suden aciviss, underlining common issues beween boh communiiesin building awareness abou he ohers issues.

Te even in Los Angeles was atended by a ull house o abou 200 people and

was he resul o a successul parnership no jus beween CAP and CHIRLA, bu

one ha also included unique muliracial and cross-culural organizaions, includ-

ing Arican American Sudies a USC, he Cener or he Sudy o Immigran

Inegraion, he Caliornia Dream Nework, Chicano and Lainos American

Sudies a USC, Communiy Coaliion, Wise Up!, he Naional Hispanic Media

Coaliion, and he Program or Environmenal and Regional Equiy.

Such vibran examples o youh collaboraion demonsrae ha a new generaion

o leaders is emerging in Los Angelesleaders who are considered no only on

he oreron o demographic change in heir own ciy bu who may also pave a

way orward or he res o he counry o model.


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Conclusion

Caliornia has ime and again proven o be an ineresing bellweher or demo-

graphic rends ha he res o he Unied Saes can expec or he naion a large.

Among hese predicions lie signican challenges ha growing communiies

o color ace such as dispariies in employmen, educaion, and healh, rising

incarceraion raes, and weaknesses in daa collecion ha preven a comprehen-

sive undersanding o how subsanial hese challenges are or allcommuniies o

color. Tese challenges have also generaed divisive compeiion among commu-

niies o color and led o ension over limied resources.

Ye despie hese challenges he signican lead ha Caliornia has experienced

in populaion change has also resuled in a mass o knowledge o how o couner

hese divisions and enable communiies o color o gh ogeher or more social

and economic opporuniies. Los Angeles in paricular has been home o various

examples o muliracial collaboraion ha have no only won elecoral vicories

and greaer poliical represenaions or communiies o color bu have also suc-

cessully ough or labor righs, increased employmen opporuniies, and more

promising educaional reorm ha prepares our youh o color o become srong

workorce paricipans and more engaged ciizens.

As our counry moves orward oward 2050 and a day where here will no

longer be any clear racial or ehnic majoriy, i will be imporan o learn lessons

rom regions such as Los Angeles as o how our diverse communiies can work

ogeher, embrace wha we hold in common, and ensure our uure is one ha

works or all and no jus some.


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List of participants at the convening in Los Angeles

Manju Kulkarni South Asian Network

Chancee Martorell Thai Community Development Center

Shana Redmond University o Southern Caliornia

Linda Wong Center or Urban Education

Robin Toma L.A. County Human Relations Commission

Enrique Velasquez PolicyLink

Delia de la Vara National Council o La Raza

Brenda Rivas National Hispanic Media Coalition

Mary Campbell University o Southern Caliornia

Megan Scott Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education, or SCOPE

Maria Cabildo East L.A. Community Corporation

Sara Sadhwani Caliornia Immigrant Policy Center

Margarita Ramirez Liberty Hill Foundation

Manuel Pastor University o Southern CaliorniaRegina Freer Occidental College

Ange-Marie Hancock University o Southern Caliornia/Center or the Study o Immigrant Integration

Alma Salazar L.A. Area Chamber o Commerce


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About the author

Julie Ajinkya is a Policy Analys or Progress 2050 a American Progress. Her work

ocuses on race, ehnic, gender, and immigraion poliics, and she pays paricular

atenion o he changing demographics o muliculural socieies such as he

Unied Saes and Wesern Europe.

Prior o joining American Progress, she was an insrucor and eaching assisan a

Cornell Universiy while earning her docorae in poliical science. Her pas work

has also ocused on researching global and local womens movemens and he gen-

dered impacs o inernaional nancial insiuion invesmens in he developing

world. She was a New Voices Fellow rom 2003 o 2005 a he Insiue or Policy

Sudies, where she coordinaed he naional oureach or he insiues Foreign

Policy in Focus projec.

Julie earned her masers and docorae in governmen rom Cornell Universiy,where her docoral disseraion examined he poliical behavior o children o Muslim

immigrans and heir campaigns or gender-jusice acivism in Europe and Norh

America. She earned a bachelors degree in poliical science rom Amhers College.

Acknowledgments

Te auhor is exremely graeul o hose who helped wih he preparaion o

his repor. She would paricularly like o hank all o he paricipans in he Los

Angeles roundable convening; Sarah reuha a PolicyLink; Manuel Pasor a he

Universiy o Souhern Caliornia; and Vanessa Crdenas, Daniella Gibbs Lger,

and Sophia Kerby a he Cener or American Progress.


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Endnotes

1 PERE aayss o 1990 ad 2010 decea Cesus rom natoaHstorca Geographc iormato System (nHGiS)

2 Wam H. rey, Amercas uture Defed by Dversty (Washgto:Brookgs isttuto, 2011), avaabe at http://www.brookgs.edu/mutmeda.aspx?se=Speaker%3A+Wam+H.+rey&doQuery=1&sort=date:D:S:d1&q=+meta%3Ab_doctype~Vdeo+meta%3Ab_vdeopayertype~OeCp&start=0&um=10&requredfeds=

b_d.b_brghtcoved.b_rcauthor:Wam%20H%20rey.

3 Pocylk, Caoras Tomorrow: Equty s the Superor GrowthMode (2012), avaabe at http://www.pocyk.org/at/c/%7B97c6d565-bb43-406d-a6d5-eca3bb35a0%7D/CA_ESGM_i-nAl.PD.

Pocylk, Amercas Tomorrow: Equty s the Superor GrowthMode (2011), avaabe at http://www.pocyk.org/at/c/%7B97c6d565-bb43-406d-a6d5-eca3bb35a0%7D/SUMMiT_RAMinG_WEB_inAl_20120127.PD.

4 PERE aayss o 1990 decea Cesus (S3) 2005-2009 ACS sum-mary data rom Geoytcs

5 rey, Wam H. 2011. Metg Pot Ctes ad Suburbs: Raca adEthc Chage Metro Amerca the 2000s. State o MetropotaAmerca. Washgto DC: Brookgs isttuo.

6 Backwe, Agea, Stewart Kwoh ad Maue Pastor, 2010. Ucom-mo Commo Groud: Race ad Amercas uture. W.W. norto.

7 Amerca Commuty Survey 2010 Oe-Year Estmates, avaabeat http://actfder2.cesus.gov/aces/av/js/pages/searchresuts.xhtm?reresh=t (ast accessed March 7, 2012).

8 Joseph M. Hayes, Caoras Chagg Prso Popuato, (Saracsco: Pubc Pocy isttute o Caora 2011), avaabe athttp://www.googe.com/ur?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cts=1331154492524&ved=0CDAQjAA&ur=http%3A%2%2www.ppc.org%2cotet%2pubs%2jt%2JT_PrsosJT.pd&e=OM5XT-cHaHz0gH3gi2xDw&usg=AQjCn1i7Rcp8EdYh4simnayU778nw&sg2=jZmGRg5y88HT5hPkwXD0A; CaoraPrsoers ad Paroees-2009, avaabe at http://www.googe.com/ur?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cts=1331154492524&ved=0CDAQjAA&ur=http%3A%2%2www.ppc.org%2cotet%2pubs%2jt%2JT_PrsosJT.pd&e=OM5XT-cHaHz0gH3gi2xDw&usg=AQjCn1i7Rcp8EdYh4simnayU778nw&sg2=jZmG

Rg5y88HT5hPkwXD0A (ast accessed March 7, 2012).

9 Brookgs isttuto, actsheet: Suburba los Agees (2010),avaabe at http://w ww.brookgs.edu/~/meda/es/rc/re-ports/2010/1007_suburba_poverty_aard_roth/1007_suburba_poverty_os_agees.pd.

10 Maue Pastor, Jua De lara, ad Just Scoggs, A Togethernow? (los Agees: Ceter or the Study o immgrat itegrato,2011), avaabe at http://cs.usc.edu/documets/atogetherow_

techca_report_web.pd.

11 Raphae J. Soeshe, i Bradeys shadow, Los Angeles Times, May25, 2008, avaabe at http://artces.atmes.com/2008/may/25/op-o/op-soeshe25.

12 Joh nchos, not ths tme lA, The Nation, Jue 7, 2001, ava-abe at http://www.theato.com/artce/ot-tme-a.

13 Mchae Avarez ad Joatha nager,Atoo Varagosas Vctory los Ag ees: Ay Democratc lessos or Wg lato Votes?,Ruy Teixeiras Donkey Rising Blog, Juy 18, 2005, avaabe at http://www.thedemocratcstrategst.org/dokeyrsg/2005/07/ato-o_varagosas_vctory.htm.

14 Pastor, De lara, ad Scoggs, A Together now?

15 Maue Pastor ad others, The Coor o Chage: iter-ethc youtheadershp or the 21st Cetury (los Agees: Program or Evro-

meta ad Regoa Equty, 2010), avaabe at http://dorse.usc.edu/pere/documets/coor_o_chage_web.pd.


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Toward 2050 in California: A Roundtable Report on Multiracial Collaboration in Los Angeles

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