USC Equity Research Institute

How can we ensure that climate change policies truly benefit all communities?

Authors Manuel Pastor, J. Mijin Cha, Michael Méndez, and Rachel Morello-Frosch discuss California's efforts to integrate environmental justice into climate action in their latest Journal article for PNAS.

Learn how equity-driven approaches can build resilient and inclusive policies, offering valuable lessons for broader federal and state-level initiatives.

California dreaming: Why environmental justice is integral to the success of climate change policy | PNAS In the realm of climate policy, issues of environmental justice (EJ) are often treated as second-order affairs compared to overarching sustainabili...

As we approach another presidential election, it is important that we highlight the barriers many immigrants face when it comes to civic engagement.

Read through for civic engagement highlights from our recently published SOILA 2024 report!

"We need an economic frame based on a new set of assumptions that draws on our inner qualities – what some might call our “spiritual” ambitions – rooted in our mutuality and solidarity."

In their thought-provoking article for LSE Inequalities, ERI Director Manuel Pastor and Data Analyst Alex Balcazar call for a transformative shift in economic thinking. Drawing on concepts from the book Solidarity Economics: Why Mutuality and Movements Matter, they argue that incorporating human values and mutuality into economic frameworks is essential for addressing inequality effectively. By moving beyond the traditional neoliberal narrative, we can create a more equitable and prosperous society.

Read their insights on how solidarity and collaboration can shape a better economic future here:

To heal our fragmented economic system, we must look to deeper aspects of our human nature Economists should not be afraid to bring in matters of the heart and soul, write Manuel Pastor and Alex Balcazar. If they do, we can begin to transform our economy into one that is more equitable a…

The moment is here! We are excited to unveil the fifth annual State of Immigrants in Los Angeles County (SOILA) report. Amidst a pivotal election year, this report uplifts the remarkable strides made across Los Angeles County to advance immigrant inclusion by highlighting the realities that immigrants experience in our county through rigorously produced data analysis. It provides local leadership with direction to make tangible and meaningful change.

Different from previous years’ SOILA reports, this year we turned to immigrant communities themselves through a publicly available online survey to share how they are feeling and faring in the county. This data helped us understand the perspectives of immigrants and their descendants and build our recommendations for this momentous year.

In conjunction with the report’s release, the fifth annual Los Angeles Immigration Summit is happening today and tomorrow. The Summit will honor immigrants for their pivotal role in driving economic growth and shaping our nation’s cultural, economic, and social fabric. You can join some of the plenary sessions online and access the full report below:

Livestream: bit.ly/3S27SBP
Report: bit.ly/4crlqz7

'We may be 200 years removed from emancipation, but whiteness still reigns supreme.’ Read Professor Jasmine L. Harris’s powerful exploration of institutional racism in higher education.

Dr. Harris, the incoming Department Chair of Africana Studies at Metropolitan State University of Denver, unveils the deep-rooted biases that continue to plague universities. She argues that recent anti-CRT and anti-DEI legislation are designed to roll back the progress made in improving experiences and outcomes for Black students. Check out her latest blog post and discover the enduring challenges Black students face in predominantly white institutions.

bit.ly/4cKq7DY

Growing Anti-CRT and Anti-DEI Legislation Reveals the Continued Institutional Racism of Higher Education - USC Equity Research Institute (ERI) Data and Analysis to Power Social Change

We’re excited to share insights from our director, Dr. Manuel Pastor, in his piece “How to Do Research That Changes the World,” featured in the Foundation for Child Development’s Social Justice for Young Children Conversation Series, now on the ERI blog.

Dr. Pastor discusses the importance of humility, curiosity, and relevance in research, highlighting how community-engaged research can inform policy and drive social change.

Read it here:

How to Do Research That Changes the World - USC Equity Research Institute (ERI) Data and Analysis to Power Social Change

This , we're spotlighting immigrant households in LA County. Read our highlights to learn more, and join us at the 5th Annual Immigration Summit.

We are thrilled to share that our Director, Dr. Manuel Pastor, has been named one of the Los Angeles Times’ L.A. Influential in “The Civic Center” category!

For over 30 years, Professor Manuel Pastor has been a trailblazer in scholastic activism, examining critical issues like the 1992 riots, economic disinvestment, and social stratification. His work bridges academia and community action driving meaningful change.

“When people ask me why I love Los Angeles, I always answer it’s because it’s got the world’s biggest problems,” Pastor shared.

Curious to learn more about his journey and the transformative work he’s leading with community partners?

Dive into his full profile here: lat.ms/3zp7xTf

Let’s celebrate Manuel’s remarkable achievements and his unwavering dedication to social justice and equity together.

Photo credit: © 2023 Christina House / Los Angeles Times, latimes.com/la-influential

L.A. Influential See who’s shaping Los Angeles’ major industries and cultural corners.

In Conversations From The Frontlines: Real Talk, Real Change's latest podcast episode, Shane Murphy Goldsmith sits down with Anthony Thigpenn, founder & president of California Calls, and Manuel Pastor, ERI director. Together, they dive deep into the history of LA organizing and movement building, exploring its pivotal role in shaping political power. Don’t miss this insightful conversation:

Episode 2 – Building Electoral Power for Lasting Change - Conversations From The Frontlines: Real Talk, Real Change Founder & President of California Calls Anthony Thigpenn and Director of the USC Equity Research Institute Manuel Pastor dive deep into the history of L.A. organizing and movement building and explore its role in shaping political power. 

: celebrates freedom, progress, and resilience while advocating for justice. In this post, we discuss the importance of ensuring justice, healing, and reparations for true liberation and economic vitality.

Deadline Approaching on June 17th!

Are you a professor, postdoc, or graduate student conducting research in California?

Don’t miss out on this opportunity! Our Faculty, Postdoctoral Scholar, & Graduate Student Community-Engaged Research Small Grant Program is an exclusive chance for researchers to craft their own research to power social change. Our program encourages active participation in addressing real-world challenges, with a particular focus on bolstering community power, power-building, and addressing inequities.

For more application requirements and additional details:

ERI Community-Engaged Research Grant - USC Equity Research Institute (ERI) Data and Analysis to Power Social Change

USC Associate Professor at the Sol Price School of Public Policy and at the Roski School of Art and Design and ERI Affiliated Faculty Dr. Annette M. Kim recently penned a Los Angeles Times opinion piece: How do L.A.’s ethnic communities keep their identities while living with others? Just read the signs.

Kim details how L.A embraces cultural diversity through overlapping ethnic neighborhoods marked by multilingual signage, allowing communities to maintain identities while coexisting.

Read the full article here:

Opinion: How do L.A.'s ethnic communities keep their identities while living with others? Just read the signs Unlike in many big cities, Los Angeles' cultural neighborhoods are not exclusive enclaves. They share space with one another and communicate through signage.

"There's a story about Musk and others that is a very individualistic story about swashbuckling, adventuristic capitalists sort of marching through an Ayn Rand novel. Inventing new industries and, you know, being able to essentially capture all the benefits from that and be deserving of that. But I think it's really important to realize that Elon Musk has actually benefited significantly from public largesse."

Our director Manuel Pastor recently appeared on the Politics Done Right with Egberto Wi***es to discuss the importance of thinking about OUR economy and the crucial role of public policy and collective action in driving progress.

Watch the episode on YouTube now:

www.youtube.com

Our Director Manuel Pastor has just penned a new Op-ed for Common Dreams titled, “Elon Musk Shows Us Why Individuals Can’t Save the World.” This piece offers a critical perspective on the myth of the tech billionaire as a savior. Discover how public policies and collective efforts are the true drivers of progress. A must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, policy, and social equity.

Read it in full here:

Elon Musk Shows Us Why Individuals Can't Save the World | Common Dreams "Live by public will, die by public will," is a mantra the faux libertarian techno billionaires should memorize. They are not our saviors, but rather obstacles to a better future for consumers and workers alike.

This # , we provide an update on the legal barriers to LGBTQ+ equity -- and the efforts that organizations are taking to uplift community and resist injustice.

In a new article for Environmental Science & Policy (Volume 157, July 2024, 103765), a group of researchers—including Jennifer Ito, ERI Research Director—explore policies aimed at addressing inequitable distribution of urban green spaces, synthesizing current knowledge and proposing a research agenda.

Despite health benefits, underserved communities often lack access to parks and vegetation. The agenda examines policy impacts, power dynamics influencing change, gentrification risks, health equity, and climate change implications. These findings can guide policymaking to ensure equitable green space access across cities.

Read the full article here:

Advancing green space equity via policy change: A scoping review and research agenda Urban green spaces – including parks, trees, and other vegetated areas – are inequitably distributed in cities worldwide, as underserved groups, such …

Introducing our new blog series on environmental and climate justice!

Our first installment, “Everyone is IV Equity: Young Activists Fight Environmental Racism in Imperial Valley,” features a dynamic group of young activists in Imperial Valley committed to combating environmental racism and advocating for community benefits during the growth of California’s lithium industry.

Read more about the importance of grassroots activism in driving economic and environmental justice.
https://bit.ly/3R6Stjc

In today's , we highlight the under-representation of undocumented immigrants in the court system and how efforts like are aiming to address the issue.

Congratulations to USC Sociology Professor and USC ERI affiliate faculty Dr. Hajar Yazdiha for being named a 2024 Andrew Carnegie Fellow.

Supported by the prestigious Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program, which fosters scholarship in the humanities and social sciences, Yazdiha will pursue her project, 'Reconciliation through Reckoning: Bridging Divides through Grassroots Memory Work.' This vital research investigates how truth and reconciliation processes can mend community divides in the U.S. by revisiting local histories.

We're thrilled to announce that USC Sociology Professor and USC ERI affiliate faculty, Dr. Deisy Del Real, has been selected as one of the 2024-25 ABF/JPB Foundation Access to Justice Scholars.

Her project will investigate how different immigration policies and political contexts influence the legalization process and socioeconomic incorporation of Venezuelan migrants in the United States, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina. This significant study is part of the Bar Foundation’s initiative to produce impactful research on access to justice.

Are you a professor, postdoc, or graduate student conducting research in California?

Then we have the opportunity just for you! USC ERI is thrilled to announce the second year of our Faculty, Postdoctoral Scholar, & Graduate Student Community-Engaged Research Small Grant Program—an exclusive opportunity for scholars to craft their own research to power social change. This program encourages active participation in addressing real-world challenges with a particular emphasis on bolstering community power, power-building, and addressing inequities.

For more application requirements and additional details, check out the link below:
https://bit.ly/4bK80xv

Our Community Power Postdoctoral Scholar application is still live! Join our effort in Building Research Capacity to Power Health Equity in California. This one-year position, renewable for another, aims to enhance California’s community-engaged research landscape.

Visit our jobs page (linked below) to learn more and apply today. Let's drive meaningful change together!

Community Power Postdoctoral Research Associate - USC Equity Research Institute (ERI) Data and Analysis to Power Social Change

Tune into two podcasts featuring Dr. Manuel Pastor!

First, explore LA’s journey toward a multiracial democracy with Angela Glover Blackwell’s ‘Reimagining Democracy for a Good Life’ (https://bit.ly/3wpcP0d). Then, dive into 'The Coolest Show' where Manuel discusses urban greening and environmental justice with Destiny Hodges and Sissy Trinh (https://bit.ly/3UYJK56).

Discover how empowerment and policy are shaping vibrant communities in Los Angeles.

We’re excited to announce - at the 5th Annual Immigration Summit: Championing a Bold, Just, and Inclusive Democracy on July 11-12, 2024 hosted by California Community Foundation and USC ERI at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College.

Join us and champion a bold, intersectional, and immigrant-centric policy agenda shaping a more equitable future for all.

Stay tuned for RSVP details soon!

‘Money shouldn’t be a barrier to citizenship in the United States.’

Our director, Dr. Manuel Pastor, underscores the critical need for accessible citizenship pathways in his latest op-ed for Newsweek. Discover how new fee waivers are removing financial hurdles for working-class immigrants, promoting a richer, more diverse America.

Read the full op-ed here: https://bit.ly/3JRhFGw

Money Shouldn't Be a Barrier to Citizenship in the United States Historically, naturalization has been a rare point of bipartisan agreement in the usually red-hot debates about immigration.

Join Central Labor Council this Saturday, May 11th, at Fresno City College Forum Hall #101 from 9:00 AM-11:00 AM for an enlightening workshop with our very own Director Manuel Pastor and Professor Chris Benner, authors of the transformative book, Solidarity Economics.

Dive into a discussion that challenges traditional economic assumptions and explores a new model built on our instincts for connection and community. This approach aims to build a more robust, sustainable, and equitable economy. Don’t miss out on reimagining economics with these leading experts!

RSVP and additional info here: https://bit.ly/3QY8WGH

Solidarity Economics - Empowerment Institute Join the Central Labor Council and authors Chris Benner and Manuel Pastor as they discuss Solidarity Economics — an approach grounded in our instincts for connection and community — and in so doing, actually build a more robust, sustainable, and equitable economy.

: Did you know? In 2021, 82% of California's Nepali community was foreign-born, making up the highest percent that was foreign born among all Asian American communities in the state. Dive into the rich tapestry of California's cultural diversity!

The USC Equity Research Institute's Leadership Team statement of support for students. Read the full statement here: dornsife.usc.edu/eri/2024/05/02/support-students/

Image Credits: Kim Tabari/USC ERI (left/right), Kate McQuarrie/ Daily Trojan (center)

Statement of support for students from USC Equity Research Institute - USC Equity Research Institute (ERI) Data and Analysis to Power Social Change

In today's , we highlight the importance of data disaggregation and better data collection efforts for the AANHPI communities.

Look below for data highlights and more information.