Racial Cultural and Ethnic Minorities – Â鶹ĘÓƵ Mon, 05 Jan 2026 22:57:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /wp-content/uploads/2019/04/cropped-favicon_logo-32x32.jpg Racial Cultural and Ethnic Minorities – Â鶹ĘÓƵ 32 32 Mixed-Methods Tools for Program Co-Design, Iteration, and Assessment for a Guaranteed Income Program /projects/mixed-methods-tools-for-program-co-design-iteration-and-assessment-for-a-guaranteed-income-program/ Mon, 05 Jan 2026 22:57:28 +0000 /?post_type=projects&p=20988 Read More... from Mixed-Methods Tools for Program Co-Design, Iteration, and Assessment for a Guaranteed Income Program

]]> This report is a result of the collaborative partnership between the Black Women’s Resilience Project (BWRP) and the Sage Project at San Diego State University (SDSU). The BWRP, a project sponsored by Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFSSD), is a guaranteed income (GI) program intended to uplift low-income Black women and their families out of poverty by targeting the challenges they face. Research contained in this report was conducted as part of Dr. Kristen Maher’s Fall 2024 Political Science Seminar in Foundations of Public Policy (POL S 603) class at SDSU. The POL S 603 course focused on the theory and practice of policy-making, which comprises the design, agenda setting, tools, and implementation process. Students who opted to participate were tasked with exploring, researching and evaluating methods for tracking the project’s impact. The aim was gathering participant experiences and assessing the effects of the project. This report provides an overview of mixed-methods research and assessment approaches through a Participatory Action Research (PAR) framework, including a discussion of the affordances and constraints of narrative research, Photovoice, and community mapping methods.

]]> Understanding Spanish Culture & Language Barriers /projects/understanding-spanish-culture-language-barriers-2/ /projects/understanding-spanish-culture-language-barriers-2/#respond Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:38:42 +0000 https://portal.epicn.org/case-stories/understanding-spanish-culture-language-barriers/ Read More... from Understanding Spanish Culture & Language Barriers

]]> Why does one study another language and culture, particularly Spanish in Tennessee? Bearing in mind that many of our communities have a growing number of Spanish-speaking neighbors, it is our belief that learning Spanish and understanding more fully the cultures that Spanish expresses constitutes an essential component in strengthening our collective roles as socially responsible citizens. To that end, our Spanish 494 service-learning class is excited about participating in the Smart Communities Initiative, an opportunity for our students to put into practice their classroom instruction in ways which will enable them to move from “thinking ABOUT” Hispanics and their culture to “thinking WITH” Hispanics. This kind of dialogue among equals is a keystone to building together communities in a more socially inclusive and participatory manner. That’s why we study, teach, and learn Spanish! (Faculty Lead: Michael Handelsman & Luis Cano / Lenoir City Lead: Monty Ross)

]]> The University of Oregon’s GIScience 2 students collaborated with the City of Albany, Oregon, to gather, organize, synthesize, and map geospatial information. Albany is interested in better understanding the segregation patterns of underrepresented demographic populations like racial/ethnic minority groups, low income individuals or families, people with disabilities, and seniors. GIS students used these potential segregation factors and compared them to access or availability of amenities and services. The students were divided into ve groups to cover a greater variance of ndings: Housing Patterns and Needs, Access to Opportunity, Segregation/Integration of Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups, Publicly Supported Housing Analysis, and Disability and Access Analysis.
City of Albany sta will be able to utilize this report to visualize spatial patterns of segregation, areas of concentrated populations, and potentially use this information as a reference in the future to promote greater integration.Students were divided into ve groups and focused on di erent areas of fair housing: Housing Patterns and Needs, Disparities in Access to Opportunity, Segregation/ Integration of Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups, Publicly Supported Housing Analysis, and Disability and Access Analysis. Within these categories, each student chose a speci c topic to focus on; individually, students compiled data, conducted spatial analyses, and created a map(s). In collaboration with City of Albany sta , students used existing city data, plans, market strategies, and maps as frameworks to create quality maps using Geographic Information System (GIS).
The fair housing group concentrations are de ned as:
1. Housing Patterns and Needs based on disproportionate opportunities for population or household characteristics such as tenure availability, race/ethnicity, income, family status, or housing age.
2. Disparities in Access to Opportunity measures the accessibility of certain population groups to living amenities such as transit, parks, schools, or grocery stores.
3. Segregation and Integration of Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups displays how racial/ ethnic groups are dispersed or concentrated, while also identifying racial/ethnic groups that may experience the highest level of segregation.
4. Publicly Supported Housing Analysis seeks to identify demographic patterns of residents who live in public housing or in surrounding areas.
5. Disability and Access Analysis is a spatial analysis showing where persons with disabilities are geographically dispersed or concentrated and what services are accessible, or within close proximity to where they live.

]]> The City of Redmond has experienced rapid growth in its Latino population
since 2000, and the city is working to improve communication with and services
for the Latino community. Realizing the need to better reach out to the Latino
community, Redmond sought the assistance of Dr. Gerardo Sandoval’s Public
Participation in Diverse Communities class. Graduate and undergraduate
students reached out to the Latino community with tools and strategies
developed via the University of Oregon Latino Civic Participation Project in
collaboration with Dr. Sandoval and James Rojas.
Students performed background research prior to conducting outreach.
This research looked into the history of Latinos in Redmond and their socioeconomic
realities. This research helped students understand the context of
issues within Redmond. Graduate students interviewed Latino community
stakeholders in order to gain a deeper insight into the lives of Latino residents.
Students also participated in a city staff training led by James Rojas and Dr.
Sandoval. During this training, staff learned an interactive outreach method
called “Participation by Play.” City staff attended the training, including staff from
Redmond’s Police Department.

]]> Situated between Marquam Hill and the Willamette River, South Portland is a unique remnant of Portland’s past. Its history encompasses the city’s immigrant roots, industrial prowess, and tumultuous early urban development. In its current state, it is an isolated fragment of historic Portland surrounded by increasing urban growth. The potential impacts of development within
the district, spurred by TriMet’s proposed Southwest Corridor, have led community members, stakeholders, and the general public to reflect on the future of the area.
Like many of Portland’s earliest neighborhoods, the history of South Portland is largely one of immigrants. Jewish and Italian immigrants were some of the community’s first residents in the 1860s, drawn by nearby booming industry. Lair Hill, as it was later dubbed, was a
neighborhood of residences and small businesses. While the majority of migrant residents and their families have moved elsewhere in the city, the district has maintained its working-class character and diverse household incomes. Unlike the majority of Portland neighborhoods, it is unique that a community so close to the downtown core would remain largely unaffected by
massive economic gentrification and large-scale development.
Lair Hill is, and always has been, a neighborhood surrounded by public transportation. The neighborhood initially developed between two major railways connecting Portland to its southern neighbors. Portland’s first horse-drawn streetcar ran through the neighborhood
on what is now Naito Parkway. Construction of the Ross Island Bridge in 1926 and later development of major automobile thoroughfares like Barbur Boulevard, Naito Parkway, and Interstate 5 continued Lair Hill’s history as a neighborhood surrounded by transportation. Residents consider their neighborhood “an island,” not only surrounded by hills and water but literally and figuratively enclosed within transportation arteries and overshadowed by the ever-expanding downtown Portland.
TriMet’s proposed Southwest Corridor expansion would add a MAX light rail line and stop to South Portland. Various stakeholders include Oregon Health & Science University, TriMet, Friends of Terwilliger Park, National University of Natural Medicine, and South
Portland community members. At potential risk is the historic character of the South Portland neighborhood as defined in the Lair Hill Conservation District established in 1980 and the South Portland Historic District established in 1998. As with the addition of any transit hub, TriMet and the City of Portland hope to increase the density of the neighborhood and add more commercial businesses. South Portland is not resistant to change and wants to remain a vibrant community while retaining its history.

Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.

Sustainable City Year Program Contact Info
Megan Banks
Sustainable City Year Program Manager
mbanks@uoregon.edu
(541) 346-6395

University Faculty Contact
Jim Buckley
Historic Preservation
Associate Professor
jbuckley@uoregon.edu

Local Government / Community Contact
Dave Aulwes
TriMet
Senior Transit Corridor Design
aulwesd@trimet.org
503-358-7826

]]> /projects/lair-hill-barbur-boulevard-synagogue-historic-preservation/feed/ 0 Read to me in English and Spanish /projects/read-to-me-in-english-and-spanish-2/ /projects/read-to-me-in-english-and-spanish-2/#respond Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:36:40 +0000 https://portal.epicn.org/case-stories/read-to-me-in-english-and-spanish/ Read More... from Read to me in English and Spanish

]]> Reading to children can benefit their development because exposing them to books appears to have the most impact on their early language, literacy, and cognitive development. There is evidence to support that “children who xperience shared-book reading… also demonstrated improvements in word reading” (Pillinger & Wood, 2014). The Read to me Project is great at helping pave the way for a bright future for those participating. It also bases itself on reading together with family and allowing the children to benefit from each other and grow a closer bond together. Since the RtMP is based in Monterey County where the majority of the population is Latino/a, it would be strongly beneficial for them to incorporate English and Spanish books.

Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.

Sustainable City Years Program Contact Info

University Faculty Contact
Jennifer Dyer-Seymour
Psychology
Professor, Department of Psychology
jdyer-seymour@csumb.edu

Local Government / Community Contact
Gary Petersen

]]> /projects/read-to-me-in-english-and-spanish-2/feed/ 0 Oral History of the North and Southside New Albany /projects/oral-history-of-the-north-and-southside-new-albany-2/ /projects/oral-history-of-the-north-and-southside-new-albany-2/#respond Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:36:10 +0000 https://portal.epicn.org/case-stories/oral-history-of-the-north-and-southside-new-albany/ Read More... from Oral History of the North and Southside New Albany

]]> In the mid-20th century, the North and Southside neighborhoods of New Albany were cultural hubs and home to thriving black-owned businesses. B.B King played at a café in New Albany, and Blues musician Sam Mosely traces his musical roots to this community. This history has largely been neglected, and community leaders are interested in collecting narratives to ensure that future generations are aware of this unique and compelling period. There is also a desire to tell this story in conjunction with marketing and tourism efforts for New Albany.

]]> In the city of Salinas, where 32% of residents are children and youth, outreach strategies that embrace participatory practices can enlarge young people’s perceptions and contribute to a more socially and environmentally just community. They can also provide young people with skills and a sense of empowerment to effect change in their communities.
This plan lays a framework for short- and long-term strategies for outreach to accomplish this. Long-term outreach lays a foundation for a process of how to connect with community across projects and time frames. It includes a model for neighborhood networks that support youth allies as leaders of outreach efforts, with support from community organizations, the city and CSUMB. Short-term outreach draws from a rich and extensive participation toolbox and presents a few examples of ways to engage community members at existing places and events. These include art-based methods for engagement and youth radio. A central tenant of this plan is that in order for outreach to be effective, it needs to meet people where they are. This means going to the places where people already gather, such as the Constitution soccer fields or the Take it Outside event. It also means meeting people where they are in language and desired approaches to engagement. This plan reflects ideas and interests we heard from people within Salinas as well as best practices in participatory research and community engagement. This plan reflects only 6 weeks of research and work in a CSUMB Environmental Studies course. We hope it plants seeds that can grow into sustained outreach efforts that can support our vision for a thriving and inclusive community that draws from cultural assets and community strengths.

Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.

Sustainable City Years Program Contact Info

University Faculty Contact
Victoria Derr
Natural Sciences
Assistant Professor, School of Natural Sciences
vderr@csumb.edu

Local Government / Community Contact
Donald Reynolds

]]> /projects/bilingual-community-outreach-plan-2/feed/ 0 Addressing Implicit Bias in the Prosecution of Cases /projects/addressing-implicit-bias-in-the-prosecution-of-cases-2/ /projects/addressing-implicit-bias-in-the-prosecution-of-cases-2/#respond Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:36:04 +0000 https://portal.epicn.org/case-stories/addressing-implicit-bias-in-the-prosecution-of-cases/ Read More... from Addressing Implicit Bias in the Prosecution of Cases

]]> Identifying and addressing implicit bias in the prosecution of misdemeanor cases by the City Attorney’s Office in the Tacoma Municipal court. Prosecutors are not immune from implicit bias. As gatekeepers of the criminal justice system, prosecutors can be part of the problem – as well as the solution. If prosecutors are not aware of their biases, have no consciousness about them, and do not work to counteract them, then these biases can become part of how any individual prosecutor reacts and makes decisions in any individual case, and these actions can then become part of the system.

]]> Identify best practices and strategies for Carver County, local governments, and other agencies to more effectively engage the Latino population in the county about community services and programming.

Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.

Resilient Communities Project Contact Info

University Faculty Contact
Emilce Lopez
Spanish & Portuguese

Local Government / Community Contact
Jennifer Anderson

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