Toward 2050 in California: A Roundtable Report on Political Participation in the San Joaquin Valley

8/2/2019 Toward 2050 in California: A Roundtable Report on Political Participation in the San Joaquin Valley

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Toward 2050 in CaliforniaA Roundtable Report on Economic Inclusion

and Political Participation in the San Joaquin Valley

Julie Ajinkya March 2012

www.americanprogress.o


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Toward 2050 in CaliforniaA Roundtable Report on Economic Inclusion

and Political Participation in the San Joaquin Valley

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

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

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


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1 Introduction and summary

3 San Joaquin Valley demographics

5 Demographic change presents challenges

and opportunities

13 Increasing civic engagement is central

to the regions future

15 Conclusion

16 List of participants at the convening

in the San Joaquin Valley

17 About the author and acknowledgments

18 Endnotes

Contents


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1 Cene Ameican Pess |twad 2050 in Cainia

Introduction and summary

As he counry prepares or a subsanial demographic shi by he year 2042

ha will resul in no clear racial or ehnic majoriy in our populaion, Progress

2050a projec o he Cener or American Progressand PolicyLinka

naional research and acion insiue advancing economic and social equiy

have parnered o hos a series o roundables in communiies ha have already

experienced aspecs o his populaion shi. Te roundables are mean o help

us learn rom hese communiies abou wha he res o he counry may have in

sore. Tis is he hird repor in a series documening hese roundable discus-sions, caaloging a conversaion ha ook place in he San Joaquin Valley in cenral

Caliornia in Ocober 2011. Te rs roundable was hosed in Arlingon, Virginia,

and he second roundable was hosed in Los Angeles, Caliornia.

Te San Joaquin Valley roundable was hosed in conjuncion wih Caliornia

Rural Legal Assisance, he Caliornia Rural Legal Assisance Foundaion, he

Cenral Caliornia Regional Obesiy Prevenion Program, and he Cener or

Regional Change a he Universiy o Caliornia, Davis, and wih suppor rom

Climae Plan. Progress 2050 and PolicyLink ormed his parnership o iniiae

a naional conversaion o explore a new vision o wha America can and should

be by he year 2050. Te longer-erm objecive o his eor is o learn rom

local leaders wha invesmens are needed o ensure ha our naion embraces is

diverse uure. We inend or hese conversaions o inorm our policy agendas

and ulimaely help cra policy ha lis up communiies o color and creaes a

uure in which we all can prosper.

Te San Joaquin Valley was chosen as a sie or his discussion due o he rapid

growh i is experiencing, which is oupacing he res o he sae. While mos o

his growh resuls rom a naural increase in populaion, as opposed o oreign ordomesic migraion, he San Joaquin Valley has also been a popular desinaion or

many agriculural migrans. As o 2010 Lainos comprised 48.6 percen o he San

Joaquin Valleys populaion, compared o 37.6 percen o Caliornias populaion

and 16.3 percen o he U.S. populaion.


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Tis demographic shi has aken place agains a backdrop o socioeconomic

sruggles. Te region has some o he naions highes unemploymen and

povery raes, while i is also home o some o he counrys lowes educa-

ional atainmen levels and greaes healh dispariies beween whie and

nonwhie populaions. Addiionally, he area suers rom exremely high levels

o incarceraion ha have resuled in he imprisonmen o people o color asignicanly higher levels han whie residens, which consequenly has disen-

ranchised a large percenage o nonwhie residens.

While hese sruggles may seem insurmounable, here are promising iniiaives

emerging in he San Joaquin Valley ha seek o improve he level o civic engage-

men wihin communiies o color and, as a consequence, increase heir poliical

represenaion in ways ha close hese dispariies.

Te roundable isel was convened in Fresno Couny because he couny is a

major populaion cener, and Fresno is he larges ciy in he valley. Paricipansincluded communiy advocaes, policy researchers, business leaders, academics,

oundaion represenaives, and he sa o local eleced ocials. Accordingly,

much o he conversaion and supplemenary inormaion documened in his

repor reers o Fresno-specic saisics, ye i should be noed ha much o he

analysis applies he broader San Joaquin Valley as well.

We begin his accoun by providing some demographic conex abou he San

Joaquin Valley. We hen proceed o address he our key issues ha roundable

paricipans raised as disproporionaely impacing communiies o color in cen-

ral Caliorniaemploymen, educaion, healh, and incarceraion.

Lasly, we ocus on he convicion expressed by several o our roundable parici-

pans ha improving he levels o poliical represenaion and civic engagemen in

communiies o color migh eecively reduce racial and ehnic dispariies in he

aoremenioned challenges ha he region aces.


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San Joaquin Valley demographics

Te roundable kicked o wih a demographic presenaion abou he San Joaquin

Valley region by Chione Flegal, associae direcor a PolicyLink. Te San Joaquin

Valley is an eigh-couny region o nearly 4 million people, as o 2010, including

Fresno, Kern, King, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Sanislaus, and ulare counies.

Te region is made up o several small, rural incorporaed and unincorporaed

communiies, as well as Fresno

he sixh-larges ciy in Caliornia.

According o Flegal, he region

is experiencing unprecedened

levels o populaion growh ha

ar surpass he res o he sae.

Mos o his increase is due o

growing communiies o color,

paricularly Lainos, who as o

2010 represened 48.6 percen

o he valleys populaion. While

he Laino populaion is seadily

increasing in he regionpri-

marily due o he predominance

o he agriculural secorhe

converse is rue or Arican

Americans, whose numbers are

declining. (see Figure 1)

Flegals presenaion highlighed hree main rends in he region:

Unemployment: Te region has some o he highes unemploymen raes in he

naion. All eigh counies have average unemploymen raes o 14 percen or higher.

In Caliornia people o color are hi paricularly hard by unemploymen, wih

Laino unemploymen a nearly 15 percen and black unemploymen a 19 percen.

FIGURE 1San Joaquin Valley Demographics, 19802040

* Other includes all persons who are not inamong the other groups shown, and inclu

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

Source: 19802010 decennial censuses an

Poole Economics projections data.

Non-Hispanic White African American Latino or Hispanic (of any race)

Asian American and/or API Other

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

100%

90%

1%

1980

24%

68%

4%

4%1%

1990

30%

6%

4%

59%

4%

2000

6%

40%

5%

46%

3%

2010

7%

49%

5%

37%

2%

2020

8%

51%

5%

34%

2%

2030

8%

55%

5%

30%

2%

2040

58%

5%

27%

9%


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Poverty: Te regions povery raes are also among he highes in he naion and

have coninued o rise over he pas decade in all bu one o he valleys coun-

ies, he excepion being Madera Couny. A recen 2011 repor by he Urban

Insiue ound ha more han 20 percen o residens in our San Joaquin Valley

couniesFresno, Bakerseld, Merced, and Visalia-Porervillelive in high-

povery neighborhoods, dened as having povery raes surpassing 40 percen.

Educational attainment: Educaional atainmen is exremely low across he val-

ley. Sixeen percen o San Joaquin Valley residens 25 years o age or older have

a leas a bachelors degree compared o 30 percen o Caliornians. Likewise,

he high school compleion raes are low, wih 28.4 percen o valley residens

lacking a high school diploma.

Te region is unable o oer sucien economic opporuniies o is growing

communiies o color. Tis sark realiy has only been worsened by he naions

economic downurn. Moreover, racial and ehnic dispariies plague employmen,income, and educaion in he valley, an issue which will be discussed in more

deail laer in our accoun.

While he San Joaquin Valley is home o disincive circumsancesincluding

dramaic populaion growh and an exreme reliance on he agriculural secor ha

shape is experiencei is imporan o noe ha he challenges acing he region

as i works o accommodae a rapidly growing populaion o color oer inormaive

lessons or he res o he naion as we prepare or a similar demographic shi.


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Demographic change presents

challenges and opportunities

Angela Glover Blackwell, ounder and CEO o PolicyLink, moderaed he

roundable discussion ha ollowed his demographic presenaion. She sared

he conversaion by asking how he valleys demographic rends have impaced

paricipans work in he communiy. Paricipans responded by oulining

our major issue areas ha have been impaced by he demographic change

employmen, healh, educaion, and incarceraionand described how hey

believed he region could eecively ackle hese challenges.

Diversifying the regions economic base could expand

employment opportunities

Given he high rae o unemploymen in he valley, i is no surprising ha parici-

pans waned o discuss he implicaions o demographic change on employmen

opporuniies in Fresno. Te unemploymen rae or communiies o color in

Fresno has been much higher han he rae or heir whie counerparswhile

he unemploymen rae or non-Hispanic whies is 11 percen, he rae is 20.8

percen or Arican Americans, 18.1 percen or Lainos, and 29.6 percen or

American Indians and Alaska Naives.1 According o roundable paricipans, he

regions employmen challenges are exacerbaed by an economy ha is dominaed

by he agriculural secor. Tey wen on o asser ha he region could be beter

served by diversiying is economic base.

One o hose paricipans, Phoebe Seaon rom Caliornia Rural Legal Assisance,

noed ha he economic downurn has increased he sakes or hose who are

employed, many are now relucan o gh or heir workplace righs, or ear o

losing heir jobs in a climae ha has ew employmen opporuniies.

Anoher paricipan, Genoveva Islas-Hooker rom he Cenral Caliornia Regional

Obesiy Prevenion Program, highlighed he hold ha agribusiness has on Fresnos

economy and job opporuniies. According o U.S. census daa rom 2009, 17.2 per-


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cen o Lainos are employed in Farming, Fishing, or Foresry occupaions, while

only 0.6 percen o non-Hispanic whies are employed in similar jobs.

Tis disproporionae concenraion o people o color in agriculural employ-

men resuls in dispariies in hourly wages, median income levels, and povery

raes in he region. According o he Bureau o Labor Saisics, agriculuralworkers in Fresno earn he lowes average hourly wage o all lised occupaions.

While he average hourly wage in Fresno in 2010 was $19.76, and employees

lised by BLS as being employed in Managemen Occupaions made an aver-

age o $46.03 per hour, employees under he Farming, Fishing, and Foresry

designaion made jus $9.20 an hour.2

No surprisingly, hese low wages conribue o low median household income and

high povery raes or Lainos, as compared o heir whie counerpars. Similar

levels o economic insecuriy or oher communiies o color, however, sugges ha

i canno only be he aul o he agriculural secor. While he median householdincome or whies in Fresno in 2010 was $59,669 (in 2010 inaion-adjused dol-

lars), he median income was signicanly lower a $35,481 or Lainos, $24,874 or

Arican Americans, and $29,929 or American Indians and Alaska Naives.

Similarly, while only 10.5 percen o whies in Fresno live below he povery line,

his rae rises o 32 percen o Lainos, 35.6 percen o Arican Americans, and 36

percen o American Indians and Alaska Naives.

Diversiying he regions jobs beyond is reliance upon he agriculural secor

could oer more and beter economic opporuniies o he valleys residens.

Roundable paricipan ae Hill, presiden o he Fresno Black Chamber o

Commerce, argued ha here is a serious shorage o incenives or minor-

iy employmen and minoriy-owned business growh in he communiy. Te

ciy o Fresno was seleced as one o six pilo ciies o receive suppor rom he

ederal governmen as par o he Srong Ciies, Srong Communiies iniiaive

in which ederal agencies including he Environmenal Proecion Agency, he

Economic Developmen Adminisraion, he Deparmen o Agriculure, and

he Deparmen o ransporaion parner wih he ciy o srenghen is public

inrasrucure and spur economic developmen. Hill expressed concern ha com-muniy and grassroos organizaions bes suied o provide on he ground suppor

o communiies o color are marginalized or compleely le ou o his process.

Diversiying

the regions

jobs beyond its

reliance upon

the agricultural

sector could

ofer more and

better economi

opportunities

to the valleys

residents.


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Hill also agged he low rae o minoriy-owned businesses in he region. In 2007,

he mos recen year or which business ownership daa is available, whies owned

79 percen o Fresnos businesses while only making up 35.7 percen o Fresnos

populaion. In conras, Lainos owned 21.4 percen o businesses while making

up 48.2 percen o Fresnos populaion, and Arican Americans owned 3.9 percen

o businesses while making up 4.8 percen o he populaion.3

Te ciy o Fresno has, however, inroduced wo iniiaives in he souhwes

neighborhoods o Fresnoan area heavily populaed by communiies o color

ha are mean o provide opporuniies or business developmen. Te rs gives

qualied small businesses wihin he Hisorically Underuilized Business Zone

preerence in receiving ciy conracs. In order o qualiy a business mus be

locaed wihin he HUBZone, and a leas 35 percen o is employees mus reside

wihin he zone, which in urn incenivizes local hiring.4

Te second iniiaive oers ax incenives o approximaely 15,000 businesses inlocaions hroughou Fresno, alhough i also concenraes on businesses in he

souhwes porion o he ciy. Because Fresno received an Enerprise Zone desig-

naion, a Sae ax bene program or which nearly all businesses, wheher large

or small, can qualiy i hey are locaed wihin he Zone, businesses may claim hir-

ing credis or employing residens o argeed Employmen Areas, economically

disadvanaged individuals, and ex-oenders.5

Hill also highlighed he imporance o recognizing he growing buying power

ha exiss in communiies o color and how ensuring ha such communiies have

beter wages and higher household income could conribue o he economic

growh o he region. Tis economic poenial is underscored by research on buy-

ing power in communiies o color, conduced by he Selig Cener or Economic

Growh a he Universiy o Georgia erry College o Business. Despie being

hard-hi by he recession, he buying power o communiies o color is projeced

o rise rapidly over he nex ew years. A he sae level, Caliornia is home o he

larges Asian and Laino consumer markes in he counry, and he ourh-larges

Arican American consumer marke.6

Te more he San Joaquin Valley can diversiy is economic base beyond he agri-culural secor hrough iniiaives such as hese encouraging small business growh

and minoriy employmen, he more i may be able o resrucure is regional

economy or he bene o all o is residens.


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Building a healthier region is necessary for future growth

Cognizan o he ac ha he dicul economic climae was exacerbaing healh

problems in he valley, our roundable paricipans were also ineresed in build-

ing a healhier region o ensure uure prosperiy. wo paricipans in paricu-

larJohn Capiman rom he Cenral Valley Healh Policy Insiue, or CVHPI,and Islas-Hooker wih he regions obesiy prevenion programhighlighed

he poor healh oucomes in he area and spoke o eors aimed a improving

he healh o he region.

Capiman explained ha Fresno has some o he highes raes o elecive surgery

and hospial readmission in he counry. Tis makes sense, he argued, as more

people, especially communiies o color, have problems accessing more aordable

prevenive care. Tese racial and ehnic dispariies in access o medical care are

a serious concern, he coninued. Te 2009 Caliornia Healh Inerview Survey

documens ha 23.7 percen o Lainos and 27.5 percen o Arican Americans inFresno lack a usual source o medical care, while only 6.2 percen o heir whie

counerpars lack similar care.

Anoher healh concern is Fresnos poor air qualiy. According o a repor

auhored by Capiman, here is a direc link beween shor-erm decreases in

air qualiy in he valley and increased emergency room visis or children wih

ashma.7 Te American Lung Associaion ranked he Fresno-Madera area as one

o he op 10 Mos Pollued Ciies in America in 2011.8

Moreover, here are signican racial dispariies when i comes o valley residens

aficed wih ashma. Te racial breakdown or hose suering rom ashma is eye-

opening53.7 percen o Naive Americans; 24.4 percen o Arican Americans; 18

percen o whies; 17.1 percen o Lainos; and 5.3 percen o Asians. Te rae or he

valleys black youh populaion is an asonishingly high 73.4 percen.9

Tese dispariies have been linked o environmenal hazards in regions wih high

concenraions o communiies o color. Wes Fresno in paricular is dispropor-

ionaely made up o such communiiesas o 2000, Arican Americans consi-

ued 38 percen o wes Fresnos populaion while only comprising 5 percen oFresnos broader populaion.10 According o a repor released by he Universiy o

Caliornia, Davis, Cener or Regional Change and auhored by a convening par-

icipan, Jonahan London, numerous environmenal hazards are locaed in wes

The 2009 Calior

Health Interview

Survey docume

that 23.7 percen

o Latinos and 2

percent o Arica

Americans in

Fresno lack a us

source o medic

care, while only

percent o their

white counterp

lack similar care


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Fresno, including a sewage reamen plan, a number o slaugherhouses, several

wase dumps, and hundreds o EPA-designaed brownelds.11

urning o anoher healh issue, Islas-Hooker also raised he severiy o he obe-

siy epidemic in he region. She argued ha he dire economic siuaion is leading

o poorer healh oucomes as people choose ood based on economics insead onuriion. According o a 2010 repor by he CVHPI coauhored by Capiman, 35

percen o cenral Fresno residens are overweighhaving a body mass index, or

BMI, beween 25 and 30while 50 percen are obese, meaning a BMI equal o

or greaer han 30.12 Children o color are also a higher risk o obesiy han heir

whie peers. According o 2010 daa, he Caliornia Deparmen o Educaion

repors ha 37.2 percen o Arican American sudens and 39.8 percen o Laino

sudens beween h and ninh grades were above a healhy weigh, while 27

percen o heir whie classmaes were above a healhy weigh.

Despie hese dispariies, he CCROPP has sill made headway in building ahealhier region. Te organizaion works hrough neighborhood coaliions and

parnerships wih public healh deparmens o promoe physical aciviy and

increase access o healhy ood. I has also been insrumenal in he creaion o

armers markes in argeed communiies, as well as renovaing parks hrough-

ou he valley.13

Anoher program ha has had success in improving he regions healh is an

oureach program called Promoores de Salud, which hires healh advisors

who reach ou o populaions ha have radiionally been excluded rom medi-

cal careparicularly rural populaions. Te program ocuses on increasing

enrollmen in healh insurance programs, encouraging prevenive care services,

and esablishing amiliariy beween paiens and primary healh care giv-

ers. Capiman led he evaluaion o he pilo program in Fresno Couny and

documened signican improvemens in insurance enrollmen raes and he

esablishmen o a regular source o care aer he oureach program had been in

eec or wo years.14

By ocusing on expanding access o healhier nuriion, as well as imporan

prevenive healh care services, hese groups have aken imporan seps owardsbuilding a healhier valley and making sure ha communiies o color are in beter

healh o conribue o uure growh in he region.


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Improving educational attainment will prepare valley residents

for the jobs of the future

Convening paricipans also highlighed he imporance o educaion in revial-

izing he economic uure o he region. Currenly Fresno Couny has signican

dispariies in high school compleion raes50.5 percen o he eligible AricanAmerican sudens and 62.7 percen o he eligible Hispanic sudens graduaed

rom high school in 2010, while 77 percen o heir whie peers earned high school

diplomas.15 Despie hese gaps in high school graduaion raes, paricipans none-

heless sressed he imporance o possecondary educaional opporuniies in he

region and heir abiliy o prepare a srong workorce ha will say in Fresno and

conribue o he regions economic growh.

One o he persisen problems cied by paricipans relaed o possecondary edu-

caion was a phenomenon hey reerred o as brain drain, where sudens eiher

leave he region o nd beter qualiy educaion elsewhere and do no reurn, orsudens graduae rom an educaional insiuion in he region and hen leave o

nd employmen elsewhere. Larry Hodges, a nancial advisor a Merrill Lynch,

underscored he serious problem brain drain represens o he valley, saying i

leaves he region wih a vacuum in educaed youh leadership.

Because employmen opporuniies in he region are no readily available or su-

dens once hey graduae, our paricipans agreed ha challenges in boh educa-

ion and employmen eed on one anoher, creaing a cyclical problem. Cassandra

Jouber, wih he Childrens Insiue a Fresno Sae Universiy, said ha he

regions schools demoralize young people and creae a siuaion where hey doub

hemselves and don believe hey can make a dierence in heir own educaion or

in he communiy. Her organizaion advocaes or an increased emphasis on work

preparedness o make sure ha sudens are provided wih high-qualiy echnical

career educaion programs, along wih menoring programs in he workplace.

Echoing Jouber, Hill said ha improving access o college is o vial imporance

bu also noed ha susaining sudens who are already in college can be over-

looked. He cied sudies show ha only 22 percen o Arican American sudens

were successul in ranserring heir communiy college credis o oher insiu-ions.16 He said hese ypes o barriers make i more dicul or sudens o color

o complee heir college degrees, prevening hem rom puting heir sronges

oo orward in a challenging economic climae.

Because

employment

opportunities in

the region are n

readily available

or students onc

they graduate, o

participants agr

that challenges

both education

and employmen

eed on one

another, creatin

cyclical problem


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In general, paricipans agreed ha more resources need o be argeed o educa-

ion eors in he region o ensure Fresno youh will have an ineres in remaining

in he area and will in urn conribue o is economic resurgence.

Shifting public funding from prisons to investments in educationand jobs is critical

Nearly hal o Caliornias prison populaion is locked up in he Fresno area, accord-

ing o Debbie Reyes o he Caliornia Prison Moraorium Projec, or CPMPone

o he roundable paricipans. She and ohers argued ha he regions high incar-

ceraion raes were a prime example o how he saes resources are being misallo-

caed, noing ha he money ha could be used or crucial invesmens in educaion

and employmen policy is insead going o jails and prisons. Whas more, Caliornia

locks up people o color a alarmingly disproporionae raes.

People o color consiue 74.3 percen o Caliornias saewide prison popula-

ion, while only accouning or 58 percen o he general populaion.17 Tese same

racial dispariies are also mirrored in Fresnos arres raes. While people o color

comprise 65.1 percen o he general populaion in Fresno, hey accoun or 76.3

percen o repored arress. Specically, Arican Americans, who make up 4.9

percen o he regions populaion, accoun or 15.3 perceno he oal reporedarress, youh and adul, in Fresno Couny. Likewise, he arres raes are high or

he regions Lainos, who comprise 48.7 perceno he populaion and 56.3 per-ceno he oal repored arress. By conras, whies, who comprise 34.9 perceno he populaion, accoun or 23.2 percen o he oal repored arress.18

Reyes said Caliornia has increased prison spending while he amoun o money

i spends on educaion, healh, and social services has dropped. While crime raes

have sabilized, he saes prison spending has skyrockeed by an alarming 571

percen over he pas wo decades. During ha same ime period, spending on

K12 educaion has only risen 33.4 percen.19 CPMP argues ha prison expansion

wases money ha could be beter used in he communiy. According o CPMP,

or he cos o operaing one prison, 341,800 eligible children could receive healh

care, and 336,469 individuals could uilize vocaional rehabiliaion, which pro-vides employmen services o people wih disabiliies.20

Paricipans also el srongly ha disproporionae incarceraion raes or com-

muniies o color have an alarming ripple eec, paricularly when i comes o


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reinegraing ex-oenders back ino he communiy. Tey specically cied wha

has been ermed as collaeral consequence laws, which make i dicul or

individuals wih a elony convicion, including nonviolen drug oenses, o nd

employmen and which resric hem rom public housing, rom receiving welare

benes, and even rom obaining suden loans or higher educaion.

Sammy Nuez o Fahers and Families o San Joaquin also expressed concern

ha widespread misconcepions abou elon voing righs eecively disenran-

chise many residens o color. For insance, Caliornia law resrics individuals

rom voing while hey are in prison, on parole, or under posrelease communiy

supervisions, bu i lis ha ban i hey are on probaion (unless he probaion is

an alernaive o serving he concluding porion o a senence in couny jail or he

convicion o a low-level elony). Te American Civil Liberies Union o norhern

Caliornia released a 2008 repor ha suppored Nuezs concern, noing ha

while here may be a quarer million voers who are legally disenranchised by

Caliornias laws on elon voing, here are counless ohers who are eecivelydisenranchised due o lack o inormaion on voing righs.21

Te disproporionae incarceraion o communiies o color was a signican con-

cern in he Fresno area, paricularly because paricipans believed i compounded

problems already apparen in employmen and educaion. Insead o invesing in

he economic securiy o he regions residens, he criminal jusice sysem locks

away some o he mos vulnerable populaions and hen makes re-enry ino soci-

ey as dicul as possible.


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Increasing civic engagement

is central to the regions future

When asked o share wha else hey believed could be done o address he regions

challenges in employmen, healh, educaion, and incarceraion, paricipans

spoke o he need o empower communiies o color o ackle hese challenges

hemselves. Tey consisenly underscored he imporance o encouraging higher

levels o civic engagemen in communiies o color, which was seen as he pah

oward no only increasing poliical paricipaion, bu also improving poliical

represenaion and allowing he voices o his communiy o be heard.

Sarah Sharpe, rom Fresno Mero Minisries, was one o he paricipans who raised

he issue o lack o represenaion in communiies o color. She argued ha he

problem has only become more acue as demographics shi, paricularly regarding

decision-making bodies ha many people consider o be insignican such as school

boards, planning commissions, and air polluion conrol boards, among ohers.

However, many imporan decisions ha aec communiies o color are made in

hese venues wihou any signican inpu rom hose mos aeced.

Te mayor o Riverbank, Caliornia, Virginia Madueno, explained ha in her

experience, demographics have never been par o he policy conversaion. In

Sanislaus Couny, her home couny in he norhern region o he valley, a person

o color has never been he board supervisor o he couny, even hough commu-

niies o color comprise nearly 60 percen o he couny.

Ta observaion sparked discussion abou why communiies o color have had

a hard ime securing represenaion in he region. Some paricipans poined o

srucural problems such as he closure o voing polls due o resriced governmen

budges. Funding cus in he summer o 2010 led he Fresno Couny clerks oce

o close many polling saions prior o he November 2010 elecions. Beween June2010 and November 2010, he number o polling places dropped o 114 rom 222.22

Communiy advocaes argued ha he closures disproporionaely aeced resi-

dens in high-densiy neighborhoods, who ound i dicul o voe wihou more

convenien locaions a heir disposal. Communiy aciviss claimed ha 75 percen


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o polling places ha were closed were locaed in souhwes Fresno, an area ha is

predominanly populaed wih Arican American and Laino residens.23

Anoher srucural problem cied or he limied number o eleced ocials rom

communiies o color was he use o a-large voing in he valley. A number o

paricipans said ha a-large elecions, as opposed o disric elecions, dilues hepoliical srengh o communiies o color by allowing everyone in a jurisdicion o

voe in elecions ha aec only a porion o ha jurisdicion. While oher ciies

in he valley coninue o use a-large voing o elec heir school boards and ciy

council members, he ciy o Fresnos charer prohibied a-large voing in 1981.

In 2008, aer a cour ruled agains he Madera Unied School Disrics use o

a-large voing on he grounds ha i dilues cerain communiies represenaion,

a number o oher jurisdicions in he valley appear o be considering swiching

rom a-large voing o disric elecions.24

Te imporance o candidaes o color running or oce was anoher issue dis-cussed during he roundable. Some sressed ha here may sill be a disconnec

beween eleced ocials o color and he people hey are supposed o represen.

Hill reerenced his own campaign or Fresno Ciy Council, which he described as

an atemp o help shi he demographics o leadership. He said ha civic leaders

o color have an obligaion o menor young people o color as a way o plan he

seeds o civic engagemen.

Finally, a number o convening paricipans noed ha hey were acive wih

Communiies or a New Caliornia, a saewide civil righs advocacy organiza-

ion ha operaes in hree regions in Caliorniahe cenral coas, he souheas

deser, and he San Joaquin Valley. While he bulk o he organizaions eors are

ocused around voer mobilizaion and grassroos communiy organizing, our

convening paricipans involved wih he coaliion said he group would expand

is work o address he issues menioned above. Te iniiaive planned o sar a

hree-week civic engagemen program shorly aer he roundable convening,

wih he inen o connecing communiies o color wih one anoher and building

a movemen or susainable change.


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Conclusion

Our counry is as approaching he day when here will no longer be a racial or

ehnic majoriy. Tis demographic shi will have implicaions on various poli-

cies ha currenly experience signican racial and ehnic dispariies. Insead

o waiing or his change o exacerbae hese inequaliies, we can make smar

invesmens now o close he gap and ake ull advanage o one o our counrys

greaes assesdiversiy.

Looking o regions around he counry ha have already experienced signicandemographic shis can help us prepare or wha lies ahead. While we previously

convened wo oher roundables in Arlingon, Virginia, and Los Angeles, Caliornia,

on he issue o diversiy, he San Joaquin Valley in Caliornia provided anoher

opporuniy o explore he challenges and he promises o his demographic shi.

Each communiy, o course, experiences demographic change in is own unique

way, inormed by he regions disinc characerisics and hisory. While conven-

ing paricipans a our Fresno roundable shared many concerns abou racial and

ehnic dispariies in employmen, healh, educaion, and incarceraion, hey also

expressed condence ha hese challenges can be overcome by encouraging

greaer poliical and civic engagemen by communiies o color.

Te views expressed in Fresno echo similar senimens shared by paricipans dur-

ing boh previous roundable discussions. Clearly, he imporance o poliical and

civic srengh ranslaes across various communiies and holds paricular promise

or communiies o color. As our naion moves closer o a day where majoriy and

minoriy labels lose all meaning, we mus make sure we inves in all o our com-

muniies and embrace a vision ha ensures ours is a counry ha works or all o

us, no jus a selec ew.


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List of participants at the convening in the San Joaquin Valley

Walter Ramirez Caliornia Rural Legal Assistance Foundation

Virginia Madueno Climate Plan; mayor o Riverbank, Caliornia

Jonathan London University o Caliornia, Davis

Anne Price Insight Center or Community Economic Development

Leoncio Vasquez Santos Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indgena Oaxaqueo, or CBDIO

Dave Koehler San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust

John Capitman Central Valley Health Policy Institute, Cali ornia State University, Fresno

Esmeralda Soria Caliornia Rural Legal Assistance Foundation

Carey Knecht Climate Plan

Phoebe Seaton Caliornia Rural Legal Assistance

Genovea Islas-Hooker Central Caliornia Regional Obesity Prevention Program

Sammy Nuez Fathers and Families o San Joaquin

Larry Hodges Merrill Lynch

Debbie Reyes Caliornia Prison Moratorium Project

Sarah Sharpe Fresno Metro Ministries

Gregory Bar feld Homeless Ser vices Manager, City o Fresno

Kevin Hall Central Valley Air Quality Coalition

Sandra Flores Fresno Regional Foundation

Keith Kelley Fresno West Coalition or Economic Development

Tate Hill Fresno Black Chamber o Commerce

Keith Woodcock Community and Regional Planning Center at Caliornia State University, Fresno

Cassandra Joubert Childrens Institute at Caliornia State University, Fresno

Sabina Gonzalez-Eraa Central Caliornia Regional Obesity Prevention Program


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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 degree and docorae in governmen rom CornellUniversiy, 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 also earned a bachelors degree in poliical sci-

ence 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 San Joaquin

Valley roundable convening; Angela Glover Blackwell, Sarah reuha, Danielle

Bergsrom and Chione Flegal a PolicyLink; and Vanessa Crdenas, Daniella

Gibbs Lger, Sophia Kerby, Rachel Wil, and Abigail Ridley-Kerr a he Cener or

American Progress.


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Endnotes

1 U.S. Census Bueau, Ameican Cmmuni Suve 2010 one-yeaEsimaes avaiabe a p://acnde2.census.v/aces/nav/js/paes/seacesus.xm?ees=.

2 Bueau lab Saisics, occupaina Empmen and Waes(U.S. Depamen lab, 2010), avaiabe a p://www.bs.v/es/cuen/es450000.m.

3 U.S. Census Bueau, 2007 Ameican Cmmuni Suve and 2007Suve Business ownes (U.S. Depamen Cmmece, 2012),avaiabe a p://quickacs.census.v/qd/saes/06/06019.m.

4 hUBZne, avaiabe a p://www.esn.v/gvenmen/De-pamenDiec/DCr/InceniveZnes/hUBZne/Deau.m (asaccessed Mac 12, 2012).

5 Ci Fesn Sae Cainia Enepise Zne Summa Benes & Quaiin Cieia, avaiabe a p://www.esn.v/gvenmen/DepamenDiec/DCr/InceniveZnes/Enepise-Zne/Deau.m (as accessed Mac 12, 2012).

6 Jefe M. humpes, te Muicuua Ecnm(Aens, gA:Univesi geia Sei Cene Ecnmic gw, 2010),avaiabe a p://www.e.ua.edu/sei/pubicains/muicu-ua_ecnm.m.

7 Jn Capiman and tim tne, te Impacs S-em Canes

in Ai Quai n Emeenc rm and h spia Use in CainiasSan Jaquin Vae (Fesn, CA: Cainia Sae Univesi, 2011).

8 Ameican lun Assciain, Sae e Ai (2011), avaiabe ap://www.saeeai..

9 Envinmena hea Invesiains Banc, Cainia CunAsma hspiaizain Ca Bk: Daa m 1998-2000 (CainiaDepamen hea Sevices, 2003).

10 Nami Cn. te Enduin Caene Cncenaed Pvein Ameica: Case Sud Fesn, Cainia. Api 2009. Fedeareseve Bank San Fancisc.

11 Jnaan lndn, ganin huan, and taa Zask, land risk/land oppuni: Cumuaive Envinmena Vuneabii inCainias San Jaquin Vae (Davis, CA: Univesi Cainia,Davis, 2011).

12 Meanie Bines, Amand Cez, and Jn Capiman, Buidinhea Cmmuniies in e San Jaquin Vae: Peimina BaseineDaa rep (Fesn, CA: Cainia Sae Univesi Cena Vaehea Pic Insiue, 2010).

13 l. Swae and es, te Cena Cainia reina obesiPevenin Pam: Canin Nuiin and Psica Acivi Envi-nmens in Cainias heaand,American Journal o Public Health100 (11) (2010).

14 Jn Capiman and es, te Efeciveness a Pma heaEducain Mde Impvin lain hea Cae Access in Cai-nias Cena Vae (Fesn, CA: Cainia Sae Univesi Cena

Vae hea Pic Insiue, 2009).

15 Cainia Depamen Educain, Educaina DemapicsUni, Cunwide aduain/dp u aes b enici, 2009-10,avaiabe a p://dq.cde.ca.v.

16 Divided We Fai: Impvin Cmpein and Csin racia gaps inCainias Cmmuni Cees. ocbe 2010. Campain C-ee oppuniies. Avaiabe a: p://www.ceecampain./esuces/u-pubicains/.

17 U.S. Census Bueau, 20072009 American Community Survey, 3-YearEstimates (2011).

18 Ibid; Cainia Depamen Jusice, Caliornia Criminal JusticeProfle (2009)

19 W Fi Expansin?, avaiabe a p://www.caipmp./wexpansin (as accessed Mac 12, 2012).

20 Ibid.

21 AClU Nen Cainia, Makin Eve Ve Cun: reminFen Disenancisemen Picies and Pacices in Cainia(2008), avaiabe a p://w ww.acunc./iba/pubicains/as-se_upad_e228_7648.pd.

22 Fesn Cun, Fesn Cun Sae Diec Pima Eecin FacSee June 8 (2010); Fesn Cun, Fesn Cun Sae DiecPima Eecin Fac See Nvembe 2 (2010).

23 Mike rdes, lca gups Fi Ve Suppessin in FesnCun, Indybay, ocbe 21, 2010, avaiabe a p://www.indba./newsiems/2010/10/31/18662800.pp.

24 lewis giswd, Disic-based vin mued in tuae, Visaia.Fresno Bee, Febua 10, 2012, avaiabe a p://www.esnbee.cm/2012/02/10/2718024/disic-based-vin-mued-in.m.


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Toward 2050 in California: A Roundtable Report on Political Participation in the San Joaquin Valley

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