ERI’s 2024 Highlights and Impacts

A message from ERI’s Director

Dear friends and allies,

As we approach the end of this year at the Equity Research Institute, we reflect on the depth and breadth of the challenges we face ahead, made even clearer and more urgent after the November elections.

In these uncertain times, we look to our shared values, common goals, and close allies for signs of hope. Whether it was through data analysis, stories, or partnerships, our work remains rooted in the movements led by all of you–activists, advocates, and scholars–and we are grateful to be of service and in solidarity.

ERI will continue equipping you with useful tools and actionable insights to drive transformative change. Though much of the post-election landscape remains unclear, we encourage you to look back on the year’s collective wins and accomplishments, large and small, and find inspiration for the work before us.

Below is a brief summary of what we were up to over the past year,

We are providing a brief summary of what we were up to over the past year. But we have decided that now is also a time to think and act forward. So along with our 2024 highlights and impacts recap, in January 2025, we’ll release an interactive report featuring data, tools, and analysis to support your efforts. 

May you find moments of rest and renewal this holiday season—essential elements for resilience on the long journey toward justice. And know that we’ll return in 2025 ready to stand with you, with new research and insights to help sustain the fight for a more just, equitable, and inclusive world.

With warmest regards,
Dr. Manuel Pastor

May you find moments of rest and renewal this holiday season—essential elements for resilience on the long journey toward justice. And know that we’ll return in 2025 ready to stand with you, with new research and insights to help sustain the fight for a more just, equitable, and inclusive world.

With warmest regards,
Dr. Manuel Pastor

ERI 2024 Highlights Summary

In 2024, the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI) has worked to advance social equity through research, data tools, and community engagement:

• The California Immigrant Data Portal (CIDP) and the National Equity Atlas (NEA), developed in collaboration with partners, empower community organizations, policymakers, and researchers with evidence to drive informed decision-making and policy proposals. Both are user-friendly, interactive tools to analyze and visualize data, making information more accessible to diverse audiences. CIDP and NEA prioritize equity by highlighting disparities in access, opportunity, and outcomes across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines, and help community leaders engage in policy conversations with credibility and evidence.
  

• Our “Rock the Naturalized Vote 2024“ interactive data maps demonstrated the growing electoral influence of newly naturalized citizens and their role in shaping democratic participation across the country.

• ERI  research reports elevated key issues and influenced policy debates on immigrant inclusion, racial justice, community empowerment, and climate equity. Our publications highlighted both the challenges and contributions of diverse groups, such as Asian American immigrants and Indigenous migrants in LA county, while underscoring the need for social and economic inclusion policies that address  systemic disparities. Another common theme of our research was advocacy for community-driven solutions, stressing that investments and change are most effective when shaped by those directly impacted. Reports like Catalyzing Community-Centered Redistricting for Racial Equity and Naturalize Now: Economic Equity and the Path to Naturalization illustrated the importance of developing fair and accessible processes, from redistricting to citizenship.

• Prof. Chris Benner and ERI’s Director Prof. Manuel Pastor released their latest book, Charging Forward: Lithium Valley, Electric Vehicles, and a Just Future, which is already sparking important conversations about climate equity and sustainable growth in California and beyond. The book lifts up stories from the communities in the Salton Sea area—aka “Lithium Valley”—which serve as a microcosm for global challenges and how what happens here could shape the future of our economy and green industries.

• Events such as the 2024 Immigration Summit in Los Angeles, Electoral Aftershock: What’s Next for Health and Social Equity?, Making Movements: Aligning Organizing, Philanthropy, and Research for Social Change, and the Sin Padres, Ni Papeles book talk fostered meaningful discussions – and bridged audiences across philanthropy, academia, government, nonprofits, and community organizations. In addition, regional data presentations like the State of Black California continued to shed light on racial disparities and pathways toward equity.

• Innovative ERI programs like our Postdoctoral Fellowships, the Scholar-Activist in Residence, and Community-Engaged Research Grants reflected ERI’s commitment to strengthening the ecosystem of community-engaged research and its impacts on real-world issues and solutions.

• Through blogs, op-eds, media hits/interviews, and social media content like “Data for the Day,” ERI amplified the voices of researchers, activists, scholars, and community leaders. By addressing timely equity topics that matter to our communities, we broadened our audiences and deepened the analysis in public discourse.
  
  

ERI’s accomplishments this year–and over the last 16 years– reflect the strengths of its diverse staff and our strong partnerships with community leaders, organizations, scholars, and funders. With collaboration and collective action at the core of why we do what we do, ERI looks forward to working together with all of you in the years ahead for a more just, inclusive future locally, in our state, and across the country.

Wishing all our friends and allies rest, resilience, and renewal this holiday season!