report image of diverse group of people crossing the street in Orange County
Economic Inclusion and Climate Equity

March 26, 2019

By PolicyLink and the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE) at the University of Southern California

Authors: Edward-Michael Muña, Sabrina Kim, Joanna Lee, and Jennifer Ito

Please note: reports dated earlier than June 2020 were published under our previous names: the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE) or the USC Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration (CSII).

Like much of California, Orange County experienced demographic change ahead of national shifts and will continue to do so through at least 2050. Today about 58 percent are residents of color however racial and economic inequalities persist, threatening future prosperity countywide.

An Equity Profile of Orange County examines demographic trends and indicators of equitable growth, highlighting strengths and areas of vulnerability in relation to the goal of building a strong, resilient economy. It was developed by PolicyLink and the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE) to support Orange County funders, advocacy groups, elected officials, planners, business leaders, and others working to build a stronger and more equitable region.

PolicyLink and PERE are grateful to Orange County Grantmakers for partnering with us on this report and thank the following organizations for their generous support: St. Joseph Health Community Partnership Fund, Orange County Community Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, Allergan Foundation, and JPMorgan Chase.

Download report

Summary
Equity Profile

Read our other publications by research area

    Immigrant Integration & Racial Justice

    Our work on immigrant integration and racial justice brings together three emphases: scholarship that draws on academic theory and rigorous research, data that provides information structured to highlight the process of immigrant integration over time, and engagement that seeks to create new dialogues with government, community organizers, business and civic leaders, immigrants and the voting public to advance immigrant integration and racial equity.

    Economic Inclusion & Climate Equity

    In the area of economic inclusion, we at ERI advance academic theory and practical applications linking economic growth, environmental quality, and civic health with bridging of racial and other gaps; produce accessible and actionable data and analysis through the data tools; and establish research partnerships to deepen and advance the dialogue, planning, and actions around racial equity, environmental justice, and the built environment.

    Social Movements & Governing Power

    ERI’s work in the area of governing power includes: conducting cross-disciplinary studies of today’s social movements, supporting learning and strategizing efforts to advance dialogues among organizers, funders, intermediaries, evaluators, and academics, and developing research-based social change frameworks and tools to inform—and be informed by—real-world, real-time efforts towards a vision of deep change.

    Publications Directory

    In 2020, the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE) and the USC Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration (CSII) merged to form the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI).

    The full list of publications published under our previous and current names can be found in our publications directory.

    a view of the Los Angeles skyline