Center for Latinx & Latin American Studies

“¡Se Ve! ¡Se Siente! ¡El Pueblo está Presente!”

Coming September 26th

New USC Study Highlights Strategies to Strengthen Latino Communities in the Inland Empire, A Region Projected to Balloon to 74% Latino by 2060 

The Inland Empire is a vast and vibrant region that continues to outpace growth in nearly every other part of California. Central to this growth is a dynamic and booming Latino population which currently comprises 52% of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, or an estimated 2.37 million residents. The Inland Empire is home to the United States’ fifth largest population of Latinos and this demographic is expected to balloon to 74% of the region’s population by 2060. This region in transition must ensure that its various systems and institutions transform to meet the emerging needs of this growing — and increasingly younger – population.

The USC Center for Latinx and Latin American Studies released initial findings from its new report ¡Se Ve! ¡Se Siente! ¡El Pueblo está Presente!: An Analysis of a Region in Transition from the Perspective of Inland Empire Latino Organizational Leaders. This qualitative study shares insights from select Inland Empire Latino organizational leaders and organizers who provide their first-hand experiences and observations about the challenges in the region, but also the immense opportunities to set the region on a path for success and inclusion.

“The Inland Empire is a region on the rise and Latinos will play a central role in the region’s future,” said Dr. Juan De Lara, Director of the USC Center for Latinx and Latin American Studies and lead author of the new study. “For the region to continue to flourish, it must invest wholeheartedly in its communities, especially its Latino majority. The roadmap for the future is clear: uplift, invest, and progress.”

The report will be published on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.

For media inquiries and early access to the embargoed report, click here.

Welcome Back Message from Director Juan De Lara

Dear Center for Latinx and Latin American Studies Community,

I hope this message finds you well as we return to campus. I’m thrilled to announce that we will be launching several new research initiatives this year. I have outlined these below. Please reach out to me if you have any questions about these exciting projects.

Supporting Latino Civic Engagement in Southern California’s Inland Empire

The Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area is home to the country’s fifth-largest Latino population. While Latinos emerged as the majority after the 2020 Census, the region’s institutions have not kept pace with the demographic shift. Our Center, in partnership with the Inland Empire Community Foundation’s CIELO Fund, is preparing a report on Latino community and nonprofit organizations in the Inland Empire. This collaboration will outline strategies to strengthen Latino communities in the Inland Empire.

Equity and Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change in California’s Urban Centers

Thanks to a gift from and partnership with The Nature Conservancy, our Center will work on building new alliances between environmental justice organizations, community groups, and environmental organizations to support nature-based solutions to climate change. The joint endeavor seeks to champion equity-driven approaches to the climate crisis. The overarching aim? To ensure that California’s sprawling urban landscapes are not only environmentally sustainable but also accessible to every resident, irrespective of their socio-economic background.

Restorative Justice in Coachella Valley Schools

Our Center has developed a partnership with Alianza Coachella Valley to produce a study on school-based discipline practices. The report will also suggest ways to incorporate restorative justice approaches across all schools within the 16.6 thousand student Coachella Valley School District. We think that restorative justice strategies will provide a more inclusive and harmonious educational environment for students and educators alike.

Precarious Ecologies Mellon Sawyer Seminar

In addition to these new initiatives, our Center will continue to host regular cultural gatherings and intellectual conversations. Furthermore, our Precarious Ecologies Mellon Sawyer Seminar continues to thrive, with a series of enlightening sessions planned for the year. I’m genuinely excited about the journey ahead and the potential for meaningful impact. Your engagement and contributions will be instrumental in these endeavors.

Report on “Federal Policy to Advance Racial, Ethnic, and Tribal Health Equity”

Finally, I’d like to highlight a health equity report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. I had the privilege of serving on the committee that penned “Federal Policy to Advance Racial, Ethnic, and Tribal Health Equity.” This report, commissioned by the Office of Minority Health within the Department of Health and Human Services, examines the impact of historical and current federal policies on racial and ethnic health disparities. I urge you to review and share this significant work. You can read and download the report here.

Sincerely,

Juan De Lara, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Latinx and Latin American Studies