Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Political participation among California communities of color dismal, report finds
FILE: A new report finds that white Californians join protests at greater rates than African Americans, Asian Americans and Latinos in the state.
(
Andrew Nixon/Capital Public Radio
)
Listen
0:38
Political participation among California communities of color dismal, report finds
A new report released Thursday finds that California still has a long way to go to improve political participation among its residents, particularly those who are Asian Americans, African Americans and Latinos.
The report from the civil rights group Advancement Project and University of California, Riverside, School of Public Policy found that race plays a major factor when measuring participation in government.
As has been previously reported, voter turnout lags among communities of color. But they also fall behind in other kinds of political participation.
White Californians, for example, contact public officials at more than double the rate of Asian Americans and Latinos. Sixteen percent of whites in one census survey cited reached out to public officials compared to 6 and 5 percent for Asians and Latinos, respectively. Nine percent of the black Californians surveyed contacted public officials.
“We cannot achieve a healthy democracy for all when the voices of communities of color are shut out of our political process,” John Kim, executive director of the Advancement Project, said in a press release.
The report also found whites support campaigns and attend political meetings in higher numbers, regardless of their economic status.
Other findings from the report:
Sponsored message
- Latinos and Asian Americans in California face the greatest inequalities in voting. For example, in the 2012 presidential election, among adult citizens, only 48 percent of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and only 49 percent of Latinos voted. By contrast, 64 percent of whites and 62 percent of blacks voted. The report finds that lower rates of citizenship exacerbate these disparities for Latinos and Asian Americans.
- Racial disparities worsen for all communities of color in midterm and local elections. Asian Americans were half as likely as whites to say that they “always voted” in local elections. Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, Latinos and blacks similarly reported disproportionately low rates of voting in local elections when compared to whites.
- California leads the nation when it comes to voting by mail, but Latinos and blacks voted by mail at a much lower rate. Asian Americans vote by mail at higher rates, but vote at lower rates overall.
- Latino gaps in voting are most pronounced in inland areas of California, including the counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, Kern and Fresno. For Asian Americans, gaps in voting are greatest in the Bay Area counties of San Mateo, Alameda, Santa Clara and San Francisco.
The report calls for increased civic education in communities of color and better public policies to help boost participation.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
