Fact Sheet Race and Voting in California By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Alyssa Dykman, Rachel Lawler Sep 2, 2020 Latinos, Asian Americans, and African Americans are less likely to vote than whites.
Report Are There Winners and Losers? Race, Ethnicity, and California’s Initiative Process By Zoltan L. Hajnal, Hugh Louch Oct 1, 2001 California’s reliance on direct democracy has raised concerns about the role of race and ethnicity in the initiative process.Critics point to initiatives on restricting bilingual education, ending affirmative action, and cutting services to illegal immigrants as a sign that the white electoral majority is using direct democracy to target the state’s growing nonwhite population. This study analyzes voting patterns over the last 20 years to determine how often voters from each racial and ethnic group end up on the winning side of the initiative vote. It also measures the degree to which the interests of white and nonwhite voters differed and the level of unity within each group. The study concludes that nonwhite voters, especially Latinos, fared poorly compared to whites only when race or ethnicity itself was an important part of an initiative.
Report How Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration Shape the California Electorate By Jack Citrin, Benjamin Highton Dec 1, 2002 Although the ethnic composition of California's population has changed dramatically over the last two decades, the voting population's profile is shifting slowly by comparison. In How Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration Shape the California Electorate, Jack Citrin and Benjamin Highton study turnout gaps across California's four largest racial and ethnic groups. They find that the relatively low turnout among Latinos and Asians, the two groups with the largest immigrant populations, can be traced to markedly different causes. Facilitating naturalization is an important step toward faster political incorporation for all immigrants, but the authors conclude that no single policy designed to boost voting is likely to work for both Latinos and Asians.
blog post Racial Disparities in California Law Enforcement Stops By Magnus Lofstrom, Alexandria Gumbs, Brandon Martin Dec 3, 2020 According to the latest data for California’s largest law enforcement agencies, the reasons for officer stops vary by agency type and across racial groups.
blog post Racial/Ethnic Differences in Who’s Leaving California By Eric McGhee Jun 8, 2022 The flow of Californians moving to other states has accelerated in recent years. Even within income groups, there are wide racial gaps in who’s exiting.
blog post Race, Health, and the Risk of COVID-19 Complications By Daniel Tan, Paulette Cha Apr 17, 2020 Heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions that increase the risk of COVID-19 complications are more prevalent among certain groups, especially Native Americans and African Americans.
Report Proposition 47’s Impact on Racial Disparity in Criminal Justice Outcomes By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin, Steven Raphael Jun 23, 2020 Proposition 47, which reclassified a number of drug and property offenses from felonies to misdemeanors, has led to a marked decrease in racial disparities in arrests and bookings in California. But rates remain significantly higher for African Americans than for other groups.
blog post Race, Ethnicity, and For-Profit College Enrollment By Jacob Jackson, Sara Adan Oct 13, 2016 African American students were key to the growth of for-profit colleges. These institutions are closing, and the overall college-going rate of African Americans is falling.
Fact Sheet California’s Prison Population By Heather Harris, Sean Cremin Sep 12, 2024 After falling sharply in the first year of the pandemic, California’s prison population is now at a 30-year low. Meanwhile, the average annual cost of imprisoning a person has risen almost 50% since 2019. Most people in California prisons have been convicted of violent crimes; some racial groups are imprisoned at disproportionate rates.
