AAPI Nexus Journal: Policy, Practice, & Community, 2019
There have been a growing number of partnerships between universities and nonprofits to conduct c... more There have been a growing number of partnerships between universities and nonprofits to conduct community-based research to understand important racial group disparities and develop community capacity. However, these relationships can be unbalanced and fraught with challenges. This resource paper offers a discussion of seven considerations that can assist university researchers in developing accountable and equitable partnerships. We also provide suggestions on how these steps may vary for Asian American and Pacific Islander groups and how to create mutually beneficial agreements that respect both parties and their goals.
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Papers by C. Aujean Lee
plans mention gentrification, given that gentrification impacts vulnerable
communities’ long-term economic outlook, health, and
quality of life. We focus on plans in four regions – Southern
California, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, and
Portland, Oregon. In our content analysis, only 23 of 308 jurisdictions
that adopted plans between 1990 and 2020 mention gentrification,
describe the problem of gentrification, and/or provide
recommendations in their plans. The findings suggest that most
planning blueprints do not acknowledge gentrification despite the
equity impacts on vulnerable communities.
neighborhood community organizing. However, this is the first study to assess practitioner perceptions of
this subcontracting arrangement and its effect on addressing or perpetuating racial inequities in neighborhood community organizing. We used 39 interviews in an exploratory study of Oklahoma City (OK)
and a nonprofit that is contracted to do neighborhood organizing. Interviewees described how the
organization improved some community organizing given its detailed approach to formalize neighborhood
associations. At the same time, participants believed that the subcontracting relationship and focus
on formalized neighborhood associations perpetuated existing disparities in community organizing given
long-standing challenges of systemic racism. The study is limited in its focus on one example but provides
implications for local municipalities that contract out community development services.
Takeaway for practice: Nonprofits can be important partners in expanding community organizing in
neighborhoods. We offer recommendations for how planners can assess and work with subcontractor
community organizing nonprofits in various stages of contracts, such as co-creating metrics for success
and evaluating these outcomes with the subcontractor. Planning departments can then better understand
how to modify future contracts to address racial equity disparities. Planners also should understand how
these organizations may highlight ongoing ineffectiveness and challenges of working with diversifying
publics and existing disparities in the planning process.
ensure affordability and community stability for low-income households.
However, there is a dearth of studies that have examined CLTs on a
national scale and what factors are associated with the number of units.
This study examined 202 CLTs in the U.S., and we assessed whether CLT
characteristics, community socioeconomic factors, and the regulatory and
political landscape are associated with the number of units. We found
that years of operating the CLT, CLTs that also have rental properties, and
CLTs that are publicly-owned or operated are positively associated with
more units. Our findings highlight the importance of municipalities supporting CLTs and future research that can better understand CLT contexts and the development of units.
characterized by all-online application processes and the inclusion of nontraditional applicant data in underwriting decisions. While national studies suggest that fintech lenders mimic traditional lenders and distribute subprime loans to minority borrowers and neighborhoods at higher rates than to white borrowers and neighborhoods, these studies exclude regional differences by race/ethnicity and nativity. We assess variation in neighborhood-level fintech and traditional subprime lending rates across immigrant gateway metropolitan areas. Using Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data, we find that immigrant gateways are associated with higher rates of subprime lending than metropolitan areas with low rates of immigration. Results suggest that neighborhood-level composition of Asian and Latinx residents mediate the relationship between subprime lending and immigrant gateways in distinct ways depending on lender type. Findings suggest metropolitan and tract-level racial and ethnic patterns remain key factors in shaping subprime lending rates in a rapidly evolving mortgage credit market.
advantages. We examine whether foreclosure risk is mediated through spatial processes, race, nativity, and class. We find that race and nativity play a major role in mediating risk across immigrant gateways. Neighborhoods with higher levels of Asian concentration presented lower risk, regardless of nativity and income. In contrast, Latino foreclosure risk varied by nativity, income, and gateway. Emerging gateways are also associated with higher foreclosure risk. Our findings inform resurgent ethnicity theory and how middle class immigrant neighborhoods offer improved socioeconomic outcomes without relying on White areas as a standard for immigrant integration.
Takeaway for practice: Non-citizens engage with planners differently than do native-born residents because of legal status, disparate access to spaces and resources, and varying relationships with government agencies. The results of this study offer implications for planners, such as spending more time to build trust with non-citizens through frequent outreach and offering small incentives, using alternative spaces for engagement and pushing for policies that decouple public institutions from immigration services, and partnering with nonprofits to support non-citizens and immigrant-friendly policies. As planners improve immigrant incorporation through these considerations, they can improve how they balance power, constituent representation, and meeting residents’ needs.
Takeaway for practice: The educational training of planners, in general, does not attempt to undo discriminatory practices; instead, these racialized tensions move from the classroom to the workplace. Ultimately, strategies to diversify the planning profession fail because of exclusionary interpersonal and institutional practices. Findings provide insight into how to better support African American and Latinx students in academia and as future practitioners. Results also suggest that greater representation of African American and Latinx students, coupled with mentorship, the creation of counter-spaces, and faculty/staff training on racial microaggressions, could foster more inclusive learning environments in urban planning institutions. Fostering inclusive environments will, in turn, help students learn how to develop healthy relationships with diverse communities. These interpersonal skills likely will translate into a more welcoming workplace and expand opportunities for effectively engaging Latinx and African American communities.