News | Center for Social Innovation

17 Sep

In the News: 8 books to help us re-imagine populism and privilege [reading list]

The 115th American Political Science Association Annual Meeting’s theme is “Populism and Privilege”, a look into the populist movements around the globe. The meeting features scholars from around the world with the intent on speaking about this topic. In doing so, they have prepped the public with a list of books that focus on the…

27 Aug

In the News: Planning reform, private sector innovation key to fixing housing market: Gary Painter

“The institutions that control housing market in California are broken, and the pain is widespread,” is how Gary Painter begins his Op-Ed in the Los Angeles Daily News. As apart of the SoCal Policy Forum, Gary highlights some of the reasons why California has a housing crisis. Decades-long policies of development-restrictions…

24 Aug

In the News: Three major hurdles to fixing California’s housing crisis

California’s housing crisis cannot be solved only with dollars. Although Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signed state budget allocated $2 billion in new spending for the state’s housing and homelessness crisis, there are additional measures needed to undo the impact of decades-long legislative and regulatory constraints. The article, a…

12 Aug

In the News: A growing number of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates are calling Trump a ‘white supremacist.’ Here’s why

Many presidential candidates have labeled President Trump a “white supremacist”, but these voices have grown after the El Paso shooting which specifically targeted Latinos. His anti-immigrant rhetoric may be inciting racists given how the El Paso’s shooter released a hate-filled manifesto that closely mirrored Trump’s language…

08 Aug

In the News: The Health Needs of Undocumented Older Adults

In The Health Needs of Unodcumented Older Adults: A view on health status, access to care, and barriers, the report focuses on the health of the older undocumented Latinxs by completing a study in the IE. The results show as all older adults face weakened health conditions, their status and other barriers prevent them from…

02 Aug

In the News: Building Industry Association of California CEO Jeff Montejano Named to SoCal Policy Forum Group of Experts

Southern California News Group and the Center for Social Innovation have created the SoCal Policy Forum in an effort to elevate policy discourse in the Southern California region. The inaugural group of policy experts has also been extended to Building Industry Association of Southern California’s (BIASC) CEO Jeff Montejano. The…

01 Aug

In the News: Center for Social Innovation launches regional platform for public discourse

The Center for Social Innovation at UCR has partnered with the Southern California News Group to create the SoCal Policy Forum, an online platform that will host the opinions of experts on a wide array of issues. Each month a new topic will be unveiled and each of the 34 contributors will have 300 words to provide their take. The…

28 Jul

Announcement: SoCal Policy Forum launches

“In an effort to elevate policy discourse in the region and bring down the usual silos, the Southern California News Group, in partnership with the Center for Social Innovation, UC Riverside (CSI-UCR), is launching the SoCal Policy Forum.” Many times it is difficult to gather everyone to the table to discuss the many issues…

25 Jul

In The News: The rising clout of Indian-Americans

Our nation’s capital continues to see growth in diversity with respect to some of the most highly coveted positions in our country being occupied by diverse groups of people. Kamala Harris is currently in the midst of challenging for the nomination of the Democratic Party and The Economist highlights the growing success the Indian…

23 Jul

In the News: What was behind ‘vote switching in the 2016 elections?

Read article here

23 Jul

In the News: Hollywood Doesn't Fully Represent Asian Americans Yet

The spotlight on actors in Hollywood movies has been shiftly lately with movies such as Black Panther. It has created a movement where it provides a platform for a typically underrepresented communities. Progress has also been made for the Asian American community with blockbuster movies such as The Farewell, Crazy Rich Asians,…

22 Jul

In The News: Indian Americans, a rising political force, give $3 million to 2020 presidential campaigns

Indian Americans are a growing political force, donating more than $3 million to 2020 presidential campaigns. With just over 1% of the population, more than two thirds of those donations have gone to Democratic candidates with Sen. Kamala harris of California whose mother was born in India; Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, a…

16 Jul

In the News: What happened when they told me, 'go back to your country'

President Trump recently went on a Twitter call out four non-white congresswomen for critiquing America by asking “why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.'' In response, Karthick Ramakrishnan wrote an opinion article on CNN that details his struggle with growing up in…

28 Jun

In the News: New Illinois Laws aimed at ICE are ‘a firewall against Trump attacks’ on immigrants, Pritzker says

The Illinois state legislature has prevented a local county and village from completing a contract with a private company who was planning on housing Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees. The Center for Social Innovation’s Co-Director of the Civic Engagement Group, Francisco Pedraza, states “What you are seeing is the…

27 Jun

In the News: Sen. Kamala Harris, Joe Biden Googled most in California ahead of first debate

UC Riverside Political Scientist Karthick Ramakrishnan cautioned people not to read too much into Google trend data and only consider it alongside other information, including survey data, campaign contribution data and how much candidates are spending on advertising. Read article here

24 Jun

In the News: Want to see California on the rise? Look inland

People typically correlate the Golden State to the cities and landmarks surrounding the coast. The attention is driven towards places like the Bay, Hollywood, and Disneyland. A new coalition of Inland California counties is aiming towards changing that narrative. Inland California Rising, co-founded by CSI’s Karthick Ramakrishnan…

21 Jun

In the News: Redlands residents encouraged to participate in the 2020 census Publisher: Redlands Community News

Residents of Redlands and the Inland Empire are being urged to participate and engage in the 2020 Census. The census efforts reached San Bernardino as the Regional Implementation Workshops concluded at San Bernardino Valley College. California authorities are noting that census participation is key to government funding and…

21 Jun

In the News: California’s inland region key to statewide vitality

Inland California, comprised of the Inland Empire and Central Valley, have always been overlooked when comparing itself to Coastal California. This is quickly changing as the long serving industrial and agricultural backbone of the state are becoming the employment, innovation, and opportunity center of the United States.…

https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-05-21/asian-americans-could-be-group-most-affected-census-citizenship-question

21 May

In the News: Asian Americans could be the group most affected by the census citizenship question.

CSI Director Karthick Ramakrishnan quoted in a story about 2020 Census challenges facing Asian Americans. Read article here

14 May

In the News: The Asian-American Electorate Is Becoming a Force

Read article here

13 May

In the News: Trump could be turning Asian Americans into reliable Democratic voters But Democrats need to put in the work to lock them down.

Read article here

06 May

In the News: Political power should be decided in elections-not rigged census surveys

The 2020 Census will coincide with the 2020 Presidential Election’s battle between President Trump and Democrats. In California, Democrats and Gov. Newsom are prepared to combat the President’s fear tactic of attempting to add a citizenship question by investing more in the 20202 census efforts. Karthick Ramakrishnan notes “…

01 May

In the News: The Citizenship Question: For California, the Vitally Important 2020 Census Poses Problems

The 2020 Census will be particularly tough for California and its big immigrant population. Fears of the citizenship question being added to the census questionnaire have sparked more concerns from those impacted along with regional leaders. The Trump Administration’s Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who oversees the Census Bureau…

In the News: Tulsi rolls over Kamala in fundraising among Indian-Americans

29 Apr

In the News: The Citizenship Question: For California, the Vitally Important 2020 Census Poses Problems

Read article here

29 Apr

In the News: Riverside, San Bernardino County prep for census amid fears of undercount

Last week sparked the formation of the Inland Empire Complete Count Committee, a leadership committee comprised of community organizations, government officials, and educators with the focus on spreading awareness about the 2020 census. The 80 member committee will be a historic collaboration between San Bernardino and Riverside…

26 Apr

In the News: For ‘hard-to-count’ California, 2020 census poses huge challenges and carries big stakes

The 2020 Census will be particularly tough for California and its big immigrant population. Fears of the citizenship question being added to the census questionnaire have sparked more concerns from those impacted along with regional leaders. The Trump Administration’s Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who oversees the Census Bureau…

24 Apr

In the News: Presidential Candidate Tulsi Gabbard Amasses Lion’s Share of Indian American

Read article here

23 Apr

In the News: Indian Americans are Big Donors to Gabbard Campaign

Read article here

Voters cast ballots in Los Angeles County in California on November 6, 2012. Frederic J. Brown / AFP/Getty Images

19 Apr

In the News: Cory Booker leads Dem presidential candidates in campaign contributions from Asian Americans

18 Apr

In the News: Committee for accurate Inland Empire census count marks formal launch

The once every 10 year task of counting everyone in the U.S. has arrived once again. The stakes are high as regions whose population go undercounted can miss out on federal and state funding, making an accurate census count critical for potential growth. Riverside and San Bernardino County made a historic move by partnering…

17 Apr

In the News: Are Indian Voters Ready to Embrace for Kamala Harris?

Read article here

26 Mar

In the News: In Midwest states, political parties eye growing Asian-American electorate

NBC’s article mentions the growing number of Asian-Americans in the electorate and how they will impact upcoming elections. The Midwest, like the rest of the United States, has a fast-growing Asian American and Pacific Islander population which can provide a marginal victory for either party. Both Democrats and Republicans are…

14 Mar

In the News: New PAC aims to boost political fortunes of Asian American candidates

Recent California Governor contender John Chiang has announced the launch of a Political Action Committee (ElectAAPI.org) which aims at electing more Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The PAC will seek to accurately represent more AAPI through successful election campaigns by giving directly to federal candidates and…

01 Mar

In the News: Political Scientist’s Book Recognized by Social Science Organization

“Framing Immigrants: News Coverage, Public Opinion, and Policy,” a book by University of New Haven professor Chris Haynes that explored the roles that news coverage and language have on shaping immigration public opinion and policy, received the Distinguished Book Award from the Western Social Science Association. The book was…

18 Feb

In the News: Inland California: the backbone of our state

The Sacramento Bee published an opinion piece by Ashley Swearengin and Karthick Ramakrishnan to highlight the importance of Inland California and uniting forces to boost investments and shape policies affecting our mega-region It announced the unity from the various sectors through its launch of Inland California Rising. The…

23 Jan

In the News: With 2020 Census coming — citizenship question or not — there’s a push to count every head in Inland Empire

The Press-Enterprise cites strong interest by Riverside and San Bernardino counties to count every person during the 2020 Census by joining the Inland Empire “complete count committee”. The Center for Social Innovation is at the center of the efforts, as a strategic partner that aims to bring together leaders from local…

09 Nov

In the News: 2018 California Priorities Summit

The Sacramento Bee and McClatchy convened various state leaders for the California Priorities Summit. The goal was to discuss and share solutions to critical policy issues facing California. The summit included interviews and panel discussions with advice for the Newsom administration and the state legislature (the discussion was…

08 Nov

In the News: “California politics must accommodate growing share of Asian-American voters”

In an op-ed published in the Sacramento Bee, CSI Director Karthick Ramakrishnan made the case for greater investments in the large and fast-growing Asian American electorate: “Hopefully, [the 2018 elections] will prove to national and state political parties the value of Asian-American voters and increase the kinds of investments…

07 Nov

In the News: “41 Latinos in Congress. 2 races still undecided”

This article by the Associated Press, published in various outlets including the New York Times, notes that the number of Latino members of Congress will increase following the 2018 midterm elections. Professor Francisco Pedraza, co-director of our Civic Engagement Group at CSI-UCR, noted the significance of these gains. “…

06 Nov

CSI Welcomes Associate Director Marlenee Blas Pedral

The Center for Social Innovation is pleased to welcome Marlenee Blas as its new Associate Director. Marlenee brings a wealth of experience from her prior roles as a counselor in the UC Riverside Career Center, where she led the university’s work study engagement with employers both on and off campus. She helped found the Butterfly…

29 Oct

In the News: Will California elections stop ‘an unhinged president’? Put us on ‘a path to gridlock’?

California Influencers this week answered this question: What will be the most important result to come out of next Tuesday’s election? Among the Influencers is Karthick Ramakrishnan, Director of AAPI Data and the Center for Social Innovation, UC-Riverside. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

29 Oct

In the News: “California elections: Leaders say close House races are Key”

California Influencers, including CSI Director Karthick Ramakrishnan answered this question on the November 2018 Elections: What will be the most important result to come out of November’s election? “The most important election result will be the turnout rate in California, particularly among young voters and communities of…

Democrat for Congress candidate Sri Kulkarni, center, listens to supporters attending a fundraiser for him in Houston. Kulkarni is running against Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Olson.

23 Oct

In the News: “How congressional candidates pitch themselves to Asian-American voters”

This article in NBC News profiles Congressional candidates and their attempts to court the rapidly-growing Asian American and Pacific Islander electorate. The article notes that Asian Americans could end up swinging races in 27 congressional districts across 11 states, according to AAPI Data, a project of the Center for Social…

23 Oct

In the News: How congressional candidates pitch themselves to Asian-American voters

While the Census shows that just 4 percent of voters nationwide identify as Asian American and Pacific Islander, this demographic could end up swinging races in 27 congressional districts across 11 states, according to AAPI Data, a program at the University of California, Riverside. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

21 Oct

In the news: In Orange County, 24 Vietnamese Americans are running for office. 13 share the same last name

The surge in political candidates in Orange County is happening against a backdrop of intense Asian voter registration drives nationally, including in the largest business and cultural district for Vietnamese Americans outside Vietnam. But it’s also the latest sign of the evolution of the politically precocious Vietnamese American…

Pedestrians walk past a row of political signs and posters along Bolsa Avenue in Westminster. In Orange County, 24 people of Vietnamese descent are running for public office. (Mark Boster / For The Times)

21 Oct

In the News: “In Orange County, 24 Vietnamese Americans are running for office. 13 share the same last name”

This Los Angeles Times articles explores the dramatic growth of Vietnamese American candidates in Orange County, with a whopping 24 Vietnamese descent candidates–thirteen of whom share the same last name. “It shows the power of the Vietnamese at the ballot box, spreading their influence in central O.C. politics,” said Karthick…

18 Sep

In the News: Ramakrishnan Given Frederick Douglass 200 Honor

CSI Director Karthick Ramakrishnan was honored as one of the recipients of the Frederick Douglass 200, which is a “project to honor the impact of 200 living individuals who best embody the work and spirit of Douglass across those areas where he had such an impact – abolitionist, politician, writer, feminist, educator, entrepreneur…

02 Aug

In the News: “‘Civil Society in a Majority-Minority America? California Offers Both Hope and Caution”

According to projections by the Census Bureau, the United States will become a “majority-minority” country by 2045, meaning that the proportion of non-Hispanic whites will dip below 50 percent, and no racial or ethnic group will be a numerical majority. What will this racial diversification mean for the future of American civil…

20 Apr

In the News: “Study of immigrants in the Inland Empire reveals diversity, growth”

“One out of every five residents in the Inland Empire – nearly 1 million people – is an immigrant, and that population is growing. “Yet the region of Riverside and San Bernardino counties isn’t necessarily associated with immigration. Instead, it’s sometimes connected to white flight, or older communities where people flock for…

Cynthia Buiza, California Immigrant Policy Center

19 Apr

Report Offers Snapshot of Inland Empire’s Immigrant Population

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) — One in five residents of the Inland Empire is an immigrant. But until now, no single resource has provided a comprehensive view of the region’s immigrant population and the key policy issues that have affected and continue to impact it. That all changes with the publication of “State of…

17 Apr

In the News: “40 Under 40: People Saving Places”

“Michelle Magalong is a leading voice for the Asian and Pacific Islander community and in historic preservation as the executive director of the Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation (APIAHiP). She is also the associate director of the Center for Social Innovation in the School of Public Policy at…

15 Feb

In the News: “Facing a Brain Drain? Here’s How One Community Is Fighting Back.”

“Young people get their degrees and head to Los Angeles or Orange County,” says Karthick Ramakrishnan, associate dean of the UC Riverside School of Public Policy. “Riverside and San Bernardino counties have 4.5 million residents, but they live in the shadows of LA. As a result, we don’t get much attention or investment from…

14 Feb

UC Riverside Launches Research Center to Drive Inland California Innovation

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A new research center at the University of California, Riverside, seeks to flip the script about Inland California’s reputation as an “area of need.” Introduced during a launch event held Friday, Feb. 9, at the Riverside Art Museum, UCR’s Center for Social Innovation (CSI) instead aims to emphasize the Inland…

11 Feb

In the News: “Inland Empire could get boost from UC Riverside’s new Center for Social Innovation”

“UC Riverside‘s School of Public Policy has created a research center to spur greater civic engagement across the Inland Empire, the growth of nonprofit groups and the creation of good-paying jobs for the region’s swelling immigrant and minority population.” “University officials are calling it the Center for Social Innovation …

29 Nov

Immigration in the IE: State and Local Policy Perspectives

Immigration in the IE: State and Local Policy Perspectives The UCR School of Public Policy and Public Policy Institute of California co-hosted a discussion on immigration in the Inland Empire, with support from The California Endowment. Speakers discussed challenges facing the I.E. and California with changing immigration policy…

14 Sep

The Inaugural Inland Regional Policy Summit

The Inaugural Inland Regional Policy Summit Inland Southern California, which includes all of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, is home to 4.5 million residents and has been built on decades of rapid population growth and diversification. Our region’s influence and presence is increasingly being felt on policy decisions at…