Public data systematically erase Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) people by grouping them as White, though many do not identify that way. Moreover, research indicates the experiences of SWANA Californians differ significantly from White Californians. But the lack of data has made it difficult to measure the racial disparities that exist for this group.

The new RACE COUNTS data reveal some of the inequities SWANA Californians face. There is evidence that SWANA Californians face some of the worst inequity when it comes to the built environment.

The percentage of impervious land cover, such as roads and buildings, indicates the potential impact of water pollution and heat vulnerability and a relative lack of parks and open space. About 40% of neighborhoods where White Californians are more likely to live is covered by impervious surfaces, that number increases to 54.4% in neighborhoods where Black Californians are more likely to live.

The California Native Vote Project, in partnership with the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health, RACE COUNTS, and a team of American Indian / Alaska Native (AIAN) contributing authors, developed a ground breaking report highlighting not only data on AIAN disparities but, more importantly, also stories of AIAN resilience.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, community-based organizations (CBOs) working in California’s communities of color were stepping up to support vulnerable residents at risk of and impacted by COVID-19. In an effort to spark public system action and to uplift the inequities they were seeing on the ground, CBOs collaborated with RACE COUNTS to conduct timely research on COVID-19 disparities. This research resulted in two reports, How Race, Class, and Place Fuel a Pandemic and Prioritizing an Equitable COVID-19 Recovery for Our Highest-Need Communities.

In the heart of the multiracial community that makes up L.A., a movement took root—one driven by the passionate pursuit of justice and eradicating racial disparities in traffic stops. A group of advocates united to form PUSH LA and reshape a system marred by racial disparities. In partnership with the PUSH LA, RACE COUNTS analyzed data on L.A.P.D. stops and arrests, specifically arrests for vehicle code charges, from 2018-2020.