Demographic Information
According to the US Census Bureau (2020 ). approximately 59.4% of Los Angeles' residents were born in the United States, and 0.9% were born in Puerto Rico, US territories, or abroad to American parents, which means approximately 39.7% of the population are foreign-born. The majority of those born overseas come from Latin America. A significant minority 26.3% were born in Asia; smaller numbers were born in Europe, 6.5%, Africa (1.5%), Northern America (0.9%), and Oceania (0.3%). Christianity is the most practised religion in California. Majority of the population also holds a high school certificate or higher qualifications.
Empirical representation of race, income and wealth begins with an examination of the most current income and wealth data for the Whites, Blacks, Hispanics and Asians. The income ratio of the whites compared to the blacks is 0.61:1 and the Hispanic ratio 0.67:1, the Asians are a bit better in comparison, earning about 125 percent of the Whites income ( US Census Bureau 2020 ). Immigrants organize themselves in certain lines of work which scholars refer to as employment niching, living in places that are near the industries or areas of work. Poverty and unemployment are the biggest of California’s social issues.
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Organization of Power and Inequality
Los Angeles registers a crime rate higher than the national average by 26%, a factor that could be attributed to its income levels. According to the US Census Bureau, (2020), an average person working in California earns approximately 103,000 USD annually, all allowances included. The lowest-paid workers earn 14,000 USD or lower, depending on the nature of the job. Power is, therefore centralized among the top earners who often formulate policies that favour them; thus, low-income earners thrive under them. California is also facing significant health disparities, with a considerable difference in the health outcomes between the rich and the poor. Healthcare in the state is not at its best, and facilities lack adequate and well-trained staff. One's social class determines access to healthcare. Education is, however, better, with 25% of the population above 24 years holding a bachelor’s degree ( US Census Bureau 2020 ). The literacy levels could be attributed to free public schooling for all students. Nevertheless, poverty rates remain high in the city, with 13.3% of Californians lacking enough resources to feed their family, as they live below the poverty line. The statistics, however, do not mean that all residents of California are poor, as high-income earners of up to 450,000 USD also live in the same state.
Dealing with unemployment and poverty
To bridge the gap, the local government has a civic engagement project that is intended to inform and empower a wide range of policy and organizing efforts, supporting equity and well-being throughout California. Social amenities and places that bring residents together help foster cohesion and build a community ( Klinenberg, 2018) California has higher crime rates, relatively lower literacy levels and lower health outcomes as compared to national averages ( US Census Bureau 2020 ). Unemployment is a major issue in California, which has been linked to increased crime and drug peddling. Employment is a result of the type of administration and policies in place, which informed the decision to form the California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP) to educate locals on choosing leaders, voting and as a cohesion strategy. The disparity between residents in California as well as the rest of the US needs to be bridged to create inclusion in the diversity.
Influence in California
In the news and social media, California is also framed as a violent, illiterate and poor state, as the locals have little control over that. Residents seem to have accepted the narrative, and no longer protest as was in the past. The civic engagement project is, however, changing the people’s perception and giving them the power to speak out, as the leaders do not impact social issues. California is influenced by both the public through civic education and some leaders. Californians believe in the wisdom of the leaders, and follow their decisions, which are influenced by national policies such as on health, education, water and sanitation, unemployment and crime. However, in some cases, the leaders’ decisions are biased, which makes civic education essential in shaping the public’s opinions in the right direction. The CCEP will change and maintain an objective view of leaders when voting, which will help Californians curb unemployment and poverty.
References
Klinenberg, E. (2018). Palaces for the People: How to build a more equal and united society . Random House.
United States Census Bureau (2020). Small area income and poverty estimate program. In Proceedings of 27th SCORUS Conference (pp. 93-107). Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/saipe/#/?map_geoSelector=aa_c
