Disproportionate Impacts of Hazardous Waste Facilities in Los Angeles County: A Deeper Look into Immigrant Populations and the Environment.

Environmental Justice;Hazardous Waste Facility;Immigrant;Los Angeles;Minority;Social Sciences;Natural Resources and Environment

Kim, Luci YoonPedraza, Silvia ;

University of Michigan

关键词: Environmental Justice;    Hazardous Waste Facility;    Immigrant;    Los Angeles;    Minority;    Social Sciences;    Natural Resources and Environment;   

Others  :  https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/116758/lykim_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

瑞士|英语

来源: The Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship

【 摘 要 】

Many environmental justice studies to date have looked at the disproportionate impacts of hazardous waste facilities on different groups of people.Much of this research has focused on looking at race, income, and other socioeconomic variables of the population.A substantial body of research has found race to be one of the strongest predictors of disproportionate environmental burden, however many of these studies do not disaggregate subgroups of minority populations, which can reveal important distinctions. This dissertation offers a new perspective on disproportionate impacts of environmental hazards by unpacking the race variable and also examines immigrant status and assimilation and how certain characteristics of these groups such as language, foreign-born and citizenship status can affect the disparities in the location of environmental hazards in Los Angeles County. A typology based on socioeconomic status and foreign-born status by race was created and it was determined that Hispanic populations were on the lowest end of the spectrum with both low socioeconomic status and high foreign-born status. Results of the cross-sectional study showed that the Hispanic population was the most disproportionately impacted group surrounding the hazardous waste facilities along with non-English speaking groups and non-citizens. A longitudinal analysis of the demographics from the US Census from 1970-2000 surrounding the location of hazardous waste facilities in Los Angeles County was done to analyze whether the disproportionate burdens are a result of discriminatory siting or post-siting demographic change. It was found that there was discriminatory siting and not just post-siting demographic change.Also, there is a shift in the racial demographic groups impacted by these environmental hazards.In 1970, facilities were sited in predominantly African American tracts while in more recent decades beginning in the 1980s and more strongly in 1990-2000, facilities were sited in predominantly Hispanic tracts marked by high levels of foreign-born and immigrant characteristics. This dissertation concludes that although race remains a predominant predictor of disproportionate environmental burden, race alone does not explain the whole story with respect to the disproportionate impacts of hazardous waste facilities in Los Angeles County. Subgroup differences including foreign-born immigrants must be examined and taken into account.