Masters Thesis

Awareness of environmental justice issues for Latinos in Humboldt County, California : a survey of environmental and social service organizations

Current research indicates that Hispanics in the United States, especially those who work in the agriculture, timber and natural resource industry, face many issues of economic, social and environmental justice. Such is the case in California, where Hispanics play an important role in the economic, social and political systems yet continue to struggle with issues of environmental racism and injustice on a daily basis. Environmental justice advocates have been very active in many parts of the state, especially in Southern California, which has had a large Hispanic population for many years. Historically, Humboldt County, California did not have a large Hispanic population, but times are changing. According to the County of Humboldt's Community Development Services Division, there were already 6,945 Hispanics living in the County in 2000, and that number is expected to grow to 18,505 by 2040. In this thesis, I will demonstrate that there is little awareness by social and environmental organizations of the environmental justice issues that this growing population faces. For this thesis, I interviewed a number of select executive directors of social and environmental organizations throughout Humboldt County, using questions that probe how each organization is or is not addressing the needs of the growing Hispanic population, especially in regard to issues of environmental justice. Additionally, I examined primary sources from these organizations, such as web sites, brochures and newsletters, for evidence of the organizations addressing needs of Hispanic workers in the County.

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