In partnership with the City of Oxnard and Oxnard College, the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, the UCLA Labor Center, Latinas Future Lab 2050 and the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute, launched the “Oxnard Thriving Youth Survey” February 6, 2023. The survey is part of a collaborative study aiming to inform educational, employment, health, and civic interventions targeting Oxnard’s adolescent and young adult residents.
“We have a great city and a beautiful community, this survey we will be getting the information to guide our City to a better future,” said Oxnard mayor John C. Zaragoza.
This research is important because today’s youth are coming of age during an era of significant economic, social, and health inequalities. These social disparities were laid bare during the Covid-19 pandemic, as young people from lower socioeconomic, Latinx, and immigrant backgrounds disproportionately experienced disruptions to their learning because their families endured sicknesses; job, housing, and food insecurity; and mental health challenges. Given this context, a significant proportion of the young population in the City of Oxnard faces an uncertain future, as nearly two-thirds of its public high school students come from low-income backgrounds (as measured by free and reduced eligibility). Four-year college access and completion rates were low for these youth prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and analysts predict that upward educational mobility for young people from humble origins will further diminish as the United States recovers from the pandemic. Additionally, as the employment landscape shifts, those without the relevant credentials, training, and networks may be left farther behind in the future.
The American Community Survey (ACS), a 5-year Census estimate, shows that the City of Oxnard is predominately Latinx (80%). A further analysis shows that education attainment is lower in the City of Oxnard than the state of California. For example, among residents ages 25-34, 15% of Oxnard residents hold a B.A. degree compared to 37% of California residents the same age. Oxnard residents also disproportionately work in low-wage jobs in comparison to state workers. In 2020, 65% of Oxnard’s young adults aged 18-34 were considered low-wage workers (meaning that they earn two-thirds the state median wage) in comparison to 49% of the state’s young adult residents.
“We have a vital city and very diverse but we do not have all the answers to many issues that we face now and that we will face in the future, this survey will guide us to better serve our residents, “said Oxnard City Manager Alex Nguyen.
The survey will inform health, education, labor, and civic interventions that will help Oxnard young residents lead healthy lives, obtain education and training, achieve economic stability and dignity in the workplace, and exercise leadership within their community.
The survey will be conducted through the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center (CSRC), in partnership with the City of Oxnard, Oxnard College, CLINICAS, MICOP, CAUSE and Future Leaders of America (FLA). Trained research assistants from UCLA, Oxnard College, and CSU Channel Islands will administer the survey.
Funding is provided by the City of Oxnard, CSU Channel Island, the Weingart Foundation, the Stuart Foundation and the Latinas Future Lab 2050.
View more pictures at https://vidanewspaper.com/2023/02/08/oxnard-launched-a-survey-for-answers/
