Locals, Newcomers, and Longtimers
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Locals, Newcomers, and Longtimers

Commercial gentrification, or upscaling of businesses in an area, has displaced long-standing and working-class residents and businesses in communities across the U.S. In communities of color, the drivers of commercial gentrification have become associated with wealthier, white, and new business owners with no prior connection to the areas they are gentrifying. The commercial gentrification of communities of color threatens to disrupt the local cultural fabric and residents’ ability to connect to their heritage through products sold and services offered in their native language. In our paper, we offer an alternative perspective on the drivers of commercial gentrification by looking at Latinx business owners participating in a new form of redevelopment coined gentefication

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Politics or Professionalism? Budgeting for Bilingual Education
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Politics or Professionalism? Budgeting for Bilingual Education

Strike up a conversation about politics with a friend, relative, or colleague, and you’d be hard pressed to surprise them by noting the increasing diversity in the demographic face of the United States. You might also argue that this population shift is important because it is changing the political landscape—the presence of demographic change in America is well noted by political pundits and casual observers alike. The American public now finds itself inundated with a flood of election media coverage and, almost inescapably, claims about how the electoral prospects of one candidate or another hinge upon the voting choices of historically underrepresented groups. On the governance side, these claims are important because many believe (or certainly hope) that some policymakers, be they aspiring or incumbent, are more likely to support policies that can improve the outcomes of which minorities care about the most.

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