Engaging Residents to Address Environmental Injustices and Socioecological Factors in Boyle Heights

Abstract

Study Objective:

Segregated Hispanic/Latino communities experience poor residential air quality. Toxic air pollution has been linked to higher mortality risk and chronic illnesses, including asthma. This qualitative study sought to develop a comprehensive understanding of facilitators and barriers to civic engagement among community organizers from a low-income community affected by environmental injustice who worked to develop an air pollution mitigation project.

Methods:

Environmental justice community organizers (n = 21) affiliated with the Natural Park Air Pollution Solution project were interviewed. Participants were eligible if they (a) were current or former residents of Boyle Heights and thus, familiar with the neighborhood; (b) were between the ages of 18 and 75; and (c) participated in activities related to Legacy LA’s Natural Park Air Pollution Solution project.

Data Analysis:

The socioecological model (SEM) and flexible coding were used to analyze interviews.

Results:

Four themes emerged related to project involvement: (a) personal factors and civic engagement, (b) interpersonal relationships, (c) organizational support, and (d) community-based resources. Knowledge, perceptions, and multiple responsibilities emerged as personal factors affecting civic engagement. Organizational support included opportunities to gain skills and access to information. Community partners, including elected officials, were identified as community-based resources affecting civic engagement.

Conclusions:

This study suggests the need to address factors at the personal, interpersonal, organizational, and community levels to increase civic engagement among predominantly Hispanic/Latino communities to advocate for clean air and relevant environmental justice issues affecting vulnerable neighborhoods.

INTRODUCTION

Low-income immigrant Hispanic/Latino communities are disproportionately affected by multiple environmental hazards because of harmful, systemic discriminatory policies, and practices.^1,2,3,4,5 Segregated Hispanic/Latino and socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods experience greater exposure to toxic air pollutants including particulate matter (PM_2.5) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in comparison with predominantly White communities.^1,6 Toxic air pollution has been linked to mortality risk, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and respiratory illness.^7,8,9 Unfortunately, such communities are often excluded from decision-making processes impacting their risk to such exposures. In California, city planning agencies are mandated to engage residents to address community needs.¹⁰

Meaningful engagement reflects resident’s ability to voice their concerns and be included in decisions related to local place-based policies, such as the built environment.¹¹ Community engagement has also been referred to as a process of developing meaningful partnerships focused on common goals to improve the well-being of a community.¹²^,¹³ Traditionally, civic engagement has focused on voting behavior to influence policies.¹³ However, civic engagement focused on risk factors to improve health outcomes can include volunteering, engaging in a problem-solving efforts, campaigning, canvassing, protesting, and contacting elected officials.^13,14

There is a need to engage more Hispanics/Latinos in environmental justice efforts. Hispanics/Latino organizers are a subset of community leaders engaged on the ground efforts to improve air quality and other aspects of the built environment.¹⁵ Previous studies have found that individual and community-related factors influence civic engagement among predominantly Hispanic/Latino immigrant communities. Lack of participation may be due to lack of trust in government officials, immigration status concerns, linguistic barriers, scheduling conflicts, lack of information regarding air quality, and environmental injustices.^15,16,17

One particular environmental justice community is Boyle Heights a predominantly Hispanic/Latino (93%) community with a population exceeding 86,000 in Los Angeles County.¹⁸ Approximately 43% of Boyle Heights residents identify as foreign-born and one-quarter (23%) as monolingual Spanish speakers.¹⁸ This community is overburdened by mobile and stationary sources of air pollution; About half a million vehicles including diesel trucks pass through major freeways and surface streets.¹⁹ Boyle Heights is surrounded by several hazardous waste facilities including two chrome plating facilities.¹⁹ Boyle Heights is in the top 1% most polluted communities in California.²⁰

Since 2015, Legacy LA has worked with youth members, community organizers, and residents to improve air quality. One particular proposal that emerged from their community-based efforts is the Natural Park Air Pollution Solution project, a 4-acre area adjacent to the Ramona Gardens housing complex.²⁰ The project was designed to mitigate daily emissions from the adjacent 15-lane freeway, industrial corridor, and train tracks. The not yet developed project would include walking paths, a sound wall to capture traffic noise, and trees to capture air pollutants from the freeway.²⁰ Several resources are still needed, including funding, support from local elected officials, and resident engagement to advocate for the development of the Natural Park Air Pollution Solution project.

CBOs including nonprofits, and other neighborhood resources may play an important role in engaging residents to address environmental injustices.²¹ CBOs may increase civic engagement by increasing community capacity through efforts such as increasing knowledge about air pollution and improving leadership skills that motivate residents to advocate against environmental injustices.^22,23,24,25 However, CBOs face unique challenges in sustaining environmental justices efforts because of the lack of community capacity or limited resources and assets to improve air quality and other problems that need to be understood from their member’s perspectives.^11,22 Within Boyle Heights, Legacy LA is one organization focusing their efforts on engaging community members in environmental justice, and this study seeks to understand some of the challenges experienced in this line of work.

The goal of this study was to understand community organizer’s perspectives on factors that allowed or prevented their engagement in advocacy efforts focused on air pollution. We sought to answer the research question: what were the facilitators and barriers to civic engagement among community members who were actively engaged in environmental justice initiatives? By applying the socioecological model (SEM)—an interdisciplinary approach to examine the multiple levels of influence including personal, organizational, and community factors^26,27 This study sought to understand multilevel facilitators and barriers of civic engagement for environmental justice among Latino community members active in efforts to improve air quality.

METHODS

Study design and participant recruitment

We conducted a qualitative study to assess factors that facilitated or hindered the engagement of low-income Hispanic/Latino community organizers in environmental justice efforts. SEM is an interdisciplinary framework applied to understand factors that influence behavioral change and environmental enhancement.^28,29 The SEM accounts for a person’s social surroundings, relationships, and environmental practices and situations that may affect their ability to achieve optimal health and prevent the onset of disease.²⁸ Conducting qualitative data analyses using the SEM allowed researchers to gain a better understanding of how civic engagement among community organizers was affected by (a) personal beliefs, knowledge, and skills about air pollution and environmental justice; (b) the support including workshops sponsored by Legacy LA that may educate and empower residents on issues related to environmental justice, and (c) community-based resources that may affect civic engagement.²⁹ The University of California, Irvine’s Institutional Review Board classified this study as exempt.

Participants were recruited through a purposive sampling method to identify and interview Boyle Heights community members who were actively engaged in environmental justice efforts through Legacy LA.^30,31 Two research-trained staff members—a former youth member, a community organizer from Legacy LA, and co-authors R.R. and L.H.—identified former youth members and current active adult members who have attended training on air quality, campaigned against environmental injustices, and have been involved with the Natural Park Air Pollution Solution project. The two staff members provided contact information for interested participants to the lead researcher (C.V.), who confirmed their interest and eligibility and scheduled in-person or online interviews in participant’s preferred language (English or Spanish). Participants were eligible if they were (a) current or former Boyle Heights residents, familiar with the neighborhood; (b) between 18 and 75 years old; and (c) actively engaged in organizing and meeting with residents and/or decision makers to discuss air quality and the Natural Park Air Pollution Solution.

The lead bilingual (English, Spanish) researcher (C.V.) conducted semistructured interviews between November 2021 and April 2022. Most interviews were conducted in a community room at Legacy LA, except three were conducted via Zoom. Participants completed a short survey to capture demographic and health characteristics. C.V. facilitated one-on-one interviews in Spanish (n = 11) or English (n = 10) depending on participant’s language of preference. Each participant provided a pseudonym for anonymity purposes. Interviews ranged between 35 and 64 minutes and were audio recorded with participant’s consent. Interview questions focused on understanding community and organizational challenges, facilitating factors that motivate or prevent civic engagement in issues related to air pollution (see Supplementary Appendix SA1 for interview guide). Study participants received a $50 gift card for their participation.

Qualitative data management and analyses

Interviews were transcribed and uploaded to ATLAS.ti version 23.3.2.³² Three co-authors D.C., E.C., and C.V. reviewed and transcribed interview transcripts. Interviews were analyzed in their respective language. The data analysis was completed using the following steps: (1) transcripts were reviewed for content by C.V., D.C., or E.C. for accuracy of the transcription; (2) a codebook was developed with the support of L.D.; and (3) C.V. translated selected quotes from Spanish to English.

Following a flexible coding approach, segments of the interview transcripts were indexed or labeled with general codes relevant to the interview questions.³³ C.V. focused on the following index codes to develop analytic codes: perceptions of air pollution, knowledge of air pollution, health, organizational support, the Natural Park Air Pollution Solution, and the role of elected officials. The codebook included both inductive and deductive codes. Deductive codes were informed by specific questions from the research question and the SEM.²⁴ Inductive codes emerged from interviews. The codebook also included analytic codes focused on facilitators and barriers to civic engagement as they relate to organizational and community factors. After analytic codes were identified and defined, C.V. added subcodes focused on barriers and facilitators of civic engagement. To ensure the accuracy of results, C.V. and L.D. met to interpret the results, review codes, and discuss emerging themes.³⁴

RESULTS

Participant characteristics

Twenty-one participants were recruited and interviewed (see characteristics in Table 1). Most participants were female and current residents of Boyle Heights. About half (52%) of participants were immigrants. Participants were 18–50 years old and involved with Legacy LA for an average of 5.5 years. Many participants reported living in Boyle Heights for >10 years. Eleven participants indicated that they were mothers of former youth leaders or children affiliated with Legacy LA.

Table 1.

Descriptive Statistics: Preinterview Survey (n = 21)

Variables	n (%) or M
Age	32.9
Gender
Male	2 (10)
Female	19 (90)
Education
Less than high school	11 (52)
More than high school	10 (48)
Currently live in Boyle Heights
Yes	17 (81)
No	4 (19)
Born in the United States
Yes	10 (48)
No	11 (52)
Average years involved with Legacy LA	5.5
Average age upon joining Legacy LA	26.7

Socioecological perspectives of civic engagement among Hispanic/Latino residents

Three main themes emerged relating to factors associated with civic engagement among study participants: (a) personal, (b) organizational, and (c) community-based resources to improve civic engagement (Table 2).

Table 2.

Themes, Subthemes, and Example Quotes

Themes	Subthemes	Subtheme example quotes
Theme 1: Personal Factors and Civic Engagement	Subtheme 1.1: Knowledge and perceptions about air pollution	La verdad no esta buena no vemos una calidad [de aire] buena por todo por que no tenemos mucha vegetación por que tenemos pocos espacios de areas verdes y porque estamos rodeados de freeways y algunas empresas que no están, no es saludable para nosotros The truth it’s not good we don’t see a good quality [air] because we don’t have a lot of vegetation because we have few green spaces and because we are surrounded by freeways and some factories that are not healthy for us (Elizabeth, 47 years old)
	Subtheme 1.2: Civic Engagement Facilitators and Challenges Related to Health	Mi niña estuvo muchas veces en terapia intensiva, como 5 veces por el asthma. . . . fue difícil esos procesos y creo que como ella y muchos niños. Y la primera vez que llegó a terapia intensiva pensamos que iba morir porque fue muy duro….le inyectaban cada tercer dia esteroides porque estaba muy delicada y fue un proceso muy difícil y cada lucha que estoy haciendo, cada involucramiento que hago es por las cosas que vives My daughter was in intensive care many times, like 5 times because of asthma....it was difficult those processes and I think like her and many children. And the first time she came to intensive care we thought she was going to die because it was very hard... they injected her every third day with steroids because she was very delicate and it was a very difficult process and every struggle I’m making, every involvement I make is because of the things you live (Elizabeth, 47 years old)
Theme 2: Legacy LA’s Organizational Support and Civic Engagement	Subtheme 2.1: The Adult and Youth Air Ambassador Training and Civic Engagement	Pues si. Co-como le digo de la situation del aire porque el dia que fuimos [me] motivo seguir yendo, porque le digo aprende uno mas cosas que uno no sabia. . . . por decir cuando plantaron los arboles ahi, aprendi muchas cosas Well, yes. As I tell you about the situation of the air because the day we went [I was] motivated to keep going, because I tell you, you learn more things that you didn't know. . . . for example when we went to plant the trees there, I learned many things (Lulu, 34 years old)
Theme 3: Community-Based Resources	Subtheme 3.1: Response from Elected Officials	Por ejemplo aquí le toca a. . . . Kevin de León es más accesible parece porque le interesan las cámaras si porque lo que yo me he dado cuenta le interesa mucho a él que lo saques en cámara más ahorita que van a pelear por el la alcaldía entonces si apoya pero tienen que tener algo bien escrito y bien estructurado para llevarlo a él y decirle mira y invitar un canal de televisión . . . . y decir sabes que vas estar en cámara va pasar esto y esto va a estar grabado y va a salir en la cámara. For example, here it belongs to…. Kevin de Leon who is more accessible, it seems because he is interested in cameras, yes because what I have realized is that what interests him that you take him out on camera more now that they are going to fight for the mayor's office, so yes he supports but they have to have something well written and well structured to take to him and say, look, and invite a television channel….and say do you know you're going to be on camera, this and this will happened and this will be recorded and will appear on camera (Maritza 43, years old)
	Subtheme 3.2: Lack of Support from County and Local Organizations	I just had a meeting with some folks from Metro who are part of the 15-lane freeway that is adjacent to Legacy LA, and they want to do some expansion. … They were telling us, “Your project is great, but we don’t have the money, we don’t have no money to fund it.” … They kept saying it over and over and over. And they’re like, you know, “It’s going to be really difficult to raise that money” and just very negative. … It showed me that we just have to be a little bit more strategic and just push, because as much as they tried to claim that there’s no impacts directly on the community, like, we know that there’s impacts and we know that we deserve better. (Linda, 29 years old)

Theme 1: Personal factors and civic engagement

Participants were asked to reflect on their perceptions regarding air quality in Boyle Heights, the types of challenges affecting their ability to continue supporting Legacy LA’s work related to environmental justice and air pollution. Two subthemes emerged: (a) knowledge and perceptions about air pollution and (b) health challenges motivate civic engagement.

Subtheme 1.1: Knowledge and perceptions about air pollution

Knowledge and perceptions about air pollution and civic engagement for environmental justice emerged as participants reflected on their views of air quality in Boyle Heights. Participants mentioned that living close to freeways; the volume of passing cars, trucks, and trains; and constant emissions from adjacent warehouses contributed to poor air quality. For instance, a former youth member mentioned:

Before, I thought not seeing a lot of green spaces or. . . . [being] surrounded by pollution was normal. But after seeing this project and seeing how. … it mak[es] me feel confident that I can make a change in my community. . . . If I can do this project, I can start another project in another community. So, I think it has definitely build up confidence. . . . [and] my knowledge. . . . I can educate others on what’s going on, and they can. … make a difference as well. So yeah, it has improved my role as a leader. (Ana, 22 years old)

Participants expressed awareness of numerous sources of air pollution in their neighborhoods. Many former youth ambassadors and long-term Boyle Heights residents that lived in the area for more than 20 years described awareness of the types of businesses affecting air quality in Boyle Heights. Some participants mentioned that they have counted about 15 factories that surround the Ramona housing complex including a casket factory, Amazon, and other businesses that produce chemical waste.

Subtheme 1.2: Civic engagement facilitators and challenges related to health

Participants indicated coping with health challenges experienced personally or by family members and neighbors. Participants mentioned that many residents in Ramona Gardens experienced upper respiratory health conditions, including asthma, COVID-19, and pneumonia. Participants were aware of the connection between air pollution and poor health outcomes. Their lived experiences inspired them to seek solutions by advocating for better air quality. One former youth leader stated:

My mom has really bad asthma. … Within our youth that. … live directly adjacent to the 15 freeway, a lot of them have to sleep with breathing machines in order to fall asleep, because the air conditions are so bad. . . . And for me, that is why it’s so important that this is such an urgent matter. … This is something that we addressed now, because we shouldn’t have to wait until the end when we. … have a serious illness. (Linda, 29 years old)

Participants mentioned various personal challenges that affected their ability to participate in environmental justice events. They described going to school, working to support their families, experiencing health-related problems, and scheduling conflicts as the main barriers that prevented them from engaging in environmental justice events. For example, one former youth leader did not attend certain events, because they were enrolled as a full-time student and did not have access to transportation:

Sometimes it’s very difficult to find time to be engaged as much as I wanted to, because I got to pay bills, I got to support my family, I got to finish my education. So, those are some of the struggles that I face sometimes. Another one is transportation. . . . I commuted from CSUN [California State University, Northridge] to Ramona Gardens [housing complex]. I had class at 8 a.m., so I had to leave at 5 in the morning to catch the bus, [and] my last class ended at 9:15 p.m. … They’re not having town halls at 9 p.m. (Marisol, 25 years old)

Many participants who were former youth members advocating for a better community were the first ones in their family to attend college while working more than one job to support their families, which made it difficult for them to participate in certain activities. According to students, coping with multiple challenges including being a full-time student, addressing financial difficulties, and making it challenging to engage in efforts focused on air pollution.

Theme 2: Legacy LA’s organizational support and civic engagement

Legacy LA’s organizational support emerged as a theme related to types of resources, opportunities, and information accessed that supports civic engagement. Participant’s reflections were based on their participation in events focused on environmental justice initiatives. One subtheme emerged: (a) the adult and youth air ambassador training and civic engagement.

Subtheme 2.1: The adult and youth air ambassador training and civic engagement

Most adult and youth participants (n = 15, 71%) indicated attending Legacy LA’s air ambassador training. Youth (n = 7) and adult (n = 8) air ambassadors monitored air quality around Ramona Gardens, and counted number of cars and cargo trucks traveling on freeways. Youth also traveled to Beverly Hills to compare air quality and the local physical environment. Making these comparisons allowed participants to have a better understanding of the severity of pollution affecting residents on a daily basis. One participant described:

I learned about pollution. … the different names of pollutants there are in the community, especially lead, because that was very dangerous. I learned the impact of the cars in the freeway. … About 218,000 cars daily passing only in the 5 freeway. And I know the 10 freeway—another maybe 200,000, 230,000 daily cars. … there’s big trailers, can you imagine all, like, the pollution they’re putting in the air and right next to the community? So, I’ve learned that’s not normal, that’s really, really bad. (Ana, 22 years old)

Participants reflected on leadership opportunities offered by Legacy LA that motivated their efforts to work on environmental injustices in Boyle Heights. Legacy LA provided opportunities for participants to gain skills, such as conducting surveys among Ramona Gardens residents regarding the development of the Natural Park Air Pollution Solution project. Participants mentioned that Legacy LA allowed them to create a safe space for residents to voice their concerns about living in an area with poor air quality which informed the Natural Park Air Pollution Solution project. Participants also mentioned gaining public speaking skills that helped them engage with decision makers about solutions that can improve air quality. One former youth member described:

They pushed me out of my comfort zone and I talk[ed] to a couple of people in AQMD [Air Quality Management District] and ask for the grants for the air filtration system and Ramona Gardens closest to Murchison Elementary. … I remember the panel of the White older dudes just looking at me and talking about [how] Ramona Gardens is polluted. And we need these things because a lot of people are sick. And the narrative hasn’t changed. …. It was really eye opening to hear this man just be like, “OK, you got it!” Yeah. … so, he basically helped give the yes for the $400,000. (Joy, 25 years old)

Furthermore, adult air ambassador trainees noted attending trainings in San Diego and Los Angeles, California where they learned about sources of air pollution. Participants recalled carrying air monitors as they walked around Boyle Heights, including Ramona Gardens. Many participants recalled the sensors indicating harmful levels of pollution. Participants were asked to participate in 1- to 2-hour shifts in the morning or evening to count cars and trucks and monitor air quality. As a result of these trainings, many participants were motivated to seek solutions to help reduce air pollution and traffic. One participant mentioned:

Me mandaron a trabajar en el smog y me toco contar cada trailer. …pos yo me quede admirada porque yo nunca sabia de eso hasta que empeze a conocer sobre el smog, la contaminación. Empecé a darme una idea de lo que estamos respirando. … En el transcurso de dos horas casi, fueron como unos 800 o 900 [trailes]. … cada segundo que pasaba me toco en puro en frente de mi casa. … Yo me quede impresionada. … En realidad yo no sabia nada de eso.

I was sent to work in the smog and had to count every trailer. …well, I was amazed, because I never knew about that until I started to know about smog, the pollution. I started to get an idea of what we are breathing. … Over the course of almost two hours, it was like 800 or 900 [trailers] … every second that passed, I was right in front of my house. … I was impressed. … In reality, I did not know any of that. (Martha, 46 years old)

The air ambassador training helped increase knowledge regarding air pollution among both former youth and current Legacy LA adult members. Trainings shaped participants’ perceptions of the number of polluters and emissions surrounding their neighborhood.

Theme 3: Community-based resources

The third theme focused on the relationships of study participants with elected officials and other community partners. Participants mentioned that elected officials facilitated or hindered their engagement. Two subthemes emerged: (a) response from elected officials and (b) lack of support from county and local organizations.

Subtheme 3.1: Response from elected officials

Participants recalled when Representative Jimmy Gomez met with Legacy LA community organizers, walked around Ramona Gardens housing complex to assess the neighborhood, get a better perspective of the various warehouses surrounding the area, and look at the pollution emitted from trucks, cars, and industrial factories. Participants mentioned that U.S. Representative Gomez showed interest in their lived experiences. An adult air ambassador mentioned:

Me gusto porque observo, olio también como le vuelvo a decir se subio arriba del puente y miro. … los carros y dijo esque no hay necesidad de esto. … Puedo oler la contaminación. … Mi experiencia fue buena porque él nos escuchó, él estuvo atento a diferentes cosas que nosotros le decimos. … El escucho, participó, camino con nosotros. … Miro las diferentes bodegas que existen. … Fue muy bueno que él viniera a escucharnos

I liked him because he observed, smelled; also like I mentioned before, he climbed up to the top of the bridge and he saw. … all the cars and he said, “It’s because there is no need of this. … I can smell the contamination”. … My experience was good because he heard us, he was attentive to the different things that we talked to him about, we told him. … He heard, he participated, he walked with us a, a bit with us. … He saw the different factories that exists. … It was good that he came to listen to us (Maricela, 41 years old)

Participants indicated enjoying meeting with Representative Gomez and hoped to work with him in the future. Participants appreciated that Representative Gomez walked with them and acknowledged that he could see and smell the pollution in the air. Some participants mentioned that this was the first time that they engaged with an elected official and felt positive about their meeting.

Subtheme 3.2: Lack of support from county and local organizations

Study participants were asked to reflect on challenges encountered with the development of the Natural Park Air Pollution Solution project. Some participants expressed the need for local and county organizations to collaborate with Legacy LA to discuss environmental injustices. Participants explained the importance for organizations including the Los Angeles Metro Rail and the local council member Kevin De Leon to understand their needs. Some participants perceived that certain local organizations are hesitant in supporting the development of the Natural Park Air Pollution Solution. As one participant explained:

Being from Ramona Gardens there’s a sense that we’re not fully part of Boyle Heights, [or] a Neighborhood Council. . . . we kind of lean on Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council and the City Hall, but there has been points in our organizing where we're like, well, do we have to make our own neighborhood council for us to be able to get funding from certain things, cause we're able to ask. … Lincoln Heights and Boyle Heights for funding for certain things, but I think that also creates a question of where do we really belong? Who do we ask for, for things? Who can actually support certain issues and who can’t. … so that’s something that might also be imprinting this sense of community and connection to the outside. (Joy, 25 years of age)

Study participants expressed the lack of support from local organizations including the local neighborhood council. As Joy expressed, there is a lack of support stemming from the geographic location of the Ramona Gardens Housing Complex, which is in northern Boyle Heights and borders Lincoln Heights. Participants express the need for organizations to collaborate because of concern that other outside companies may develop a project in the same area without considering the needs of community and displace residents.

DISCUSSION

This study explored factors that facilitated or hindered Legacy LA community organizers to engage in activities related to environmental justice. Study findings highlight the complexities of factors that facilitate and prevent civic engagement among Legacy LA community organizers and residing in Boyle Heights, California—a majority Latino immigrant neighborhood. This study enhances understanding of community organizers perceptions of air quality and how this influences their awareness of the connection between air pollution and health. This study also informs how other CBOs working on environmental justice initiatives might activate community members in their efforts. Furthermore, these findings highlight the challenges faced by Legacy LA and community organizers to support and sustain civic engagement in environmental initiatives including advocating for the Natural Park Air Pollution Solution project. These findings emphasize the need to increase the community capacity of CBOs by promoting facilitators and addressing barriers of civic engagement among low-income, immigrant communities advocating for a cleaner environment.

Similar to other studies, health concerns attributed to poor air quality emerged as a significant factor motivating community organizers to engage in environmental justice initiatives.^35,36,37 This implies the need to continue efforts related to educating residents from vulnerable communities about air quality and linkages to increase civic engagement in efforts to advocate for clean air.

Similar to this study, previous studies have found lack of time due to multiple responsibilities is a barrier to civic engagement.^39,38 Previous studies have found that Hispanic/Latino community organizers are concerned about environmental injustices. However, residents’ financial status and demanding work schedules make it difficult for them to participate in events in advocating for a better environment.^15,39 Community organizers with multiple responsibilities trying to make ends meet to support their families is a challenge for them to engage in advocacy efforts.¹⁷ This implies additional efforts and supportive resources are needed to assist residents with multiple responsibilities. Additional efforts are also needed to understand best practices that community organizations similar to Legacy LA can adopt to gain financial support to invest in environmental justice initiatives.

This study found that a lack of funding was a significant barrier required to support environmental justice related activities that promote resident engagement. Many participants in the study described receiving small stipends that encouraged them to participate in trainings and environmental justice events. Previous studies have found that funding is a critical resource to develop sustainable efforts.⁴⁰ Increasing community capacity for the development of the Natural Park Air Pollution Solution and funding are critical to increase knowledge among residents to influence local policies and practices.^21,40,41 A previous study suggested that funding from multiple sources and partnerships can sustain environmental justice efforts.⁴³ This implies the need to assess funding and partnerships that support organizations like Legacy LA.

This study highlights Legacy LA’s influence in collaborations among elected officials and local organizations. Previous studies found that civic engagement may be hindered by a history of mistrust and lack of support from elected officials.^12,42 However, this study found mixed results regarding support from elected officials and local neighborhood councils. This also suggests the need to develop efforts at the city level that instill inclusive practices and procedures promoting the participation of local residents.¹²

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS

This study had several limitations. First, the views reflect perceptions of community organizers from Boyle Heights who were actively engaged with a local environmental justice organization; thus, findings may not be generalized to other communities. Additional studies are needed to involve residents not affiliated with Legacy LA or the Ramona Gardens Housing Complex to gain their perspectives. Second, interview participants were engaged with Legacy LA’ s Natural Park Air Pollution Solution activities. Additional efforts are needed to capture perspectives from Legacy LA participants not involved in the Natural Park Air Pollution Solution project.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights a range of factors that facilitate or hinder civic engagement among Hispanic/Latino community organizers engaged in advocating for various issues including environmental justice matters. This study illustrated the types of facilitators and barriers that affected their engagement in environmental justice matters based on their personal lived experiences, organizational support, and community-based resources. Study findings call attention to the need to address factors within each level to increase civic engagement among predominantly Hispanic/Latino communities to advocate for clean air and relevant environmental justice issues.

Footnotes

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank members from Legacy LA, Mujeres Poderosas for their support in this study. Jaqueline Rodriguez and Mercedes Arce for their support and insight in recruiting study participants. Dean Bernadette Boden-Albala and the Search Lab for their letter of support and encouragement.

AUTHORS’ CONTRIBUTIONS

C.V. conceptualized the project, led the investigation, managed and coordinated research activities including interviews and focus groups, conducted data analyses, and prepared materials for publication. B.M. provided oversight, assisted with the acquisition of funding for this project, and edited and reviewed the article. D.C. took notes during focus groups, conducted qualitative data analyses, transcribed interviews, translated interviews, and revised and edited article. E.C. took notes during focus groups, transcribed interviews, translated interviews, and edited the article. L.D. assisted with qualitative data analysis, including the development of the interview, and focus group code books and assisting with data analyses using Atlas.ti, revised article R.R. recruited participants, facilitated focus groups, and reviewed article. L.H. recruited participants, assisted with acquiring funding, and reviewed article. S.P.T. provided guidance in qualitative data analyses, including framing research goals and study aims, and revised and edited article. A.L. provided guidance in qualitative data analyses, including framing research goals and study aims, and reviewed and edited article.

AUTHOR DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No competing financial interests exist.

FUNDING INFORMATION

This material is based on work supported by NIH under Prime Award no. UL1 TR001414 and The Regents of the University of California. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NIH, The Regents of the University of California, or the ICTS.

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL

Supplementary Material

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