In order to fulfill your assignment for the course project you are encouraged to get started right away as your research effort may be challenging and take some time.  You have several choices and this handout will offer you some hints in approaching each of these options with some recommended general reference resources and strategies:

A.  Finding Books - Looking for books - consult ANTPAC and search by the recommended subject headings:

      Hispanic Americans - California

      Hispanic Americans - California - Economic conditions

      Hispanic Americans - California - Orange County

      Hispanic Americans - California - Social life and customs

Note:  that in Government Statistics "hispanic" is usually used rather than "latino."  It is often very difficult to find statistics on one particular ethnic group such as Mexicans and Hispanic refers to people from a region.  You can however get decennial census figures on Mexicans specifically by building tables in American Factfinder, noted below.

 

2. General Finding Aids:

      Subject Guides

1. Economics
2. Sociology
3. Latin American Studies
4. Chicano Latino Studies
5. Planning, Policy and Design
6. News and Newspapers
7. Government - Orange County
8. Government - California
9. Government - US (see Statistics)

 

3. Recommended Reference Sources - most print resources found at Langson Library (LL) (CBP = California Budget Projections)

      1.  United States Statistical Abstract, 2007 (and earlier years)

      2.  California Statistical Abstract - latest at LL Ref Desk HA 261 C3

     3.  American Factfinder 2006 - enter Orange County, California in center box and then select "People" on the left side-bar and specific population from new box and Hispanic Census Data Using American Factfinder (use SF3 for data - Summary File) - An explanation of how to interpret the data choices is available at www.amherst.edu/library/research/courserelated/fall03/datachoices.doc  Guides on how to effectively use this product are available at http://www.library.wisc.edu/guides/govdocs/census/aff.htm - from the University of Wisconsin

http://govpubs.lib.umn.edu/census/aff2000.phtml - from the University of Minnesota

http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/guides/gov/census2000.shtml - at the very end is a concise guide from San Diego State University

 

4.     Counting California - produced by California Digital Library (CDL) - browse and select topics and sub-topics to drill down to specific population and issue to review

5.     Orange County Profiles from the Center for Demographic Research

6.     Rand California - among the most current data sets; recommended

7.     Orange County Progress Report - 2007 edition just released

8.     Hispanic Population of the United States, 2004 data

9.     Hispanic Population of the United States, 2006 data - from Current Population Survey

10.  Current Population Survey - including 2007 ASEC and Detailed Data Reports

11.  American Community Survey Data from US Census Bureau

            11. Next American City - archive of all current & past issues - see specifically Winter 2006/07 issue on Immigration with article on Day Laborers.

 

 

SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENTS & NOTES

 

1. Conduct interviews with Latino and Latina Workers - specifically low-wage earners, perhaps housekeepers, day laborers, restaurant & kitchen employees, gardening and grounds-keeping staff, custodians/janitorial crew members, etc.  The UCI campus outsources much of its grounds and custodial services to companies that hire such workers.  There are many job-sites throughout Orange County where one can go and seek out day laborers for specific jobs in construction, hauling, maintenance, etc.  Several reports may be of interest:

·           Many Day Laborers Prefer Their Work to Regular Jobs, 1999

·           On the Corner: Day Labor in the United States: National Day Labor Study, 2006 (Abel Valenzuela, Center for the Study of Urban Poverty, UCLA)

·           Workplace Fairness - lists of resources

·           Working Hard, Falling Short: Investing in California's Working Families, 2005

·           Minimum Wage Increases Boost the Earnings of Low Wage California Workers, 2004

·           Social Service Resource Directory of Orange County, 2007-08 ed. LL REF F868 O6 R47

 

2. Conduct data collection on various aspects of Latino socio-economic life in Orange County - ie) educational attainment, earned wages, family demographic, # of years residence in OC, etc - all ideas for sources of this information since much of this population is undocumented are appreciated - can be from secondary sources, but should be current or very recent and comparative with earlier data if possible.  Review general demographic information.  Conduct literature review of journal articles and newspaper articles (consult the News & Newspaper Subject Guide):

·           Orange County Register

·           Los Angeles Times, Orange County edition

·           Lexis Nexis Academic Universe - News

·           Expanded Academic ASAP

·           Sociological Abstracts

·           HAPI (Hispanic American Periodicals Index)

·           Ethnic News Watch - indexes ethnic & Spanish language newspapers with fulltext coverage

 

3. Conduct a socio-economic history of Mexicans in Orange County - review such sources - from newspapers, books, dissertations, other primary/secondary sources - one should remember that not all economic sectors are represented in Orange County - a snapshot may begin with examining the following recommended sources:

·           Latinos and Economic Development in California, 2000

·           A Coordinated Report on Raising the Socio-Economic Status of Latinos in California, 2000

·           Employment Development Department Data

·           EDD Labor Market Information Data Library

·           Chapman University Economic and Business Review - annual forecasts and performance of economic indicators - in Langson Library Orange County Government Collection (basement in compact shelving) at HC 107 C22 O61

·           CSUF Midyear Spring 2007 Economic Forecast (the Fall 2007 annual report is to be issued on Oct 22, 2007)

 

4.  Replicate the Special Report, Left Behind: Workers and Their Families in a Changing Los Angeles (Sept 2006) - available at www.cbp.org/pdfs/2006/0609_lareport.pdf
with Orange County Data

 

            Read the report carefully and identify what the data sources are that you need.  There are many sources of local demographic data - most of which is collected from census decennial collections and manipulated and updated.  You must remember that what information is available for a given metropolitan area is not necessarily available for all communities and counties.  That is certainly true for comparing Los Angeles & Orange County.  Also, data is often collected by different demographics, geographical boundaries, incorporated areas, etc.  The SMSA (Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area) is measured differently and means             different things.  You will have to check and see if analogous data is available for Orange County.  It may well be available in different sources than referenced in the LA report.

 

For additional information,  consult with the Liaison Librarian, use Ask a Librarian to arrange for a Research Consultation, engage in chat or eMail reference, or visit the Langson Library Reference Desk (1^st floor).