Disciplines
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Examining Environmental Racism in Latino communities and the use of Environmental Engineering as a Solution
Background: Hispanics make up the second-largest ethnic group after whites, yet these communities live in more polluted environments than their white counterparts and have higher rates of poverty. With low-income neighborhoods come unsafe and often hazardous environmental factors that harm the health of their inhabitants. Environmental engineering, a newer branch that combines civil and chemical engineering ideas, could offer a variety of different solutions to environmental issues relating to air and water pollution. In A Terrible Thing to Waste by Harriet A. Washington, the author discusses the cognitive damage environmental racism can have if left to fester and I will further explore the other effects on this specific group. Previous reports have found strong connections between race and pollution in a neighborhood, but fail to propose solutions to these issues.
Purpose: This research examines the effects of environmental racism and how that harms the health of Latino communities, as well as investigates possible solutions that environmental engineering practices can offer.
Method: To answer this question, I will gather data from previous relevant studies about environmental health and then analyze and compare to data from a more affluent and predominantly white area.
Results and conclusions: The expected conclusions that this research would have include establishing a stronger connection between the environment and sociocultural factors of Latino immigrants and proposing how an exciting new field of engineering can aid in providing solutions to improve the life and wellbeing of these individuals.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
SPCEET - Civil and Environmental Engineering
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Pegah Zamani
Included in
Impact of Air pollution Exposure in Latino Communities: An Equity-based framework for Environmental Engineering
Examining Environmental Racism in Latino communities and the use of Environmental Engineering as a Solution
Background: Hispanics make up the second-largest ethnic group after whites, yet these communities live in more polluted environments than their white counterparts and have higher rates of poverty. With low-income neighborhoods come unsafe and often hazardous environmental factors that harm the health of their inhabitants. Environmental engineering, a newer branch that combines civil and chemical engineering ideas, could offer a variety of different solutions to environmental issues relating to air and water pollution. In A Terrible Thing to Waste by Harriet A. Washington, the author discusses the cognitive damage environmental racism can have if left to fester and I will further explore the other effects on this specific group. Previous reports have found strong connections between race and pollution in a neighborhood, but fail to propose solutions to these issues.
Purpose: This research examines the effects of environmental racism and how that harms the health of Latino communities, as well as investigates possible solutions that environmental engineering practices can offer.
Method: To answer this question, I will gather data from previous relevant studies about environmental health and then analyze and compare to data from a more affluent and predominantly white area.
Results and conclusions: The expected conclusions that this research would have include establishing a stronger connection between the environment and sociocultural factors of Latino immigrants and proposing how an exciting new field of engineering can aid in providing solutions to improve the life and wellbeing of these individuals.