PHOENIX — As we commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, we are taking a closer look at how the Valley's Latino communities rebounded financially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recently, results of a joint study were released, spotlighting two Arizona communities, including parts of South Tucson and South Phoenix, and what trends could be derived from the pandemic, especially when it comes to the economics of predominantly Hispanic communities.
The study was done by Arizona State University's Center for Latina/os and American Politics Research (CLAPR) and UCLA's Latino Policy and Politics Institute.
ABC15's Nick Ciletti spoke recently with ASU Associate Professor Francisco Pedraza about the results in South Phoenix, specifically.
Prof. Pedraza says one of the fascinating findings was how much South Phoenix was able to rely on community-based organizations to fill the gaps where there was no or limited federal assistance.
The study also found South Phoenix tended to have higher numbers of COVID cases and COVID deaths compared to other parts of the Valley.
When it comes to economics in South Phoenix, the study discovered that although the area saw a slight dip in the number of businesses overall, "microenterprises," or businesses with fewer than ten employees, were able to hold steady and help keep the community afloat - and may be able to teach other communities some lessons when it comes to resiliency.
"You can't count out these local communities in Arizona that are often stigmatized or associated with poverty or lower levels of economic status," explains Prof. Pedraza. "You can't count them out because in many ways, why? Because in many ways, they have found creative ways to weather those bumps."
ABC15's Nick Ciletti also spoke to a viewer, Bob, who was born and raised in South Phoenix. He says that other obstacles, like construction during the light rail project, may have initially hurt businesses, but agrees that South Phoenix is able to weather many different kinds of storms.
"Some of the new businesses are popping up here," explains Bob. "It's developing. It was a lot of pain over the years, but there's a lot of new businesses starting to pop up. You can't count South Phoenix out. We'll hang in there."
To see more results, click here.
