March 23, 2023
Irene Bloemraad, faculty affiliate of Center for Research on Social Change, co-authored an op-ed published in the LA Times. Amidst concerns about a possible exodus of Californians, Bloemraad highlights why the overall outcome of this population decline is not a cause for worry, as well as what is concerning. Rural areas are most affected by population decline because they face staff shortages, closing businesses, and "a sense of being left behind," but California as a whole continues to have a population younger than the national average and serves as a welcoming and promising place for immigration.