Evaluation in gentrifying Latinx immigrant communities: Lessons learned from culturally responsive evaluation with youth

Abstract

Culturally responsive evaluation (CRE) efforts highlight the significance of lived experiences of Latinx communities by honoring these voices to inform decision-making for more equitable support systems and resources. Gentrification disrupts both the physical and social community characteristics, causing shifts in the existing collective community identity and experience. However, CRE projects provide opportunities for marginalized youth community members to engage meaningfully with and better understand these community changes. We describe three projects conducted with community-based youth researchers in the Mexican-American US communities of Pilsen (Chicago) and South Los Angeles, exploring community-personal identity and relationship shifts among evaluators and youth community members. Our article concludes with lessons learned for CRE evaluators working in gentrifying communities.