Jein Park

Capital has flowed inequitably to communities across the US for decades, often with a racialized motivation or a racialized effect. This report analyzes investment flows in Milwaukee from 2005 to 2019, studying what kinds of money have been flowing, and for what purposes, into the city’s neighborhoods. The report builds on previous investment flow studies we have conducted in other cities, such as Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, and Minneapolis and Saint Paul, as well as national studies.

Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AA/NHPIs) have long experienced discrimination and interpersonal and structural racism. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian violence has been made more visible by the media, reminding people of Asian descent that their safety and well-being in America is still precarious. (We use the term AA/NHPI to acknowledge the distinct identities of these communities.) In a recent report, we identified more than 400 AA/NHPI stakeholders.

Periods of crisis remind us that our economic system often prioritizes short-term financial returns that concentrate wealth over sustainable and inclusive growth that addresses long-standing inequities. The COVID-19 pandemic and the movement for racial justice have shined a spotlight on stark inequities that are simultaneously acute and chronic. Impact investing, which can catalyze social and environmental impact for long-term structural change, is one way to address these inequities.