NEHRP Clearinghouse

Title
Race, Religion and Ethnicity in Disaster Recovery. Program on Environment and Behavior.
File
PB2000101623.pdf
Author(s)
Bolin, R.; Bolton, P.
Source
National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA., cJanuary 1986, 280 p.
Abstract
The authors primary goal was to examine the differential effects of various types of aid and aid programs on the postdisaster recovery of black and Mexican-American victims in comparison to 'non-minority' victims. The authors have remained faithful to that goal although they have expanded the number of ethnic and cultural groups examined beyond those originally proposed for study. The author's focus in this research is on aid from federal, state, and local agencies and its effects on the recovery of victim families from disasters. In addition to these formal aid programs, the authors also consider aid and social support received from family, friends, and neighbors. The authors identify variations in patterns of aid utilization across several racial and ethnic groups at four disaster sites, and demonstrate how these patterns are associated with differential rates of family recovery. The four sites studied include (in order of consideration): (1) Paris, Texas (tornado); (2) Salt Lake City, Utah (flooding); Kauai, Hawaii (hurricane); (4) Coalinga, California (earthquake). Patterns of aid utilization and family recovery are examined and compared among minority groups as well as between minorities and whites.
Keywords
Culture; Blacks; Mexican Americans; Ethnic groups; Emergency services; Federal assistance programs; Earthquake; Minority groups; Hurricane; Flood; Disaster relief; Disaster recovery; Economic impact; Tornado; Social effects; Economic assistance