Diversity in the Warning Process

1. Diversity in the Warning Process Presented by Freddie Zeigler NWS WFO New Orleans Baton Rouge, LA April 14, 2010

2. What is Multicultural? • The term multiculturalism generally refers to a theory of racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity that applies to the demographic make-up of a specific place. • Differences in race, ethnicity, language, nationality, religion, etc. among various groups within a community. A community is said to be culturally diverse if its residents include members of different groups.

3. What is RACE? • Race and ethnicity are constantly evolving concepts, deceptivelyeasy to measure,yet slippery to pinpoint as definitive individual characteristics. • A current dictionary definition of race is “a family, tribe,people, or nation belonging to the same common stock, or a classor kind of people unified by shared interests, habits, or characteristics.” • The Human Family Tree retraces the deepest branches of the human race to reveal that Homo Sapiens (that’s us!) are all 99.9% genetically identical. National Geographic 2009

4. What is RACE? • The 1850 Census enumerators used a form that assumed a default raceof white, with a checkmark indicating nonwhites as black ormulatto, with additional indications for free or slave. • Native Americans were added as a category in 1860. Note: Historian William Katz has documented that one third of the Indian nation was black. • Since 1960, individuals havebeen able to specify their own race and ethnicity. • By 2000,the Census enumerated 126 racial and ethnic categories. Measuring Race and Ethnicity: Why and How? Margaret A. Winker, MD JAMA. 2004;292:1612-1614. Multiracial respondents were 6.1 million in 2006, or 2.0% of the population. By 2020, minorities will make up 40% of the population.

5. Diversity – Ethnic Groups We the Americans: We the Americans: • Estimates Census 2009 – around 307 million • An increase of about 26 million from 2000…up 9.3% • In 2000, the median age was 36.6. • By 2008, the median age was 38.1. • Significant increases occurred in population age groups above 80…50% increase above 100. • Estimated Census 2008 – • White 247 million – 80% • Hispanics 46 million – 15% • Blacks 37 million – 12% • Asian 13 million – 4% • Multiracial 5 million – 2%

6. Diversity – Ethnic Groups We the Americans: Louisiana • Estimates Census 2009 – around 4.4 million • A decrease around 90 thousand • Estimated Census 2008 – • Whites 2.8 million – 65% • Hispanics 148 thousand – 3% • Blacks 1.4 million – 32% • Asians 76 thousand – 2% • Multiracial 46 thousand - 1%

7. Why Embrace Diversity? NOAA Business Plan for Diversity Workplace 2020 and Megatrends 2000 • New Customer Bases • New Workforce Makeup • Global Marketplace • Emerging Technologies • Vision of Inclusive Culture • Move Toward Managing Diversity to Encourage All Employees to Reach Their Full Potential and to Retain Talent Pool • Mission Attainment • Older Employees • Increasingly Female • Non-White • Foreign-born • Disabled and Challenged • Gays, Lesbians, Bi-Sexuals • Transgenders • More Religion - More Diversity

8. Interactions that Influence Vulnerabilityto Weather Hazards and Disasters • Culture X Age • Culture X Gender • Culture X Disability • Language X Age • Language X Gender • Language X Disability • Are there other important variables? Where does income fit in? • Vulnerability implies power and resources or the absence thereof. • How we prepare and warn people influences who and what we save. • How can a population’s behavioral values, norms, beliefs, and practices be leveraged to maximize protection?

9. NWS Message Dissemination - Warnings • Elderly are particularly vulnerable to linguistic isolation. • Access to Warnings • Affected by economic differences, cultural practices, historical experiences. • Credibility • Ethnic minorities often find white authorities less credible information sources (research begins in 1970s, continues to present). • “The history of discrimination against minority groups in the U.S. is reflected in the distrust such groups tend to place in the majority social system.” Lindell & Perry 1992

10. Consequences of Ignoring Diversity • Unequal warning reception • Language barriers to warning reception • Unequal weather preparedness • Loss of lives • Some underserved • Lack of preparedness efforts to accommodate disabilities, i.e., deaf and hard of hearing

11. Embrace Benefits • Acceptance of differences in people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, and spiritual practice • Search for similarities in folk • Right- versus left-brainers • Expand markets and partners to diverse groups • Recruit in non-traditional places, schools, churches, etc. • Minimize cultural biases in outreach and marketing • Minimize class differences • Aids in preventing “isms” based on differences • Builds teamwork/coalitions • Increases productivity and creativity • Reach non-traditional customers with products • All talents are utilized.

12. Who lives on Tatooine? • Name the different inhabitants. • What is the population? • Is Mos Eisley multi-cultural? • Is Tatooine diverse? • How old is a typical Hutt? • Do all inhabitants speak the same language? • What’s podracing? • Are there any disabled Tusken Raider? • Are any characters in the area mentally challenged?

13. Warn Someone Diverse!! Questions?Answers? Comments?Solutions?Thank You!! Freddie Zeigler WFO New Orleans/Baton Rouge, LA (985) 649-0429 ext. 4 Freddie.Zeigler@noaa.gov Hutt Tusken Raider Jawas Humans