About Us
The Tomás Rivera Policy Institute is a nonprofit, freestanding research organization that advances critical, insightful thinking on key issues affecting Latino communities through objective, policy-relevant research, and its implications, for the betterment of the nation.
The Institute is dedicated to the memory of one of its founders, the late Tomás Rivera. Rivera, who received international acclaim as an educator, author and scholar, had a wide-ranging vision for Latinos. He saw a future where Latinos would play an integral role in establishing a better life for their community through involvement in government, business and education.
TRPI is headquartered at the University of Southern California, with a satellite office at Columbia University in New York City. The Institute, with a $3 million annual budget, is governed by an elected board of trustees and an appointed president.
TRPI has built its reputation as one of the premier policy institutes on Latino issues through its capacity to conduct sound primary and secondary research. One of TRPI’s critical strengths is survey research. From questionnaire and sample frame development to survey interviewing, the Institute provides a reliable, objective source of information on attitudes held by the Latino community in the United States.
The Institute’s research has been cited by the Clinton and Bush administrations, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators.
In 2005, the Institute had over 30 million print citations and 80,000 website visitors.
TRPI’s research has had a wide-reaching and positive social impact. Its endeavors in education policy – beginning with the Southwest Teacher’s Development Project in 1991 which helped recruit and prepare minority teachers – have been particularly effective:
The Institute’s June 2004 policy brief, Eliminating Outreach at the University of California: Program Contributions and the Consequences of their Reductions, recommended restoring $29.3 million in state funding for UC outreach—the allocation the programming received in the prior budget year (2003-04).
On July 27, Governor Schwarzenegger signed into budget this amount, helping to maintain the infrastructure of outreach programming. This amount was $29.3 million above the Governor's 2004-05 Proposed Budget and more than $17 million above the funding negotiated in the Governor’s compact with UC President Robert Dynes and CSU Chancellor Charles Reed in May.
TRPI’s 2002 report, College Knowledge: What Latino Parents Need to Know and Why They Don’t Know It, received national media coverage and inspired Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn to create the “Free Cash for College” outreach program. The program educates students and their parents about the importance of a higher education and how a college education can be accessible and affordable. "Free Cash for College" provides assistance in navigating existing financial aid programs.
The Institute’s assessment of the availability of school breakfast programs in Los Angeles led to an additional 30,000 eligible children to begin receiving free or reduced-price school breakfasts.
TRPI’s research on the inequity in advanced placement course offerings in California public high schools resulted in an ACLU lawsuit against the state of California to provide equitable course offerings.
