Culture & Belonging

Diversity and Inclusion

Data related to specific segments of our community are reflected in various indicators throughout the report. Race and ethnicity data are considered in the Identity and Diversity demographic section (Indicator 1.03). All three local counties saw a 2% growth in minority populations in comparison to state averages of 3.9% growth. However, the number of nationalities represented in the area continues to grow. Ethnicity is a factor in describing poverty rates as well (Indicator 3.02), which has implications for the performance gap in third grade reading levels (Indicator 5.04). This disparity in incomes between white and non-white families is again apparent when comparing percentage of students in grades K-12 who are eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch (Indicator 5.07). Minority students also tend to have lower graduation rates than their white counterparts (Indicator 5.09). Youth who self-identify as racial and ethnic minorities are at increased risk for experiencing bullying at school (Indicator 6.01), bullying online (Indicator 6.02), and suicide-related behaviors (Indicator 4.10) with a few exceptions.  The same is also true for LGBTQ youth (Indicator 4.10, Indicator 6.01, and Indicator 6.02).  The elderly population is profiled for safety needs (Indicator 6.05) as well as rates of long term care use (Indicator 3.14).  Workers with disabilities are included in the workforce participation rates (Indicator 2.08).

The Arts

The 2010 arts and culture per capita spend was $94.07 in Wisconsin and $82.55 for the Fox Cities region. The overall number of creative jobs per 1000 jobs in the Appleton and Oshkosh-Neenah metropolitan areas remained fairly constant between 2012 and 2014. In 2014, there were 6.85 creative jobs per 1,000 in the Fox Cites region compared to 10.80 in Wisconsin and 12.50 in the United States. Looking at the breakdown of employment by industry data (see 2.01 Industry Sector Employment & Wages) in the state of Wisconsin, average wages in the arts, entertainment and recreation industry increased by 38.5% over the ten year period 2004 to 2014, compared to 26.2% in the United States and an average of 20.5% across the three core Fox Cities counties. As of 2010, the arts economy in the Fox Cities region was relatively small compared to the nationwide averages. However, an increase in wages for the industry that includes the arts, a 4.9% growth in overall percentage of jobs in Wisconsin, suggests there is potential to grow the arts economy in the Fox Cities region.

Voters

The Fox Cities region saw a high level of voter engagement in the 2012 and 2016 general elections. In 2016 Calumet, Outagamie, Winnebago, and the state of Wisconsin had a voter participation rate of at least 60% compared to 55.8% for the United States. Despite this, voter participation rates declined in the Fox Cities region and Wisconsin while rates increased across the United States as a whole. Wisconsin voters were allowed to register the day of the vote, which in 2012, accounted for around 10% of voters. In 2011, Wisconsin passed a new Voter Photo ID law which took effect after the April 2015 election. ⁽¹⁾ It was anticipated that the new Voter Photo ID law could result in declining voter turnout, due to added requirements placed on voters. Population estimates for 2014 show the Fox Cities populations of Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago make up around 7% of the voter age population for the State of Wisconsin.

⁽¹⁾ Wisconsin Elections Commission http://elections.wi.gov/elections-voting/photo-id