Cultural Institutions Serving Ethnic Minorities in the City of Albuquerque: A Policy Case Study

Abstract

With a population of over 560,000 people and a history stretching back to 2,000 B.C., the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is populated by a proud, multicultural group of New Mexicans. The most populous city in the state, Albuquerque is a place with an incredibly unique racial makeup. Unlike most other urban areas in the United States, Albuquerque’s significant minority population consists of powerful Hispanic and Native American factions, alongside Asian American and African American communities that are small in both number and resources. This unique power dynamic within the minority community sets the scene for an unusual institutional world. This research delves into that world, exploring the inner workings, financial structures, and operations of cultural institutions that serve Albuquerque’s ethnic minorities. Research was done through a series of staff interviews, examination of physical and online archives, and historical investigation. The information illuminates several noteworthy aspects of the institutions, such as legacies of financial instability, differences in size and number of organizations serving different populations, and the preferences for out-group exclusivity in several institutions. This thesis offers analysis of and explanation for each of the above phenomena. It concludes with policy recommendations addressing each situation and an overall policy solution to increase the financial stability and impact of all cultural institutions in Albuquerque. It also addresses the importance of cultural institutions to Albuquerque’s relatively poor population of ethnic and racial minorities.