Narrative and Identity
Values and Identity
In order to build a multiracial democracy, we need to understand the values that shape the identities of Black, Latino, AAPI, and Native people so we can better understand how to connect with, engage, and inspire people toward civic participation. For too long, the traditional political industry has seen Black, Latino, AAPI, and Native people as political objects rather than diverse and complex people with political agency. This translates into a lack of understanding about the values and identities that exist within communities of color.
At DPI, we have set out to get curious about the diversity and complexity within Black, Latino, AAPI, and Native communities so that we can better understand the people we are working to engage and empower. We believe the insights from this research will support organizers in their work to build their base of volunteers and leaders, inspire more people toward collective action, and win more change.
Related resources
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2026
Narrative and Identity
Asian American Values Research with NCAAT
This deck includes research findings from the 2025-2026 survey and focus groups and highlights of how NCAAT has used this research to build belonging and connection, strengthen leadership pipelines, and mobilize collective civic action.
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2026
Narrative and Identity
Understanding The Disaffected Electorate
Building on more than 5 years of research and learning, we have found that across race, age, and geography, frustration with politics is rising. This disillusionment and cynicism impacted engagement in 2024 and remain a threat to civic participation in 2026 and beyond.
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2025
Narrative and Identity
Understanding Black Values: National and State Level Survey Findings
This report provides a synthesis of cross-state and national research that documents the stories of Black voters, the DPI state partners involved, and key findings to maximize cross-learning amongst the state partners.
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2025
Narrative and Identity
Asian American Values: State-Based Research in North Carolina
This research project with North Carolina Asian Americans Together anchored itself in state-based, community-led efforts to better understand the complexity of values and identities that exists within the Asian American community.
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2024
Narrative and Identity
AZ Latino Values Research
ACE led this research to support its organizing efforts. It is using the findings as it trains organizers and canvassers to reach eligible voters across Arizona. The findings will help organizers build a strong sense of community among Latino voters and ensure that outreach is done in meaningful ways.
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2023
Narrative and Identity
SXSW 2023: From Political Cynicism to BIPOC Political Power
DPI Fund partners Katrina Gamble of Sojourn Strategies, Jess Morales Rocketto of EquisLabs, Nse Ufot, and Terrance Woodbury of HIT Strategies presented at SXSW about how political cynicism threatens political power in young people and BIPOC communities.
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2023
Narrative and Identity
Latinx Values Messaging GOTV Test with Florida Rising Together
In fall 2022, Sojourn Strategies, in partnership with Florida Rising Together, Solidarity Strategies, and Analyst Institute, conducted a field experiment to measure the impact of a survey-informed message developed to increase voter participation among Latinx voters.
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2022
Narrative and Identity
Latinx Values Survey
DPI supported Equis and Sojourn Strategies in a partnership with numerous organizing groups including Florida Rising, Make the Road Nevada, Poder NC, LUCHA, Voces de la Frontera, and PICO California to survey Latino voters and dig deep on who is voting, why, and what values are motivating for civic engagement.
2022
Narrative and Identity
Latinx Values Survey Results - DPI Digest
DPI supported Equis and Sojourn Strategies in a partnership with numerous organizing groups including Florida Rising, Make the Road Nevada, Poder NC, LUCHA, Voces de la Frontera, and PICO California to survey Latino voters and dig deep on who is voting, why, and what values are motivating for civic engagement.
2022
Narrative and Identity
Winning While Black: Lessons Learned from the 2020 Georgia Election and Runoff
All eyes were on Georgia for the 2020 November election and the two United States Senate runoff elections in January 2021. This report identifies lessons and recommendations for the field, based on the experiences of New Georgia Project (NGP) and New Georgia Project Action Fund (NGPAF) during these elections.
2021
Narrative and Identity
New Georgia Project + HIT Focus Group
HIT Strategies conducted six focus groups (four in person and two online) of Black voters from Metro Atlanta and rural Georgia from July 28th to August 17th, 2021, on behalf of the New Georgia Project to explore the following research objectives...
2021
Narrative and Identity
The Black Experience Model
The purpose of this segmentation was to provide insight into the various narratives black people hold about race and their experiences so that we can learn who we are trying to reach. To provide a foundation for understanding the political diversity of Black Americans, we applied a proprietary model to the 2019-2020...
2020
Narrative and Identity
Black Political Literature Review 2020
Black politics in the United States, in the context of racial unrest and revolutionary demands, is a fraught yet fertile scholarly field. Unpacking the contours of how Black people conceptualize their relationship to the state, to society, and to one another is critical both because of the substantive need to...
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