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Every Zip Code Has A Story.

The world today is divided about what is going on and how to move forward.

In this podcast from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, we share the stories of people navigating the unique economic situations in their communities. They face issues we hear about every day, but like the rest of us, strive to raise families, have careers, and make contributions.

At the end of the day, these stories are ultimately stories of people, their economies, and most vividly, their communities. They are then, by definition, stories of hope. Please join us.

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Cartoon rendering of President Alexander Hamilton wearing headphones with message of approved by the SF Fed for your listening

About the show

Transcript

Watch our Zip Code Economies trailer to learn more (trailer transcript).


Communities

Listen to the latest from Zip Code Economies.

Firebaugh Introduction

At the heart of California’s Central Valley, Firebaugh’s economy has revolved around agriculture for over a century, drawing in generations of immigrants. Firebaugh remains a small, close-knit community where over 97% of youth go on to pursue higher education.

1: Intergenerational Transmission of Hope

June 21, 2019

Transcript

At first glance, Firebaugh doesn’t seem to have much going for it as a small, agricultural community in the fifth poorest region in America. Yet somehow 97% of students in this primarily immigrant town graduate high school and 77% head to college. In the inaugural episode of Zip Code Economies, we discover the recipe for this success at Firebaugh High School.

Interviewees:

  • Luis Sanchez
  • Luis Linares
  • Russell Freitas
  • Cynthia Best

Organizations:

  • Firebaugh High School

2: Your Current State Does Not Determine Your Future State

June 21, 2019

Transcript

Can a physical place be a source of comfort? Can it be a light in the midst of darkness? We explore these questions and more in this episode of Zip Code Economies, as we return to the community of Firebaugh. From the Firebaugh Police Department, which serves as a type of community hub, to the campus of West Hills Community College operating in a former bowling alley, we meet individuals living out the message: Your current state does not have to determine your future state.

Interviewees:

  • Salvador Raygoza
  • Fernando Moreno
  • Raquel Tabares
  • Brady Jenkins
  • Angelic Salinas
  • Amber Myrick

Organizations:

  • Firebaugh Police Department
  • City of Firebaugh
  • Firebaugh High School
  • West Hills Community College

Salt Lake City Introduction

Since 1848, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has played a central role in Salt Lake City’s culture and economy. Today, while the church remains influential, newcomers and the proliferation of a “Silicon Slopes” tech startup culture is bringing about noticeable change.

3. A Leap of Faith

June 25, 2019

Transcript

What makes a neighbor? In this episode of Zip Code Economies, we head to Salt Lake City, where we grapple with matters of values, faith, and inclusion— while confronting some of our own biases. In the search for clarity, we talk to an array of residents, from a demographic researcher at the University of Utah to a Brigham Young University student interning at the San Francisco Fed.

Interviewees:

  • Will Unga
  • Brandon Payne
  • Pam Perlich
  • Josh and Elizabeth England

Organizations:

  • Salt Lake City Community College
  • The University of Utah
  • England Logistics, Inc.

4. A New Economic Reality

June 28, 2019

Transcript

We continue to chisel away at preconceptions through conversations with five women in Salt Lake City - all of them part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this episode of Zip Code Economies, we take a closer look at their individual paths to the labor force, which all reflect a broader narrative of more women than ever before choosing to pursue work outside the home.

Interviewees:

  • Janae Moss
  • Robbyn Scribner
  • Susan Madsen
  • Meg Walter
  • Sister Henrie

Organizations:

  • Utah Women and Leadership Project at Utah Valley University
  • Silicon Slopes

East Palo Alto Introduction

East Palo Alto is bordered by more affluent Silicon Valley neighbors on all sides. In the face of a dramatically shifting economic landscape, residents are finding creative ways to maintain their community’s identity and way of life.

5. Resiliency is a Mindset

July 9, 2019

Transcript

East Palo Alto, California, is a 2.64 square mile community surrounded by tech giants and staggering wealth, where residents must weigh being welcoming to newcomers today with the real possibility their own families may be displaced tomorrow. In this episode of Zip Code Economies, we meet individuals bridging this tension through entrepreneurship, coding, and legal services. While the future may be uncertain, residents have a mindset rooted in resiliency that offers reason to be optimistic.

Interviewees:

  • Youth United for Community Action students
  • Tim Russell
  • Frederick Alexander
  • Salimah Hankins

Organizations:

  • Youth United for Community Action
  • Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center
  • StreetCode Academy
  • Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto

6. Loving the Bulldog Way

July 16, 2019

Transcript

How do you love yourself and your community when it feels like the whole world is against you? In this episode of Zip Code Economies, we head back to East Palo Alto and talk with a charter school principal, an “old-school” police chief, and a pastor who runs a homeless shelter where billionaires take out the trash. Through these conversations, we witness a refrain of love and forgiveness, which is transforming East Palo Alto from the inside out.

Interviewees:

  • Amika Guillaume
  • East Palo Alto Academy students
  • Albert Pardini
  • Paul Bains

Organizations:

  • East Palo Alto Academy
  • East Palo Alto Police Department
  • Project WeHOPE

Honolulu Introduction

A “beef stew” of diverse cultures, Honolulu has cemented its role as a major financial center of Hawaii and the western U.S. A unique relationship between K-12 schools and the public university system ensures a fairly steady pipeline for youth into higher education.

7. Hidden Hawaii

August 6, 2019

Transcript

Many people think of Hawaii as a vacation destination. But what about the people who call it home? In this episode of Zip Code Economies, we travel to Honolulu to uncover “hidden” Hawaii. Through the stories of a blind shopkeeper, Filipino immigrants transitioning jobs, and a native Hawaiian working to build financial resilience, we encounter a community striving to adapt to tough economic realities in a landscape dominated by tourism.

Interviewees:

  • Ryan Kusumoto
  • Zachery Grace
  • Shantel Jones
  • Kim Gillis-Robello
  • James Hardway
  • Janny Mendoza
  • John Dumayag
  • Lahela Williams

Organizations:

  • Parents and Children Together (PACT)
  • Hotel And Restaurant Industry Employment & Training Trust (HARIETT) Hawaii
  • Hawaiian Community Assets

8. Searching for Ohana

August 13, 2019

Transcript

When you ask residents what makes Hawaii such a special place to live, one word comes up over and over again: “ohana.” But what is “ohana”? In this episode of Zip Code Economies, we return to Honolulu to find out. Join us as we walk away with not just one definition of ohana, but many—all of which we hope to carry back to the mainland.

Interviewees:

  • Michelle Kauhane
  • Michael Bruno
  • University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa students
  • Lahela Williams
  • Shantel Jones

Organizations:

  • Hawaii Community Foundation
  • University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
  • Hawaiian Community Assets

San Diego Introduction

San Diego is a prime example of a “cross-border” community in southern California, where the local economy is truly international in scope. Similar to other large West Coast cities, San Diego has sought unique approaches in addressing housing affordability, access to education, and income inequality.

9. An Economy Like Water

August 20, 2019

Transcript

On our last stop this season, we land in San Diego facing a chicken or egg dilemma: Do communities create economies? Or is it the other way around? To help us solve that puzzle, we talk to a manager of a nonprofit, a hotel CEO, a colonel in the Marines, and a Spanish teacher – people who might not seem to have much in common, but who have found a shared home in this fluid, ever-changing part of Southern California.

Interviewees:

  • Kristen Walker
  • Colonel Jason Woodworth
  • Robert Gleason
  • Dan Watman

Organizations:

  • San Diego Workforce Partnership
  • Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
  • Evans Hotels
  • Friends of Friendship Park

10. Your Zip Code Doesn’t Define Your Destiny

August 27, 2019

Transcript

How can you change the narrative when the odds are stacked against you? We wrap up this season of Zip Code Economies back in San Diego, with a look at how education is creating new opportunities for not just students, but entire families. As a new generation moves forward as contributors in society, they’re determined to not forget where they came from, while also embracing that zip code doesn’t define their destiny.

Interviewees:

  • Katherine Field
  • Reality Changers students
  • Chanel Bradley
  • Jacqueline Guan
  • Sara Boquin
  • Barrio Logan College Institute students
  • Adelita Jasso
  • Connie Snowden

Organizations:

  • Monarch School
  • Reality Changers
  • Barrio Logan College Institute

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Zip Code Economies?

Zip Code Economies is a podcast from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Hosted by Mary C. Daly, the series uncovers stories of hope in unlikely places, and puts a human face on micro-economies within the nine Western states of the Federal Reserve’s Twelfth District.

Who is Mary C. Daly?

Mary C. Daly is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. As a member of the Federal Open Market Committee, she helps set American monetary policy. Dr. Daly is an accomplished labor economist with a Ph.D. from Syracuse University. She previously hosted Twice Around, another podcast from the San Francisco Fed. Originally from Ballwin, Missouri (63011), she now resides in Oakland, California (94610) with her wife Shelly.

Why did the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco make this podcast?

The San Francisco Fed is responsible for the largest and most diverse district within the Federal Reserve System, and making sure the economy works for everyone who lives here is a top priority. The most effective way to do that is by directly engaging with the people we serve. Zip Code Economies provides a forum for people to share their own stories. And at a time when society seems more divided than ever, it offers valuable insight into how individuals and institutions can still build bridges at the community level.

What does this have to do with economics?

Economics is ultimately the study of people, and how they choose to live and work as a community. By elevating what’s working at the micro-level, Zip Code Economies invites listeners to consider how these lessons learned could be applied at the macro-level.

What can listeners expect from Season 1?

Across ten episodes, Season 1 of Zip Code Economies will visit five communities within the Federal Reserve’s Twelfth District:

  • Firebaugh, California – Launching June 21, 2019 (Parts 1 & 2)
  • Salt Lake City, Utah – Launching June 25, 2019 (Part 1) and July 2, 2019 (Part 2)
  • East Palo Alto, California – Launching July 9, 2019 (Part 1) and July 16, 2019 (Part 2)
  • Honolulu, Hawaii – Launching August 6, 2019 (Part 1) and August 13, 2019 (Part 2)
  • San Diego, California – Launching August 20, 2019 (Part 1) and August 27, 2019 (Part 2)

Is there going to be a second season?

Yes! After spending its first season in California, Hawaii, and Utah, Season 2 of Zip Code Economies will travel to the remaining six states in the Twelfth District: Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

Where can I learn more about how the San Francisco Fed is working with communities like the ones featured in Zip Code Economies?

Visit frbsf.org to stay up to date on the latest news, research, education, and community development efforts from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

Broadening the Scope

Zip Code Economies shares stories from places of opportunity – where people have come together to create a better life for each other and for future generations.

The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco believes every community can – and should – be a place of opportunity. It’s good for individuals, institutions, and the overall health of the American economy.

We’re committed to identifying and reducing hurdles to economic inclusion, and ensuring people have access to the information and resources they need to succeed. As part of our community development, economic outreach, and education efforts, we:

  • Reach out to business and community leaders to understand the regional implications of economic policy.
  • Support first-generation college students and access to higher education.
  • Promote programs that strengthen the economic resiliency of individuals and communities.
  • Encourage the development of safe, healthy, and affordable housing.
  • Conduct research and analysis into how economic conditions and policies affect communities.
  • Help educators and students understand real-life applications of economics and personal finance.
  • Bring stakeholders together to implement ideas that foster inclusive economic growth.
  • Engage with banks and other investors to maximize economic opportunity and ensure fair access to credit under the Community Reinvestment Act.

You can learn more about the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's work at frbsf.org.

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