About UCLA NAID Center

Our Mission

The UCLA North American Integration and Development (NAID) Center conducts rigorous, interdisciplinary research on the economic integration of North America—particularly the United States and Mexico—and supports communities and governments in pursuing sustainable, equitable, and just development across borders. Founded in 1995, NAID analyzes the complex interplay of trade, migration, remittances, investment, and now climate and environmental justice, translating findings into actionable policy, community initiatives, and innovative tools.

Established in 1995 by Dr. Raúl Hinojosa-Ojeda, the NAID Center emerged amid the debates and implementation of NAFTA to provide independent, data-driven analysis of North American economic integration and its impacts on workers, communities, and regions. Early work emphasized computable general equilibrium (CGE) modeling, labor market interdependence, and policy options for convergence amid disparities. Over nearly three decades, NAID has tracked evolving dynamics of globalization, responding to shifts in trade, capital flows, migration patterns, and—critically—rising inequality, climate challenges, and the need for inclusive development.

Activities have spanned empirical tracking, action-oriented fieldwork (including transnational projects linking US immigrant communities with migrant-sending regions via hometown associations, microfinance, and credit unions), and high-level policy engagement from the US Congress and UN agencies to local governments like the City of Los Angeles.

NAID’s core expertise lies in economic and policy analysis of integration, combining advanced modeling with real-world data. Key areas include:

• Employment, income, and distributional impacts of trade, migration, and remittances.
• Transnational development strategies.
• Broader themes of inequality, racial politics in integration, and root causes of migration.

Methodological strengths include longstanding CGE modeling partnerships (e.g., with Mexico’s INEGI and the Peterson Institute for International Economics) and GIS/Big Data mapping of migration corridors and socio-economic impacts.

Recent innovations feature custom AI research agents. These tools leverage proprietary datasets (GTAP-based labor simulations, Mexican-origin and Latino GDP contributions, employment linkages, and remittances flows) for dynamic querying, analysis, visualizations, and policy-grade outputs—augmenting traditional research with accessible, grounded insights for scholars and policymakers.

• IMFC (Indigenous, Migratory, and Frontline Communities) Initiative: Launched/announced at COP28 in 2023, this expands NAID’s work to research, support, and fund efforts addressing climate destabilization, sustainability, and equity for Indigenous peoples, migrants, and frontline communities disproportionately impacted by environmental and economic changes. Includes endowment development through inter-university partnerships and global dialogue.

• Climate Justice and Just Transitions: Focus on equitable strategies for renewable energy transitions, green jobs, and community resilience. Includes deep engagement with frontline areas facing pollution and economic shifts.

• Student and Scholar Engagement: Intensive learning opportunities, on-the-ground research in Mexico and Mesoamerica, and access to experts. Supports the next generation through the NAID Research Foundation and collaborative projects.

NAID continues to produce influential work quantifying contributions and informing policy:

• 2026 Mexican-Origin & Latino GDP in U.S.–Mexico Integration: Landmark working paper documenting that approximately 38 million Mexican-origin residents in the US generate roughly $2.27 trillion in GDP (2024), equivalent to the world’s 8th-largest economy, 54% of total US Latino economic output, and 11% of the US economy. Draws on decades of modeling and new AI capabilities; presented with partners in Mexico City.

• LA100 Equitable Strategies / Green Jobs Workforce Development Report: Developed with UCLA partners for LADWP’s 100% renewable energy goals. Features a public data platform/calculator for community energy justice planning and a detailed case study of Wilmington, CA, emphasizing community-led green jobs pathways and equitable workforce development.

• Seminal publications such as The Trump Paradox: Migration, Trade, and Racial Politics in US-Mexico Integration (UC Press, 2021).

• Ongoing reports on immigration (e.g., Essential But Disposable), remittances and financial technologies, DACA economic impacts, and historical policy lessons (e.g., North American Development Bank).

• High-profile convenings, including the 2023 UCLA Conference on Indigenous and Frontline Communities for Global Sustainability, and participation in COP28.

NAID’s work informs policy, empowers communities, and highlights synergies between diaspora contributions, sustainable finance, and equitable development.

Dr. Raúl Hinojosa-Ojeda — Founding Director; Professor and Chair, UCLA Department of Chicana/o and Central American Studies. A leading scholar with extensive experience in international institutions (Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank), CGE modeling, transnational policy, and community-engaged research. (See full CV for complete biography and publications.)

NAID collaborates with UCLA faculty, researchers (including AI specialist Adhila Akbar), graduate students, and external experts across reports and initiatives. 

For website questions, please refer to Juan Contreras, the UCLA NAID Website Manager.

NAID maintains deep collaborations with UCLA institutes (e.g., Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, Chicano Studies Research Center), Mexican institutions (INEGI and state governments), international bodies, Indigenous organizations (e.g., AMUCSS, Red MOCAF, tribal nations), and global academic partners. Work emphasizes transnational networks linking US Latino/diaspora communities with Latin American counterparts, financial institutions, NGOs, and policymakers.