WebJunction

Hi Pam,
There is a form that one of the previous trainers developed, which we will be sharing with everyone at the training institutes. However, I've attached it here as well, and below you'll find the questions.

Panel Questions:
In your experience

1. Please tell us about your organization and its services.

2. Please tell us us about the community you serve.

3. What are the major needs, issues and challenges facing this community?

4. What kind of support do community members need?

5. What services are available to help this community?

6. What are the strengths of the community?

7. What are the challenges for the community?

8. What else needs to be done?

9. Who else should we contact to help us identify the needs of the community ?

10. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your community?

Regards,
Emily

Attachments:

~$O_Community_Panel_Member_Letter_Template.doc (0.2k)

I enjoyed interviewing Carmen Cruz from San Juan Bautista church here in Lancaster PA. Makes me miss my days as a Social Worker (but not enough to go back!)

Spanish Language Outreach Community Leader Interview

Date: 9-11-07
Person Interviewed: Carmen Cruz
Title: Pastoral Assistant
Location: San Juan Bautista Iglesia Catolica Hispana
425 S Duke Street
Lancaster PA 17602
Phone: 717-392-4118
Email: ccruz@dahelp.org

I interviewed Carmen Cruz of San Juan Bautista Catholic Church. She wears many hats. She has been the pastoral assistant for the last 6 years and has worked at the church since 1989. She has also been a counselor for the last 15 years with the Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse; a non-profit agency in Lancaster PA.

Carmen came to the states from Puerto Rico in 1982 after finishing an Elementary Ed degree there. Her husband has a degree in Physical Therapy from Puerto Rico. When they got to Lancaster, they faced the same barriers many face – their education would not allow them to work in their professions here without more schooling. Carmen worked at a grocery store and went to school to get to where she is now. She started with the Migrant Education agency, and then worked for the School District before coming to the church.

Her job is to advocate for the Latino community that comes to her for services. Those services are vast and can range from D&A counseling to finding housing to getting families to the food bank, etc. Most recently she has been working with Hospice of Lancaster helping them to connect better with the Latino community. She has helped them to build their library from one poor video in Spanish to more videos/dvds, books, and pamphlets – all is Spanish – about hospice care, mourning, dealing with grief, etc. Also, she is a part of Learn, Live, Latino – a group of concerned people from various agencies that put on a conference each year. These agencies include the Council on Drug and Alcohol, the School District of Lancaster, the Spanish American Civic Association, Family Services and San Juan Bautista church. Their first conference was May 25, 2007. This conference invited all of the various agencies that serve Latinos to come together to see what each agency is doing; who they are and what they do. They discovered many services are out there of which they were not aware. At the next conference, in May of 2008, they will invite all of the parents for a day of workshops and education. The idea is to inform them about all of the services available for Latino families. They hope that agencies will set up kiosks for the day and answer questions (hopefully with someone bilingual manning the kiosk). With all of these activities, Carmen definitely has her finger on the pulse of the Latino community in Lancaster PA.

Carmen describes the Latino community in Lancaster as having a majority of Puerto Ricans and Mexicans. She believes there are probably more Mexicans than documented, because a lot of them are illegal immigrants and fall off the charts. The next group would be Dominican Republicans, then Colombians and Peruvians and Cubans. After that, it’s a mix of every Latino country out there.

The major needs are various. The first that comes to mind for her is the need for transportation. Since many cannot travel to get to work, the next issue becomes the cost of housing. It is expensive to live in Lancaster, and most wages don’t cover the basic rent for a family dwelling. Another big problem is that most of the Latino community is not even aware of all of the services and programs available in Lancaster. They don’t know there are places to go for help. There needs to be a wide education effort to get the word out about what is available in the community.

Though there are many agencies in Lancaster to help the Latino community, the main problem is that many of these places do not have bilingual staff to communicate with the population. She said that the libraries are a perfect example of this issue. She goes to the downtown library quite often and finds herself wearing the hat of a librarian because there is usually no staff person available to help patrons that don’t speak English. She will be browsing the shelves and someone will come up and timidly ask her – do you speak Spanish? Before she knows it, she’s explaining to them where everything is, how to use the OPAC, etc. Where is the staff to do this or the signage or documentation in Spanish to help?
She wishes there were more Spanish books about how to use computers, how to find help in the community, how to start a business, how to get a driver’s license – just basic daily living necessities that are very difficult for Latinos.

The other area that Latinos need help with is healthcare information. This needs to be available to them in Spanish also.

Carmen ran through a list of other agencies that work extensively with the Latino population:
Southeast Clinic
Nuestra Clinica
SACA (Spanish American Civic Assn)
Catholic Charities (they just recently hired a bilingual psychologist and psychiatrist which is good news!)
Migrant Ed Program
Tabor Community Services
Council of Churches
Council of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
School District of Lancaster
Family Services

Over and over again, Carmen stressed the need for there to be bilingual staff and enough materials provided in Spanish to the community. Also, web pages need to be in Spanish. She suggested if a library has someone who speaks Spanish, they should publicize this to attract Latinos. She was surprised to learn that our Bookmobile driver (who is the manager of Special Services at the System) is bilingual and will be sure to share this information with her clients. She finds it sad that so many Latino children must grow up quickly because they become the translator for the family dealing with adult situations at such a young age. This pressure follows them their whole childhood.

I ended the interview with Carmen with the hope that this information will benefit the libraries in our System. It was so nice of her to take time out of her VERY busy schedule to speak with me.

Stephanie Zimmerman

Amando Alvarez is currently an Associate Professor in the Spanish Language Department at Idaho State University. His background includes co-founder of the Hispanic Steering Committee in the Denver Public Library, an Outreach Specialist for ethnic communities in Denver and extensive translating experience, serving as a court interpreter. He has conducted Latino workshops and seminars through Idaho State University, the University of Idaho and libraries across the country. He is a member of the Bingham County Historical Society, the VFW, the American Legion and the Cervantes Society of America. His interests are reading, writing, and furthering his knowledge of Latino culture, focusing on the Chicano/Mexicano experience.

Mr. Alvarez describes the Spanish speaking community in eastern Idaho as over 90% of the community as either immigrants or children of immigrants from Mexico. Their education level is low – either un-educated or undereducated. These families are economically struggling, working in agricultural jobs which require long work days (10-12 hours) or shiftwork in the food processing industry. While the children are able to take advantage of the educational opportunities in their community, the truly underserved are the adults. Their greatest needs are tools for survival, whether that is language classes, legal information, ESL materials, or job training, information regarding personal rights, citizenship, or residency. Mr. Alvarez strongly believes that nurturing and providing survival resources for the adults will result in nurturing the children.

Another issue found in these communities lies within the education system. Teachers need to have more sensitivity to the language and cultural barriers that the students and their parents face. In addition there needs to be more role models in education and other areas of the community.

Mr. Alvarez identified some misconceptions that are typically made of the Hispanic community:
• They are educated – either they are un-educated or undereducated: most newly arrived or first generation adults do not understand American institutions or culture.
• Children will take parents to the library – NOT! These families are working late and libraries offer them little or nothing. Besides, the newly arrived or first generation does not necessarily understand the concept of libraries – it can be seen as an institution only for the elite or as part of the government.
• They don’t want to learn English: most desire to become citizens and acculturated within the community.
• There are a lot of services available: the newly arrived and first generation may not know how to access these services, understand our concept of institutions such as libraries (this is for the elite in Mexico), or understand their rights as individuals or citizens.
• All Hispanics are the same: This is not true. Each group (i.e., Mexican, Puerto Rican, South American, etc.) comes from a differing cultural background, the same as all Europeans come from differing cultures and countries. For example, some desire to connect with cultural heritage, some connect with watching sports (soccer), and some prefer to distance themselves from the culture altogether.

The Hispanic community needs better representation at all levels within society. The courts are an example of where language and cultural barriers are working against the immigrant. There are not sufficiently certified court interpreters for all courts. There are no standards going across federal, state and local courts by which to certify court interpreters. Those newly arrived or first generation Hispanics who find themselves entangled in the U.S. legal system quite often get lost within the system because of language barriers and cultural misinterpretations.

When I put out my request for individuals to interview, I ended up with three people to talk to. I also spoke with Andy Guerra, a former consultant for the Idaho Department of Labor, and currently an independent marketing consultant for Hispanic issues. I also received information from Sonia Martinez who is a Community Development Specialist for Partners for Prosperity. The other two reiterated Mr. Alvarez’s concerns and comments.

Major issues include:
• Discrimination and racism is alive and well – sad but true.
• Inadequate representation in schools – “we need more brown faces in front of the classroom that can motivate our kids. Our kids see outward and it is confusing to see themselves in a leadership role, if they spend twelve years of their lives learning from those who don’t look anything like them.”
• Need more access to materials which reinforce culture: they are seeking means to connect to their heritage roots by reading Latino literature, attending, culturally specific events, and listening to Spanish music.
• It is not only enough for service providers to speak Spanish; they must be bicultural so that people will open up to them.

Some additional comments include: “According to a survey conducted by other community members, one-on-one interviews, the Latino community feels that this is their home. They enjoy living here and raising their families here. They spend most of their time with family and enjoy shopping on their leisure time which means they are employed and for the most part doing well. They are good savers and love their families.

This has been a wonderful experience and it is heartening to know that in eastern Idaho there are a plethora of resources with which libraries can collaborate to identify and meet the needs of this population segment.

I interviewed Margie Sanchez, Public Services Librarian at Abilene Public Library (TX).

Needs, issues and problems facing the Spanish-speaking community? -- Language barrier, inability to communicate well in English, often keeps individuals in low-paying jobs. Another problem is complacency, lack of motivation to seek out existing programs that are available to assist them. While there are job-training and other programs in the area, they generally are not publicized enough to the populations they are intended to serve. The word is not getting out to the community about available programs and services. There needs to be more cooperation between program providers and media outlets.

What kind of help do Spanish-speaking community members need? -- Parenting classes. GED classes. Job skills training. Money management classes. ESL.

What services are available to help the Spanish-speaking community? -- Social services at the state level. Community Action Program, provides assistance with economic and consumer issues: saving for college, first home purchase, etc.
Spanish-language communications: local Hispanic radio, "Hispanic Guide," "Las Familias" (Spanish language section of the Abilene Reporter-News), Hispanic Leadership Council (voter education, middle school mentoring program), Hispanic Abilene web site (job opportunities, Hispanic entrepreneurs, Hispanic market report).

Thanks-

John Pecoraro

http://www.hispanicabilene.com/links.htm.

I interviewed Nancy Romanelli, who works at the local Catholic Church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, on Wednesday, Sept. 5th. Nancy works in the office at the church and is herself Hispanic (Puerto Rican).

The church has just begun having a Hispanic priest who comes in one day a week (Thursdays) and does a Spanish mass-previously the Catholic Hispanic community had to travel to Columbia (30-45 minutes away) to attend a mass in Spanish. The priest also assists at two other churches in the Midlands. He has also begun to urge the group to take part in the community. I didn't get a chance to meet him but hope to soon!
Right now the church is primarily concerned with religious education and spiritual matters, but the new priest does have experience in immigration and similar issues so he has begun to assist in these areas.
The Hispanic community in Kershaw County is primarily of Mexican descent, but she describes the community as diverse. Some families are from Venezuela and Argentina. Although the community has grown in the past few years, there has always been a “hidden” community of Hispanics who work in the horse industry—many of whom move follow the horse industry—Camden in the winter, and up north in the summer months.
Strengths of Hispanic Community:
• Family oriented.
• Diverse
• Strong sense of community within the Hispanic community.

Weaknesses:
• Lack of confidence
• Lack of a central clearinghouse of what resources are available in Kershaw County, as well as what is available in Columbia

Being close to Columbia is both a blessing and a curse. If you are willing to drive to Columbia, there are all sorts of resources available, but if you are not mobile this becomes a problem. Because we are considered part of the Columbia Metropolitan area people can say the resources are available but it’s not very convenient to people who live in the county, especially in the more rural areas.

Needs of the Community:
The local First Baptist church does a good job with ESL classes, but there may be more need, especially at different levels. Also, there is a lack of publicity about the classes within the community.
Basic computer training in Spanish is something that has been requested. More books in Spanish as well as bilingual. Nancy also felt that kids’ books and tape sets would be useful. Again, a big need is a list of what resources are out there that is shared.
Later today Camden is hosting a Hispanic Festival. I will be going as soon as I get off work, and I hope to meet some more community leaders. I already have an interview set up with the organizer of the festival, but of course she has her hands full until after today!

I conducted my interview with the director of a community-based center. While this center's mission statement is to serve the poor, especially women and children, in our community it is felt by the community that their main mission is to assist Hispanic speakers. I learned that it is believed about 33% of the population in our county is Hispanic (even though the last census states a much smaller percentage). The center assists Hispanic-speaking individuals with translating assistance, teaches Conversational Spanish and English classes, provides tutoring, assists in putting people in touch with the appropriate agencies and provides assistance with food and clothing.

The major needs would include providing education (both at the juvenile and adult level); assistance in what services are available and where to go for that assistance; education in understanding our legal and banking systems which are different; and encouraging schools, doctors and lawyers to provide translators.

General information included the fact that perhaps as many as one-third of the Hispanic-speaking population in our area were professionally employed in their native country. They are not all blue collar workers. The person estimated that one-half are in this area to stay, while the other half will work here for two years or less. A percentage are undocumented; therefore, they are fearful of seeking assistance of any kind.
T. Mauney

Lorie,

Were there any specific reasons for the increase in school drop outs as this population group went into high school? Are we not challenging them enough?

Shirley

Last week I met with Sister Maria Elena. She works as a Hispanic Outreach coordinator at St. Johns Cathedral in Boise, Idaho. I was joined on my visit by Pam, our SLO Coordinator for Idaho. Pam and I had a lovely visit with Sr. Maria Elena. Three big points she made were:

1. Jobs are important. I’m reminded of the scene from the movie “Dave” where Dave says, "If you've ever seen the look on somebody's face the day they finally get a job, I've had some experience with this, they look like they could fly. And its not about the paycheck, it's about respect, it's about looking in the mirror and knowing that you've done something valuable with your day." Sr. Maria Elena said that the ones with jobs, "they're doing okay."

2. Videos are important. Not books. “They are not a reading people, they are an oral people,” she said.

3. Family is key. The Hispanic community could benefit from education videos on a whole variety of topics, but all that related to family issues of health, raising children, safety, employment, etc.

My notes from the discussion are attached.

Gina

Attachments:

Community-Interview-SrMariaElena.doc (37.0k)

My second interview was with Dave Leyland. Dave works with the Community Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph. Dave stated that a new meat packing plant in town was the main employer of Hispanics in the St. Joseph area. The biggest barrier in the community was Language. The community of St. Joseph wasn't prepared to handle the language barrier. Missouri Western University is pushing their students to assist local programs with translators. Dave was able to give me the name of the faculty member who is working with the college students. Dave is starting to see hispanic families at head start programs. This may mean that spanish speaking families are looking to stay in St. Joseph for the long haul. Dave also mentioned that most of the spanish speakers moving into St. Joseph were not coming directly from Latin America. He said most of them were moving from surrounding states. Dave said he had a lot of individuals coming in from Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas.

September 20, 2007

Hi, again. This is Hagar Shirman from the Massachusetts delegation.

Yesterday morning I met with Maria Elena Letona, Executive Director of Centro Presente in Cambridge, MA. Elena is originally from El Salvador, but has lived in the U.S. for over thirty years, and has worked at Centro Presente since the 1980's. Centro Presente (http://cpresente.org) was founded in 1981 to provide services and support to the flood of recently arrived Central American refugees fleeing from civil wars in their home countries. Today, they serve immigrants from throughout Latin American, although a significant majority (75%) continues to be Central American. Although they are based in Cambridge (the town just over the Charles River from Boston), they are not so much a neighborhood center, and the majority of their members and participants lives in other outlying towns and neighborhoods of Boston (East Boston, Chelsea, Revere, Sommerville). Centro Presente's primary goals are to integrate "community organizing, leadership development and basic services" in order to give their "members voice and build community power."

Elena's responses to the interview questions focused on the Spanish-speaking population with which she is most familiar: immigrants from Central America, many of whom are undocumented. These are some of the issues that we discussed during our conversation:

- The greatest challenge for this community is that of transforming the way that society sees immigrants; there is a prevailing perception regarding the immigrants' identity based on an assumption that they are all from the same place and have one story. It is important to remember that the members of the immigrant community are people, first and foremost; like other residents in the region, they are individuals with their specific situations and needs. The undocumented status has a significant impact on their lives, but it is not their identity. With changes in perception, Elena believes that laws will follow, which will give the immigrants the opportunity to stay and live full lives.

- The primary needs for the Spanish speaking community (especially more recent immigrants) are not so different from other low income individuals who are living in poverty. Because of low incomes and parents who often work 2-3 jobs to make ends meet, the conditions at home are difficult and children are frequently left unsupervised. They live in poor neighborhoods with bad schools. Like all Massachusetts (and U.S.) residents, they need access to good healthcare systems, childcare, better schools, etc.

- In regards to language, in Elena's experience most immigrants go through a period of several years where they begin to learn and use phrases in English. For some--depending on age or educational level--this is an easier process than for others. Children generally have no problems with learning the new language. There is an urgent need for more ESOL courses and classes or resources to help orient newcomers to the U.S. Elena suggested that I review a 2005 study entitled the Changing Face of Massachusetts for regional statistics about ESOL needs: http://www.massinc.org/index.php?id=216&pub_id=1701&bypass=1

- Elena believes that the best resources in a community are those that are organized and run by and for members of the community itself, like Centro Presente, the Irish Immigrant Center, the Brazilian Immigration Center, and others in the region. For new immigrants, especially, there is a period of adjustment, and these organizations represent a bridge for the immigrant in the community. When those institutions can't meet the needs, the immigrants must rely on others in the region, including governmental, private, and non-profit organizations.

- The ones that best serve the community are those that show compassion, sensitivity, and empathy for the individual. Elena has noticed that the private sector often does a better job of this than governmental organizations. Government agencies for the most part are quite dismal; schools: ni hablar. . . People in organizations or institutions who interact with this specific population (whether it be in schools, libraries, health centers, or other frequented institutions) need to see the person as a human being and try to connect with him or her. The community sees churches as an especially safe place, but these are already part of the communities, with pastors from their home countries and services in Spanish.

- In regards to cultural activities: these are often the first organized gestures of a community, including events such as dances, independence day celebrations and others. They offer an opportunity for connection and bonding within the community. For outside organizations wishing to sponsor or hold such events (Dia de los Ninos, for example), it is important that the activities be the culmination of the relationship building process; otherwise, people won't show. Without the relationship with the community, the activities will not have any significance.

Lastly, Elena gave me the names of other individuals from organizations in the Boston area that work with the Spanish speaking community:

- Janet Collazo, La Aliance Espana (a social service oriented organization): http://www.laalianza.org/
- Vanesa Calderon Rosada, Inquilinos Boriquas en Accion or IBA (focus on housing, arts, and youth): http://www.iba-etc.org/
- Juan Vega of the Centro Latino de Chelsea (a cross between Centro Presente and Alianza Espana): http://www.centrolatino.org/