LATINOS IN MERCER COUNTY

A Reflection of the Changing Latino Population in the Northeast

United Way of Greater Mercer County

______

Publication Year: 2004 Printing provided as a Community Service by Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies

Latinos in Mercer County

A Reflection of the Changing

Latino Population in the Northeast

by

Lillian Escobar-Haskins, MHS Researcher/Writer George F. Haskins – Editor Alegre Advertising Research and Demographics Lancaster, PA

prepared for

United Way of Greater Mercer County and the UWGMC Latino Vision Council 3131 Princeton Pike Building 4 Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 Phone: 609.896.1912 Fax: 609.895.1245

LATINOS IN MERCER COUNTY A Reflection of the Changing Latino Population in the Northeast TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...... 1-1 MERCER COUNTY DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE ...... 2-1 Latino Population Mercer County 1980-2003 ...... 2-1 Population by Race and Hispanic Origin—Census 2000 ...... 2-1 Latino Subgroups ...... 2-2 Growth of Selected Latino Populations ...... 2-2 Percent of Latino Groups Within Each County Subdivision...... 2-3 Distribution of Specific Latino Groups in Mercer County ...... 2-4 Nativity and Citizenship...... 2-4 Race and Ethnicity...... 2-5 Language Fluency ...... 2-5 Educational Attainment ...... 2-7 Age and Family Status...... 2-8 Family Household Composition...... 2-9 Economic Status...... 2-10 Home Ownership...... 2-12 MERCER COUNTY LATINO COMMUNITY HISTORY ...... 3-1 SURVEY RESULTS SUMMARIES ...... 4-1 Latino and Non-Latino Professional, Key Leader, Community Member and Agency Surveys...... 4-1 Methodology...... 4-1 Latino and Non-Latino Key Informant Respondent Demographics...... 4-2 Responding Agencies Demographics ...... 4-3 Survey Response Summaries ...... 4-7 The Most Serious Problems Affecting The Latino Population...... 4-7 Services Latinos need that don't exist or are not being adequately addressed by existing services.....4-13 Significant Differences Among Latino Populations ...... 4-19 Local Agencies/Organizations Perceived As Doing A Good Job Serving The Needs Of Latinos ...... 4-23 Latino Community Strengths...... 4-24 Issues That Negatively Affect Latino Community Progress...... 4-27 Estimates Of Mercer Latino Population That Is Undocumented ...... 4-31 What Should Happen Regarding Undocumented...... 4-31 Additional comments or suggestions ...... 4-34 AN EXPANDED PERSPECTIVE ON ISSUES...... 5-1 Key Informant Interview Summaries ...... 5-1 Latino Populations ...... 5-1 Undocumented and Immigrants...... 5-2 Community Issues/Leadership...... 5-6 Non-Latino & Latino Relations ...... 5-8 Childcare ...... 5-10 Education ...... 5-10 Employment...... 5-12 Housing...... 5-12 Recreation ...... 5-13 Crime/Safety...... 5-15 Services ...... 5-16 Mental Health...... 5-18 Latin American Princeton - Princeton Latinoamericano ...... 5-21 The Undocumented of Mercer ...... 6-1 SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS...... 7-1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...... 8-1 Researcher Bio ...... 9-1 Latinos in Mercer County Executive Summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Latinos in Mercer County, New Jersey: A Reflection of the Changing Latino Population in the Northeast prepared for the United Way of Greater Mercer County by Lillian Escobar-Haskins, MHS

The rapid growth of the Latino population in Mercer County and its impact on the service provider community led to the awareness that the growing needs of this population and the impact on local communities had to be addressed. In addition, the United Way of Greater Mercer County’s (UWGMC) own research indicates a serious lack of health and human service programs meeting the needs of this population. In response, the UWGMC created the Latino Vision Council of Mercer County and one of its primary goals was to guide an initiative to conduct a needs assessment of the Latino Community in Mercer County. At the core of this assessment were two primary questions: 1. What are the issues, concerns, and service needs impacting Latino populations? 2. What must happen for the Latino population to move forward in Mercer County? This study presents a demographic profile of Latino residents in Mercer; a historical perspective showing its evolution from a primarily Puerto Rican population to a diverse Latino population; an analysis of its major issues and concerns; and a set of recommendations in response to question two. There is a wealth of information that goes beyond the focus of the recommendations in this report. It is hoped that those individuals, systems and organizations that wish to address specific areas of need for this population will find the data contained in this document useful. Mercer County has experienced a dramatic growth of the Latino population during the last two decades. Between 1980 and 2000, census data showed the Latino population had more than tripled, growing from 10,580 to 33,898. But these figures tell only part of the story. In Mercer County, census figures do not include significant numbers of undocumented Latinos working and residing in the area. Generally, both Latinos and non-Latinos working with the Latino population consider the census population data as being seriously underrepresented. In 2003, local service providing agencies and community based organizations estimated the undocumented and uncounted as 40% to 60% of the Latino population. The anecdotal data challenges both the actual numbers of Latinos and the percentage representations of the Latino groups. Over the last two decades, the Latino population in Mercer County has diversified considerably from that of an overwhelmingly Puerto Rican population to becoming more than 50% non-Puerto Rican with significant increases in the Mexican, Central and South American populations. Guatemalan residents represent 68% of the Central American population in Mercer County and Ecuadorians represent approximately 50% of South American residents. The largest concentration of Latinos resides in the city of Trenton where they represent almost one fourth of the city’s population. The next largest concentrations are in Hightstown, East Windsor, Princeton Borough and Princeton Township respectively. These are the areas in which this study places its emphasis. Due to the large numbers of first generation Latinos migrating to the area, and those older Latinos who are not English-language fluent, the need for bilingual services is essential. While over 80% of all

1-1 Latinos in Mercer County Executive Summary

Latinos speak Spanish at home, there are significant differences among the Latino groups in regards to English fluency, with Puerto Ricans having the highest level of language fluency followed by those of Mexican origin. Mercer County’s Latino population is a less educated population reflecting lower socioeconomic and rural classes who have come seeking economic opportunities primarily in the agricultural, service, domestic and unskilled labor sectors. Latinos in Mercer County have significantly lower levels of educational attainment compared to that of Whites, Asians and African Americans in the county. Forty-four percent (44%) of Latinos are not high school graduates and 22% have less than a ninth grade education. African Americans, at 31%, also have a notably high percentage of persons without a high school diploma compared to 13% White and 8% Asian but only 7% have less than a ninth grade education compared to 22% for Latinos. Educational levels vary among the various Latino groups and reflect their socioeconomic origins. Unemployment rates for Latinos were comparable to other populations, but the median earnings of full time workers for the Latino population are significantly below the median earnings of White, African American, and Asian workers. In addition to this, the anecdotal data indicates that many Latino undocumented are seasonal workers who often barely make minimum wage. Latinos compensate for the low earnings by the contributions of several workers in the household. This is reflected in the household income. In assessing local community views regarding the local Latino populations in Mercer County and their needs and community issues, surveys were conducted with key informants and service provision organizations. The key informants included service providers from a variety of service provision perspectives from front line workers to administrators and policy makers; community leaders in official positions—elected, appointed or professional; de facto community leaders—community leaders by virtue of their role as volunteers, advocates, activists, etc. The organizations targeted were those focused on the provision of human services to individual and families, including non-profit, educational and governmental entities. In addition, in-depth key informant interviews were conducted with Latino and Non-Latino key community informants consisting of service providers, professionals, and official and de facto community leaders. The Latino subgroups represented among the Latino key informants were Dominican, Guatemalan, Mexican, Peruvian and Puerto Rican. New Jersey has been identified by U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service as one of the seven states that is home to 83% of undocumented persons. This is reflected in Mercer County, which appears to be one of the areas with the highest concentrations of undocumented in the Northeast. We estimate that more than 40% of the Latino population is undocumented. There are mixed feelings about the undocumented ranging from resentment to those who believe they are important to the economy of the area and should be provided with basic human services. There is little doubt that the undocumented play a significant role in the economy of the region. Studies have shown that the undocumented contribute to our economy to a degree that clearly balances any drain on resources. “According to the Urban Institute, legal and undocumented immigrants pay $70.3 billion a year in taxes, but receive only $42.9 billion in services such as education and public assistance. . . In a 1990 survey of economists by the American Immigration Institute, four out of five stated that immigrants had a favorable impact on economic growth. None said that immigrants had an adverse impact on economic

1-2 Latinos in Mercer County Executive Summary growth.1 In Mercer the undocumented make significant contributions to the economy by primarily being a source of cheap labor. They are a significant portion of the working poor in the county and a population vulnerable to abuse by employers. There is little doubt that the undocumented population in this community must be included in its planning despite a lack of hard data on the real numbers. From the perspective of service needs, it is a significant group. The argument that they are a drain on our economy and services must be addressed by promoting an understanding of the vital economic role they play in these communities and the contributions they make to the tax base. This understanding is critical in the determination of how dollars for community services are allocated. While this study provides an abundance of information on the population and its issues and service needs, the recommendations included herein have a narrower focus. The recommendations relate to the need for the development of an infrastructure within the Latino community that is willing and able to work with the mainstream in an ongoing effort to advocate and develop the services needed by this population, and the need to promote a proactive agenda to better integrate representation of Latinos within those systems—social, economic, educational, political, community— that affect the lives of Latinos in the county. The future socioeconomic status of the Latino population in Mercer lies in its ability to become self-empowered and to guide its own direction.

1 “The Facts about Immigration” Office of Migration & Refugee Services, June 03, 2003, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, http://www.nccbuscc.org/mrs/facts.htm#The%20Basics (11/15/03)

1-3 Latinos in Mercer County Demographic Analysis

MERCER COUNTY DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE Mercer County has experienced dramatic growth of its Latino population during the last two decades. Between 1980 and 2000, census data showed the Latino population has more than tripled, growing from 10,580 to 33,898. According to Census 2000, the population grew 72% between 1990 and 2000, but these figures tell only part of the story. There is an admitted undercount of Latinos due to various obstacles in getting an accurate count. In Mercer County, census figures do not include a significant number of undocumented Latinos working and residing in the area. Generally, both Latinos and non-Latinos working with the Latino population consider the census data as seriously undercounted. In 2003, they estimate the undocumented and uncounted as 40% to 60% of the Latino population. In addition, the School District of Trenton shows a 60% increase in Latino students between 2000 and 2003. The increase in the school district student census and anecdotal data provided by businesses and service providers place the Latino population conservatively at over 50,000 in 2003. Undocumented persons are attracted in larger numbers to specific areas of the county where jobs are available and where they can connect with others of similar Latino background. While there is no doubt that the census figures do not tell the whole story, they can establish patterns which provide a general picture of the composition, families, households, and socioeconomic status of this population.

Latino Population Mercer County 1980-2003 Trenton School District Latino Census Census 1990-2000 1980-2000 Student Growth Community Census 1980 1990 2000 % Change % Change 2000–2003 Estimate 2003 10,580 19,665 33,898 72% 220% 60% 50,000+

According to the Census, Latinos in the year 2000 comprised 10% of Mercer County’s population. The largest concentration resides in the city of Trenton where they represent almost one fourth of the city’s population. The next largest concentrations are in Hightstown, East Windsor, Princeton Borough and Princeton Township. These are the areas in which this study places its emphasis.

Population by Race and Hispanic Origin—Census 2000 County and County Subdivisions Total African White Asian Latino Other (Sorted by Latino population Races American concentration)

Mercer County 358,822 64% 20% 5% 10% 1% Trenton city 88,264 25% 50% 1% 22% 2% Hightstown borough 5,368 67% 9% 3% 20% 1% East Windsor township 25,521 65% 9% 10% 15% 1% Princeton borough 14,633 76% 6% 9% 8% 1% Princeton township 16,457 77% 6% 11% 6% 1% Hamilton township 88,716 82% 8% 3% 5% 1% Lawrence township 29,667 76% 9% 8% 5% 1% Ewing township 36,414 67% 25% 3% 5% 1% West Windsor township 22,314 69% 3% 23% 4% 1% Washington township 10,394 89% 3% 5% 3% 1% Hopewell township 16,298 87% 6% 4% 3% 1% Hopewell borough 2,052 94% 1% 1% 2% 1% Pennington borough 2,724 94% 3% 1% 2% 0%

2-1 Latinos in Mercer County Demographic Analysis

Over the last two decades, the Latino population in Mercer County has diversified considerably from that of an overwhelmingly Puerto Rican population to becoming in 2003 more than 60% non- Puerto Rican with significant increases in the Mexican, Central and South American populations. Guatemalan residents represent 68% of the Central American population in Mercer County and Ecuadorians represent approximately 50% of South American residents.

Mercer County Latino Subgroups--Census 2000 Other Central Salvadoran American

Other Hispanic Honduran 3% 8%

or Latino 4% Cuban 26% Costa Rican 2% Dominican 17% Central Guatemalan 3% American 68% Mexican 18% 8% Other South Venezuelan American 4% 8% Argentinean 6% Ecuadorian 50% South Peruvian 6% Puerto Rican American 40% 10% Colombian 26%

Puerto Ricans represented 63% of the Latino population in 1990. The Puerto Rican population, which began to settle primarily in the Trenton area following WWII, is the oldest and most settled Latino population in Mercer. In the last decade, it experienced modest growth (19%) compared to other Latino populations in the area. The largest growth occurred among the Ecuadorian, Guatemalan, Mexican and Dominican populations. Growth of Selected Latino Populations In actual numbers the largest Mercer County 1990 to 2000 populations in order of size are Puerto Puerto Rican 19% Rican, Guatemalan, Mexican, Ecuadorian, Costa Rican, Dominican, Guatemalan 206% and Colombian. Although Costa Ricans are the fifth largest group in Mexican 175% the current census, the number of Costa Ricans, if any, in 1990 were not 319% Ecuadorian identified and may have been included Dominican 212% in the “Other Hispanic” category. Unfortunately the large numbers of Colombian 60% Latino persons in the “Other Hispanic” category in which all those Other Latino: 370% Latinos who did not specify their nationality appear, grew significantly 0% 100% 200% 300% 400% in the 2000 Census. The reason for the large number of Latinos not identifying their subgroup is not known but one can speculate that the large number of immigrants who are not citizens may have felt safer not identifying their national origin. This impacts the accuracy of the numbers in the specific Latino subgroups. The "Other Latino/Hispanic" category grew from 1,393 in 1990 to 6,543 Latinos in 2000 with no specified

2-2 Latinos in Mercer County Demographic Analysis nationality. In the 1990 Census, Colombians exceeded the Ecuadorian population as the largest South American group in the area, but during the 1990s the Ecuadorian population grew to twice the size of the Colombian population. Guatemalans have consistently been the largest Central American group. In 1990 they were 58% of the Central American residents and continued to grow at a faster rate to represent 68% in the year 2000. According to Census, in 2000, Puerto Ricans were still the majority Latino population in 7 of the 13 county subdivisions. They were 49% of the population in the City of Trenton, which contains more than half of the Latino population in the county. However, the uncounted population may impact by what percentage Puerto Ricans are the majority in 2003. The second largest Latino population in Trenton is Guatemalan (14%) while the remaining 37% of the population is comprised of a diverse representation of Latinos with 16% not having identified their subgroup. In Princeton Borough and Princeton Township, Mexicans are the largest Latino population followed by Guatemalans. Ecuadorians are the predominant Latino population in the East Windsor and Hightstown areas.

Percent of Latino Groups Within Each County Subdivision

Ewing Mercer County borough borough borough borough Hamilton township township township township township township Hopewell township township Hopewell Lawrence Princeton Princeton Hightstown Pennington Washington Trenton City East Windsor West Windsor Hispanic or Latino*: 33,898 18,391 4,471 3,559 1,586 1,344 1,046 1,009 892 847 395 279 47 32 % of total county Latinos 100% 54% 13% 10% 5% 4% 3% 3% 3% 2% 1% 1% 0% 0%

Puerto Rican 41% 49% 54% 14% 57% 27% 13% 11% 17% 8% 38% 34% 6% 13% CA-Guatemalan 12% 14% 7% 11% 3% 9% 6% 26% 8% 12% 4% 1% 34% 0% Mexican 8% 5% 5% 8% 6% 13% 7% 34% 20% 36% 9% 10% 13% 13% SA-Ecuadorian 5% 2% 2% 24% 1% 1% 31% 0% 1% 1% 2% 3% 9% 0% CA-Costa Rican 3% 4% 2% 1% 2% 1% 1% 0% 1% 0% 1% 0% 0% 0% Dominican Republic 3% 2% 3% 3% 4% 2% 1% 1% 1% 1% 0% 4% 0% 3% SA-Colombian 3% 1% 2% 6% 3% 7% 5% 2% 7% 6% 4% 9% 6% 31% Cuban 2% 1% 3% 3% 5% 3% 1% 3% 7% 3% 13% 12% 0% 6% Other Central American 3% 3% 2% 3% 3% 2% 5% 3% 5% 2% 2% 2% 2% 3% Other South American 2% 1% 2% 4% 4% 6% 3% 2% 9% 11% 8% 3% 9% 9% Other Hispanic or Latino 19% 18% 17% 24% 13% 30% 28% 18% 25% 19% 17% 22% 21% 22%

The anecdotal data challenges both the actual numbers of Latinos and the percentage representations of the Latino groups. In 2003, anecdotal data places the Puerto Rican population at closer to 30% of the Latino population in Mercer County compared to the 40% indicated in the census. It suggests that the current numbers would double to triple the census figures in Guatemalan, Mexican, Ecuadorian, and Costa Rican populations and indicates significant increases in the Dominican and other Central and South American populations. It is very likely, of the large percentage of those not identifying their Latino subgroup, most are probably non-citizens and not Puerto Rican and affect the group concentrations in the areas in which they live. While a lack of hard data documenting the actual numbers of the various Latino subgroups does not allow the development of a chart with those estimates, in the development of services, and in any evaluation of needs, the 2003 estimate of the Latino population should currently be considered to be significantly higher than the 33,898 indicated in the 2000 Census.

2-3 Latinos in Mercer County Demographic Analysis

The previous chart showed the percentage of Latino subgroups within a county subdivision. The following chart shows select Latino subgroups and how each subgroup is dispersed throughout the county. It is interesting to note that 51% of those not identifying their Latino origin are in Trenton. Distribution of Specific Latino Groups in Mercer County

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Census 2000 Mercer County East Windsor township Ewing township Hamilton township Hightstown borough Hopewell borough Hopewell township Lawrence township Pennington borough Princeton borough Princeton township Trenton city Washingto township West Windsor township Hispanic or Latino: 33,898 10% 5% 13% 3% 0% 1% 4% 0% 3% 2% 54% 1% 3% Puerto Rican 13,865 4% 6% 17% 1% 0% 1% 3% 0% 1% 1% 65% 1% 1% Mexican 2,675 11% 4% 8% 3% 0% 1% 7% 0% 13% 12% 35% 1% 7% Dominican Republic 862 13% 7% 18% 2% 0% 0% 3% 0% 1% 1% 53% 1% 1% Cuban 737 13% 10% 15% 2% 0% 7% 6% 0% 4% 3% 27% 5% 9% Central American: 5,952 9% 2% 9% 2% 0% 1% 3% 0% 5% 2% 66% 0% 2% Costa Rican 998 3% 3% 11% 1% 0% 1% 1% 0% 0% 0% 80% 0% 1% Guatemalan 4,052 9% 1% 8% 2% 0% 0% 3% 0% 7% 3% 65% 0% 2% Other Central American 902 12% 5% 12% 6% 0% 1% 3% 0% 3% 2% 51% 1% 5% South American: 3,264 37% 4% 8% 12% 0% 2% 6% 0% 1% 5% 19% 1% 5% Colombian 853 25% 6% 11% 6% 0% 2% 11% 1% 2% 6% 19% 3% 8% Ecuadorian 1,623 52% 1% 4% 20% 0% 0% 1% 0% 0% 1% 19% 0% 0% Other South American 788 17% 7% 14% 4% 1% 4% 10% 0% 3% 12% 17% 1% 10% Other Hispanic or Latino: 6,543 13% 3% 12% 4% 0% 1% 6% 0% 3% 2% 51% 1% 3%

The “Other Hispanic or Latino” number of 6,543 Latinos not identified by subgroup is an important number since it most likely reflects much higher numbers in the identified subgroups than indicated. Since Latinos typically migrate to areas where to which others of their same nationality migrate— often following friends, family and community word of mouth. It is very likely that those 6,543 consist of members of those groups typically migrating to the area during this past decade— Guatemalans, Mexican, Ecuadorian, Costa Rican, Dominican and Colombian. NATIVITY AND CITIZENSHIP According to the 2000 Census, 71% of the Latinos in Mercer County are U.S. citizens. Anecdotal data would place that figure at closer to 50%. Thirty-three percent (33%) are native to New Jersey and 11% were born in another U.S. state. Another 18% were born in Puerto Rico and are therefore U.S. citizens by birth. Eight percent of the 37% foreign-born population are naturalized citizens. Twenty- nine percent of Latinos enumerated in 2000 were not citizens. Anecdotal data regarding the undocumented population indicates that the percentage of non-citizens is larger than indicated in the 2000 census.

Citizenship Status Latino Population Place of Birth

New Jersey Not a citizen 33% Foreign born: 29% 37% Native

63% Naturalized Other U.S. state citizen Abroad of 11% 8% American Puerto Rico parent(s) U.S. Island 18% 1% Areas: 0.1%

2-4 Latinos in Mercer County Demographic Analysis

RACE AND ETHNICITY

Latinos Identification by Race Some other race alone or in combination

with one or more other races --Census 2000

White Other 47% 46% Hispanic or Latino: 86% Not Hispanic or Latino: 14%

Asian Black 1% 6% Latinos are typically diverse in their racial identification. They are descended from a variety of races including the indigenous populations, Spaniards, and Africans. The mixture of these populations varied among the various Latin American countries and therefore Latinos are racially diverse. Some identify with one specific race while others view themselves as racially mixed and therefore prefer not to be categorized racially. This is evident in the fact that 47% of the population selected “Other” in the Census race category. Latinos represented 86% of all those in Mercer County who identified themselves racially as “Other” or as a combination of two or more races.

LANGUAGE FLUENCY English Language Fluency According to the 2000 Census. 75% of Latinos in Latino Population Mercer County Mercer County are English language fluent, which includes 18% that speak only English. The inclusion Speak only English 16% of the uncounted population, which consists of a Speak English significant number of undocumented persons with Speak English well or very well little or no English language fluency, impacts this not at all 59% percentage. It still, however, indicates a population 8% that is primarily English fluent with an estimated 25% to 30% who are not fluent in English. The data Speak English not well reflects the development of English language fluency 17% at a rate comparable with other groups and the generational impact on English language dominance. The graph depicting language fluency Latino English Language Fluency by Age Group by age group reflects the generational 2% differences in English language fluency. Speak English 9% The younger generations indicate a much 9% 18% not at all higher percentage of individuals who 19% Speak English speak only English, 26% for ages 5 to 17 23% not well compared to 13% for ages 18 to 64 and 61% 15% for those 65 and over. The Speak English percentage of those over 65 who speak 59% well or very well 44% only English compared to 18 to 64 years Speak only olds reflect the fact that many of those English over 65 are part of the Puerto Rican 28% population that have been here for several 13% 15% generations compared to the influx of first 5 to 17 years: 18 to 64 years: 65 years and over: generation Latinos in their 20s, 30s and 40s who are those recently migrating here especially from Central and South America seeking work.

2-5 Latinos in Mercer County Demographic Analysis

Due to the large numbers of first generation Latinos migrating to the area, and those older Latinos who are not fluent, the need for bilingual services is essential. Forty-one percent (41%) of Latinos 65 and over, 28% of 18 to 64 year olds, and 11% of 5 to 17 year olds are not English fluent. While over 80% of all Latinos speak Spanish at home, there are significant differences among the Latino groups in regards to English fluency, with Puerto Ricans having the highest level of language fluency followed by those of Mexican origin. This is reflective of the longevity of residency and subsequent language acquisition, and generational language differences. Puerto Ricans have a long history in Mercer going back five decades. They have first, second and third generation families with 19% of Puerto Ricans who speak only English and 50% who are bilingual. Mexicans are the second Latino population to begin arriving in significant numbers. Nineteen percent (19%) of Mexicans in Mercer speak only English while 50% do not speak English well and 31% are bilingual. The other Latino populations in Mercer reflect newer arrivals that began arriving in significant numbers in the 1980s and 90s. This growth has continued into the new millennium. Trenton School District figures indicate a 60% growth from 2000 to 2003. These new populations are primarily Spanish speaking with low English language fluency. For the educational, service providing and business communities this indicates the need for staff and services that are linguistically and culturally able to effectively serve these populations.

Language Spoken at Home and English Fluency Spanish Spoken at Home by Selected Latino Group (Population 5 years and over) Do Not Speak English Very Well English only

95% 95% 96% 87% 84% 81% 81% 74% 74% 74% 67%

57% 50%

31%

19% 19% 16% 13% 5% 5% 4%

Puerto Rican Mexican Dominican Guatemalan Costa Rican Ecuadorian Colombian

2-6 Latinos in Mercer County Demographic Analysis

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT Mercer County’s Latino population is a less educated Educational Attainment-Highest Grade Completed population reflecting lower socioeconomic and rural classes 5% 5% Graduate or 18% 8% 7% professional degree who have come seeking 3% 5% 41% Bachelor's degree economic opportunities 17% 20% primarily in the agricultural, 22% Associate degree service, domestic and unskilled Some college, no 6% 25% labor sectors. Latinos in Mercer degree 32% County have significantly lower 17% 32% High school levels of educational attainment graduate/GED compared to that of Whites, 22% 9th to 12th grade, Asians and African Americans 25% 4% in 8% no diploma 24% the county. Forty-four percent 7% 9% 22% Less than 9th grade (44%) of Latinos are not high 5% 3% 4% 7% school graduates and 22% have less than a ninth grade White NH African American Asian Latino education. African Americans, at 31%, also have a notably high percentage of persons without a high school diploma compared to 13% White and 8% Asian but only 7% have less than a ninth grade education compared to 22% for Latinos. Asians have a comparatively high rate (73%) of persons with a bachelor’s degree or better with 41% having a graduate or professional degree. Forty percent (40%) of Whites have a bachelor degree or better with 18% having a graduate or professional degree. Latinos and African Americans have comparable and considerably lower rates with 12% and 13% respectively having a bachelor degree or better. Both have 5% with a graduate or professional degree.

Hispanic or Latino population 25 years and East West orough Ewing Mercer County

over--Mercer County Windsor Windsor b borough borough borough township township township township township township township township Hamilton Hopewell Hopewell Lawrence Princeton Princeton Hightstown Pennington Trenton city Washington Total Latino 25 and Over 18,653 2,051 895 2,489 652 48 261 724 22 475 453 9,903 196 484 Less than 9th grade 22% 13% 9% 13% 31% 46% 0% 10% 0% 43% 21% 28% 4% 12% 9th to 12th grade, no diploma 23% 18% 20% 18% 24% 8% 25% 12% 0% 10% 15% 28% 15% 7% High school graduate/GED 24% 32% 31% 27% 17% 0% 15% 16% 18% 12% 8% 25% 14% 15% Some college, no degree 17% 15% 18% 26% 13% 19% 25% 21% 41% 8% 13% 15% 39% 17% Associate degree 3% 3% 6% 3% 1% 0% 5% 9% 23% 0% 7% 1% 3% 5% Bachelor's degree 7% 15% 11% 9% 5% 10% 15% 13% 0% 10% 11% 2% 14% 26% Graduate or professional degree 5% 5% 5% 4% 10% 17% 16% 19% 18% 18% 26% 1% 11% 19%

There are some notable differences in Latino educational levels in the various areas of the county, which is also reflective of the socioeconomic levels of the areas in which the Latino professional population lives. There is no way to accurately factor in the educational level of the undocumented population but it will likely fall in the lower educational levels, further widening the educational gap and emphasizing the necessity for addressing the educational needs of Latinos in Mercer County. It is important to note, however, that among the Latinos who are uncounted and/or undocumented are numbers of educated individuals, some of whom held professional positions in their country of origin.

2-7 Latinos in Mercer County Demographic Analysis

Educational Attainment - Mercer County 3% 1% 2% 3% Graduate or 5% 6% 8% 5% 1% 4% 6% professional degree 3% 10% 6% 1% 11% 5% 9% 2% 10% Bachelor's degree 20% 15% 3% 18% 22% 19% 21% 27% Associate degree

28% 17% 32% Some college, 13% 21% 29% no degree 30% 24% High school graduate 24% (includes equivalency) 26% 23%

42% 38% 9th to 12th grade, 13% no diploma 28% 24% 16% 19% 13% Less than 9th grade

Puerto Rican Mexican Dominican Guatemalan Costa Rican Ecuadorian Colombian

Educational levels vary among the various Latino groups and reflect their socioeconomic origins— Central Americans and Mexicans are the more rural and less educated with the highest percentage of those with less than a ninth grade education—42% Guatemalan, 38% Costa Rican, 28% Mexican— followed by Dominican 24%, Ecuadorian 19%, Puerto Rican 16% and Colombian 13%. Colombians have the highest percentage of persons with a high school education or better (74%) compared to 58% Puerto Rican, 58% Ecuadorian, 52% Dominican, 48% Mexican, 37% Guatemalan and 33% Costa Rican. The Latino groups with highest percentage of persons with a college degree or better are Colombian 17%, Dominican 16%, and Mexican 14% compared to Puerto Rican 9%, Ecuadorian 7%, Guatemalan 6% and Costa Rican 2%.

AGE AND FAMILY STATUS

Median Age By Race/Hispanic Origin Population Under 18 and 65 and Over 40 White NH African American Asian Latino

31 33 30% 31% 27 26% 21%

16%

9% 5% 3%

White African American Asian Latino Under 18 65 and Over

The Latino population is a younger populace with a much lower percentage of persons over 65 years of age. Only 3% of Latinos are over 65 compared to 9% African American and 16% White. African Americans and Latinos are comparable in the percentage of persons under 18 years of age. Family vs. Non-Family Households The U.S. Census Bureau defines a family as a group of two people or more (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together; all such people (including related subfamily members) are considered as members of one family. A nonfamily household consists of a householder living alone (a one-person household) or where the householder shares the home exclusively with people to whom he/she is not related.

2-8 Latinos in Mercer County Demographic Analysis

African Latino households are primarily Mercer County TOTAL White American Asian Latino family households and only 12% are one Total person households compared to 26% of Households: 125,807 87,909 22,984 5,002 8,586 Family all households in the general population. households: 69% 67% 68% 83% 80% In the percentage of family households 2-person 26% 29% 21% 22% 14% Latinos (80%) and Asians (83%) are 3-person 17% 16% 18% 21% 18% comparable but differ significantly from 4-person 15% 14% 14% 24% 20% the White (67%) and African American 5-person 7% 5% 8% 10% 14% (68%) households. Approximately one- 6-person 2% 1% 4% 4% 7% third of White and African American 7-or-more person 2% 1% 3% 2% 7% households are non-family households Non-family 31% 33% 32% 17% 20% compared to one-fifth of Latino households: households. Most of the non-family 1-person 26% 27% 27% 13% 12% households are persons living alone. The 2-person 5% 5% 4% 3% 4% percentage of African American and 3-person 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% White households of persons living 4-person 0% 0% 0% 0% 1% alone is more than twice that of Latinos 5-person 0% 0% 0% 0% 1% (27% vs. 12%). Latinos have the highest 6-person 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% number of family households with 5 or 7-or-more person 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% more persons in the family 28% U.S. Census Bureau Census 2000 compared to 7% White, 15% African American and 16% Asian. Anecdotal data from key informants indicates that in addition there are a number of Latino non-family households with large numbers of individuals living together which are not reflected in the census. These may include both family and non-family members that are not reported. It is very likely that a number of the non-family households that are indicated as being 1 or 2 person households, probably have a significant number of individuals not reported and not counted. There is little doubt that there are a statistically notable number of Latino households of 7-or-more persons living together that are not reflected in the Census data. Many of these are workers (many undocumented) who live together due to the

Family Types by Race and Latino Origin unavailability of affordable housing and the fact that many are here without their families and are Female householder, no husband present:Male househ older, no wife sending money home and/or saving to bring up present:Married- couple family: their families.

6% FAMILY HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION 13% 4% 24% 4% The majority of Latino family households (61%) are 49% married couple families although White and Asian 15% families have a much higher percentage of married couple families at 83% and 90% respectively. The 83% 9% 90 % largest percentage of African American families have a female householder1 (49%)—42% are married- 61% couple families. Latino families have the next highest 42% percentage of female headed households at 24% compared to 13% White and 6% Asian. Latinos have a significantly higher percentage of male householders White NH African American Asian Latino with no wife at 13% compared to 9% African American, 4% White and 4% Asian.

1 The householder refers to the person (or one of the people) in whose name the housing unit is owned or rented (maintained) or, if there is no such person, any adult member, excluding roomers, boarders, or paid employees. If the house is owned or rented jointly by a married couple, the householder may be either the husband or the wife. (U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS) - Definitions and Explanations) 2-9 Latinos in Mercer County Demographic Analysis

Families with Children under 18 Years Latino families are more likely to have children under 18. Among married couple Married-couple family: households 71% of Latino married couples Male householder, no wife present: Female householder, no husband present: have children under 18 compared to 45% White, 57% African American, and 63% Asian married-couple families. Among 80% 76% Latino female householder families, 80% 71% were households with children. This is 63% 59% 60% comparable to African Americans female 57% 59% householder families at 76%. Less than half 49% 45% 43% of White women (49%) and 59% of Asian women householder families have children. 34% African American and Latino male householders have a higher percentage (59% and 60%) of families with children than White (43%) and Asian (34%). White NH African American Asian Latino

Household Status for Children Under 18 Married Couple Families and Female Householders with Children under 18 years 1% 3% 0.4% 1% 3% 1% under the Poverty Level 4% 2% 5% 5% 5% Nonrelatives 10% 1% 6% 15% Married Couple 3% Other relatives Families 49% Female Householder, 22% Grandchild No Husband Present Female householder, 38% 9% 42 % no husband present 32% 91% 82% Male householder, no wife present 5% 54% Married-couple 10% 9% 31% family 5% 5% 2%

White African American Asian Latino White NH African American Asian Latino

ECONOMIC STATUS Persons Below Poverty Level in 1999 The family status for children under 18 impacts the Total Below Poverty support systems available and the issue of economic Children Under 18 Below Poverty security. Children in female single parent households Level 24% have a higher percentage of those living below the 22% 19% 18% poverty level. Twenty-two percent (22%) of Latino children and 42% of African American children live in single parent households compare to 10% White and 5% 7% 7% 4% 3% Asian. Nine percent (9%) of Latino children live in a male single parent household compare to 5% African American, 3% White and 1% Asian. Twenty-two White NH African Asian Latino American percent (22%) of Latino children and 24% of African American children live below the poverty level. Most of the children living in poverty live in single parent households. For Latino children 38% of those in female-headed single parent households live below the poverty level compared to 9% of children in married couple families living below the poverty level. The issue of poverty among the undocumented for the most part is not reflected in the census data. It is likely that the overall poverty rate for the Latino population is higher than 18%.

2-10 Latinos in Mercer County Demographic Analysis

Persons in Labor Force Population 16 and Over Male: Unemployed Population 16 and Female: 79% Over in Labor Force 73% 67% Male: 61% 63% 62% 58% 58% Female:

14% 11% 10% 10% 9% 7% 5% 7%

White NH African American Asian Latino White NH African American Asian Latino Median Earnings in 1999 Unemployment rates for Latinos were 16 years and over—Worked full-time in 1999 comparable to other populations, but the median2 Male 62,069 earnings of full time workers for the Latino 52,941 Female population are significantly below the median earning of White, African American, and Asian 42,288 37,171 workers. In addition to this, the anecdotal data 33,339 29,606 26,644 indicates that many Latino undocumented are 23,956 seasonal workers and often barely make minimum wage. Latinos compensate for the low earnings by the contribution of several workers in the household. This is reflected in the household income. Despite this, their household income is White African American Asian Latino NH significantly below that of White and Asian households. Asians have the highest earnings and household income. African American household income is the lowest and while African American fulltime workers have higher median earnings than Latinos it reflects a higher rate of unemployment, a lower rate of persons in the labor force and a higher percentage of one-income single person non-family households.

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN 1999 (DOLLARS)

African Median Household Income – 1999 White Asian Latino American Mercer County

Mercer County 64,310 37,096 83,288 41,027 83,288 East Windsor township 67,872 60,388 65,469 47,610 Ewing township 57,041 58,941 61,364 36,094 64,310 Hamilton township 59,302 45,563 56,389 51,921 Hightstown borough 68,349 39,911 63,958 56,691 Hopewell borough 77,269 42,500 150,000 67,000 41,027 Hopewell township 92,438 82,301 129,801 86,713 37,096 Lawrence township 69,096 50,266 78,688 71,406 Pennington borough 91,285 93,251 54,000 62,750 Princeton borough 80,019 47,321 38,438 65,313 Princeton township 106,555 36,528 75,487 34,028 Trenton city 34,961 29,003 42,708 31,964 Washington township 71,250 65,781 112,699 47,000 West Windsor township 116,193 95,848 128,100 99,329 White NH African American Asian Latino

2 Median income is the amount which divides the income distribution into two equal groups, half having incomes above the median, half having incomes below the median. (U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS) - Definitions and Explanations) 2-11 Latinos in Mercer County Demographic Analysis

PER CAPITA INCOME IN 1999 (DOLLARS) African White NH Asian Latino 3 American Latino per capita income significantly Mercer County 33,375 16,251 32,224 14,489 varies depending on where in the county East Windsor township 31,977 27,253 26,200 16,369 they live. Generally Latino per capita Ewing township 26,418 20,114 23,787 19,552 income is significantly lower than for the Hamilton township 26,850 18,514 20,588 18,213 other populations. Census data for the areas Hightstown borough 33,364 21,882 26,817 16,605 where there is a concentration of Hopewell borough 40,067 20,746 29,845 20,031 Hopewell township 46,229 13,749 57,581 30,389 undocumented persons such as Hightstown, Lawrence township 35,677 19,593 34,578 20,180 East Windsor, Princeton and Trenton City Pennington borough 46,770 30,826 41,584 22,081 do not reflect the impact of the low-income Princeton borough 31,189 16,598 13,643 13,378 status of most undocumented persons. The Princeton township 62,644 37,184 44,173 18,873 following provides an overview of the Trenton city 20,128 13,300 13,554 11,039 economic status of the dominant Latino Washington township 36,281 37,286 31,532 20,627 West Windsor township 53,115 50,329 40,216 26,455 groups in Mercer County.

Income and Poverty of Selected Latino Groups Mercer County—2000 Puerto Costa Mexican Dominican Guatemalan Ecuadorian Colombian Rican Rican Median household income (dollars) 37,486 34,286 22,321 48,681 43,900 51,100 38,333 Median family income (dollars) 40,000 31,250 28,929 42,324 29,313 44,598 37,059 Per capita income (dollars) 14,533 11,684 12,280 13,010 12,226 14,022 17,370 Median earnings (dollars): Male full-time, year-round workers 31,088 27,049 26,875 21,179 24,643 20,395 36,484 Female full-time, year-round workers 25,165 19,758 26,000 19,668 12,232 18,098 25,114 POVERTY STATUS IN 1999 (below poverty level) Percent below poverty level Families 17% 36% 21% 7% 37% 5% 6% Individuals 19% 37% 24% 13% 32% 11% 9% 18 years and over 16% 34% 22% 13% 30% 11% 10% Related children under 18 years 24% 43% 30% 13% 44% 13% 7%

Home Ownership Economic and community stability is also Population in Occupied Owner Owner Total Latino reflected in homeownership. In Mercer County, Housing Units Occupied Occupied Latinos (40%) and African Americans (49%) Mercer County 298,253 73% 31,416 40% have a much lower percentage of persons living Trenton City 63,369 50% 17,633 35% in owner occupied housing compared to Whites Hamilton Township 82,187 81% 4,182 59% (81%) and Asians (72%). East Windsor Township 21,151 70% 3,478 26% Lawrence Township 25,768 75% 1,090 67% Population in Owner Occupied Housing Units—Mercer County Hightstown Borough 4,173 71% 1,021 26% Ewing Township 29,685 79% 1,013 60% 81% West Windsor Township 21,047 87% 836 54% 72% Princeton Township 14,725 75% 809 30% Princeton Borough 6,534 57% 768 13% 49% Hopewell Township 14,935 94% 289 90% 40% Washington Township 10,016 91% 231 82% Hopewell Borough 1,994 79% 40 28% Pennington borough 2,669 88% 26 42% White NH African American Asian Latino

3 Per capita income is the average income computed for every man, woman, and child in a particular group. (Current Population Survey (CPS) - Definitions and Explanations) 2-12 Latinos in Mercer County History

MERCER COUNTY LATINO COMMUNITY HISTORY

Latinos have maintained a community presence in Mercer County since the late 1940s when the mass migration of Puerto Ricans to the mainland was encouraged and facilitated as part of Operation Bootstrap (1948–68), a United States government program. Puerto Rico became a territory of the United States in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. United States citizenship was conferred on the population in 1917 and some thirty years later the U.S. allowed Puerto Ricans to elect their first governor in 1948. Since 1952, Puerto Rico has been a commonwealth of the United States and, although Puerto Ricans on the island have been U.S. citizens since 1917, they cannot vote in U.S. presidential elections. Those who are 18 years and older, however, may vote for a resident commissioner to the U.S. House of Representatives who is allowed to speak in the House, but who may vote only in committees. Operation Bootstrap promoted economic development and promised to address the poverty and employment needs of Puerto Ricans by attracting privately owned factories and companies to Puerto Rico with incentives, tax abatements, and subsidized start-up costs. During this period Puerto Rico experienced a major economic change, shifting from an agricultural dominated economy to an economy based on industrial production. The U.S. government invested heavily in transportation infrastructure to make it even more attractive to businesses. However, while the program fell short of its initial promises, the mass migration of the populace to metropolitan centers in the United States, especially in the Northeast, was a success. Puerto Ricans began leaving their island for the possibility of better opportunities here in the United States. As U.S. citizens, Puerto Ricans could travel from the island to any part of the United States without a passport or visa just as any other citizen travels between states, but upon their arrival here they encountered language and cultural obstacles. It was no different in Mercer County. David Morales, a native and life-long resident of Trenton was born in 1953. His parents who came to Trenton in 1949 were among the first group of Puerto Rican families to settle in the area. His father was a migrant worker who went to Florida from San Sebastian, PR. He was working at a farm in Florida when a bus came by recruiting migrant workers and offering them a free ride to Pennsylvania. He ended up on a farm in Levittown, Pennsylvania, as did many of the first Puerto Ricans in the region who later crossed the river into Trenton. The first to arrive in Mercer came in search of employment as agricultural workers or as factory laborers. Those already here made room for new family members lured by the prospect doing better. By 1954 the city of Trenton was home to a Puerto Rican population of approximately 3,000. The rapid growth of the Puerto Rican community in Mercer was unanticipated and local social service agencies were not prepared to effectively assist Spanish-speaking clients. There was even some resistance to adapt to the changing demographics. Some agencies were outwardly unresponsive and sometimes hostile to Latinos seeking assistance. For example, at the Trenton Housing Authority (THA) in the early 1950’s Latinos seeking assistance were sometimes ignored if they could not communicate in English. The THA had no Spanish-speaking staff on hand, and at times made no attempt to determine the needs or respond to inquiries by Spanish-speaking visitors. These clients sometimes sat in the THA office unassisted, finally leaving when they realized they were not going to be helped. One source of support to early Puerto Rican migrants to the area was from Bill Muñoz, of Trenton who in 1954 ran a rooming house for Puerto Rican families. A 34 year-old bilingual Puerto Rican graduate of New York University, he was well known in the community and he advised and counseled fellow Puerto Ricans on where to go and how to apply for the kinds of assistance they needed. But even he was frustrated by the attitude of city officials towards Puerto Ricans because, “All you hear… [are] the bad things about Puerto Ricans.”

3-1 Latinos in Mercer County History

Even the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) headed by Charles W. Williams recognized the need for a more responsive city government to the needs of Puerto Ricans in the community. Mr. Williams said that his group was going to try to better conditions for Puerto Ricans and that “the city fathers are not doing anything to combat poor housing [or provide] recreation [opportunities] for them.” One telling factor about the attitude of city officials to these newest residents was that other cities with fewer Latinos, such as Perth Amboy, had undertaken surveys to determine such things as needs and living conditions while Trenton, with the largest population in the state with the possible exception of Newark, did not. Outreach was virtually nonexistent although some bilingual adult education classes were offered to help Spanish-speaking individuals adjust to their jobs. Eventually, in the first early years of the 1960’s as the Latino community firmly established itself in Mercer and continued its rapid growth, the first significant efforts to provide community assistance arose from within. Clergy such as the Rev. Rafael Cortes, Rev. Julio Gomez, and the Rev. Armand Ivarone, pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Chapel took proactive approaches to assist their parishioners in need. Rev. Ivarone, with a congregation of hundreds of Latinos, became an important figure in Latino community advocacy during this period. Mt. Carmel Chapel was regarded as a key center for Latinos seeking assistance for housing, employment and domestic issues. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Chapel, a two-story church, opened in 1957 as a mission church for the Hispanic community, became the hub of the Puerto Rican community and remained so for decades. In the 1981, however, the diocese decided to shift the population two blocks down the street to St. Mary's Cathedral, which had a declining census due to the fact that its white parishioners were moving to the suburbs. The logic was that Mt. Carmel was a rundown facility while St. Mary's was in excellent condition. The diocese was aware of the active and dedicated growing population of Latino parishioners just two blocks away from St. Mary’s. The Puerto Rican community was vehemently opposed to the change especially since the parish priest, Father Ivarone, was being reassigned. He had served the community for over two-and-a-half decades and the community felt a strong attachment to him. Although Italian, he was completely fluent in Spanish and culturally attuned to the population. Yet, regardless of the opposition of the Latino parishioners to the relocation, the diocese went ahead with it anyway. The day of the transition to St. Mary's was an extremely sad day for the Puerto Rican community. There were so many parishioners in the street that the street had to be closed. Many were in tears and the somberness of the occasion resembled that of a funeral. At Our Lady of Mt. Carmel the Latino community felt a sense of ownership of the parish and at St. Mary's they perceived this was no longer the case. Today, on the site that was formerly Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, stands the Puerto Rican Day Care Center (PRDCC). In 1997, abandoned and neglected, the community decided to reclaim the property, which had become littered with discarded clothing, empty bottles and trash. Inside, the walls were crumbling and shattered glass and litter was strewn throughout. The PRDCC, which had served the community for over 22 years, decided to reclaim the property, build a modern bilingual day care and preschool facility, and move from the basement of Christ Episcopal Church, which it had outgrown. Now, at the site of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, which, in the 1960s, offered childcare for $1 a day if parents packed a lunch, stands the facility the PRDCC dreamed of building in 1997, a location once again a hub of the community. Another early source of community support was from Manuel Feliciano who ran a branch of the National Association of Puerto Rican Affairs out of a small office in his Clay Street home. Mr. Feliciano helped local Puerto Ricans secure employment and housing and sometimes, if facing some kind of difficulty, paralegal advice. Employers familiar with Puerto Rican workers knew of their general eagerness to work, their willingness to accept menial labor and, in the beginning at least, their willingness to work for low wages. Most first-generation Puerto Rican migrants were unskilled and had difficulty with the English language, which limited their employment opportunities to minimum wage jobs in factories, restaurants, hotels,

3-2 Latinos in Mercer County History

farms and other unskilled jobs. Although many were now getting some assistance in finding employment, it was difficult making ends meet on the wages they were earning after having paid the rent. The average monthly cost of rent for Puerto Ricans in the early 1960s equaled nearly two weeks wages. This barely left families with enough money for food and clothing. One Puerto Rican dishwasher heading a family of five, for example, earned $55.27 per week and paid a monthly rent of $120 leaving about $100 a month for food, clothing, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses. Regardless of the cost of rent, housing was typically located in less desirable areas of the city. Rental units available to Trenton’s Puerto Ricans were most often located in slum areas in buildings that were neglected by landlords. Some landlords renting to Puerto Rican families would require weekly rent payments and threatened a quick eviction if the family missed a week. This added more stress to already stressful conditions. Other landlords with properties in better areas of the city had a “no Puerto Ricans” policy even if a family was able to afford the rent for these nicer units. Much of the improvement in conditions in these early days occurred largely because of the advocacy of the churches and a few determined individuals in the community. Luis Guadalupe and his wife Raquel, for example, were early community activists. The Guadalupes had come to Mercer from New York. They were educated, bilingual, and held good jobs. Mr. Guadalupe was employed as a Mercer County Court clerk and Mrs. Guadalupe was a field worker for Trenton’s Human Relations Council, unusual positions for Latinos in Mercer in the late 1950s and early 60s. At the time, Latinos who held jobs in government or social service agencies were often sought out by other Latinos for advice or assistance. Mrs. Guadalupe alone came into contact with hundreds of people in the community looking for assistance with problems such as roach-infested apartments and high rents. Mrs. Guadalupe made more than 1500 referrals in one year to corresponding agencies and got positive results because of her persistence and tenacity. Landlords began to take action to avoid her reports. Her husband, Luis, was involved in many community activities and would bring community housing and rent gouging complaints to Trenton City Council meetings. In 1964 the community organized and held the first Puerto Rican Day Parade on September 12, to coincide with the 12th anniversary of Puerto Rico’s commonwealth status. Trenton’s mayor officially designated the event and the celebration as Puerto Rican Day in the state capitol, an acknowledgment of Trenton’s growing Latino population. It was around this time that the anti-poverty community action agency, United Progress, Inc. (UPI) was formed. UPI provided emergency assistance in Mercer County, primarily to residents of Trenton. Over the years UPI did hire bilingual/bicultural staff but the Latino community complained that there were too few Puerto Rican social workers on staff to effectively service the community. The churches, in the meantime, continued to provide support to their parishioners and were by this time firmly established as community centers where help was available. Some churches even made small loans to families and individuals to help them pay overdue utility bills and make rent payments when things became difficult. One of UPI’s employees, Jesus Rodriguez, acting independently, came up with a plan for establishing a community credit union. This in turn led to the establishment of the Trenton Puerto Rican Credit Union with the goal of offering its members modest, but even larger loans than the churches could afford for the purpose of home improvements, doctor bills, etc, without all the red tape and collateral that conventional savings and loan institutions required. The credit union’s officers, including the Rev. Gomez, Rodriguez, Neftali Maldonado, Antonio M. Cordero, Ramon Miranda, Manuel Cordero, and Jose Santiago stated that a primary objective was to help the Spanish-speaking community take the first step towards becoming a community of dignified self-reliant citizens. As the community grew, so too did the stereotypical viewpoints of many local non-Latino residents to the relative newcomers. In spite of the general perception of local residents, Puerto Ricans made up only a small percentage of residents receiving public assistance, accounting for only 1 of every 12 public assistance recipients in Mercer County in the mid-1960s. They also contributed very little to area crime statistics. High-ranking police officials publicly acknowledged that Puerto Ricans were involved in very 3-3 Latinos in Mercer County History

few transgressions of the law, including incidents involving juveniles. In a decade and a half, there had been only one murder charge brought against a member of the community and he was eventually acquitted. In 1967, 27 year-old Eric Fontaine became Trenton’s first Latino police officer. He had arrived in Trenton from Puerto Rico in 1961, having worked at full time jobs since age 13. He came looking for an opportunity to make good and better his situation. In Trenton he was limited to the same kinds of low paying jobs available to newly arriving Puerto Ricans, mostly entry-level service jobs, or working as an unskilled laborer on construction sites. But within six years, with a keen eye for finding unique opportunities and making the most of them, he joined Trenton’s police department and became Mercer County’s first Latino police officer. By 1968 the Puerto Rican population in Trenton had doubled to over 6000. The population grew as friends and family back on the island were encouraged to come and join those already here. A newspaper feature story identified Utuado, a town in Central Puerto Rico, as the place of origin of many of those settling in Trenton. With so many coming from the same area in Puerto Rico, the result was a very close- knit and supportive Latino community. This rapid growth meant a significant increase in the number of Latino children in the city’s school system. To varying degrees both students and teachers experienced difficulties because of the language barrier and/or cultural differences. In an effort to increase the sensitivity of city teachers to the concerns of Puerto Rican parents and their children, five educators from Trenton went to Puerto Rico to visit schools, universities and homes there. Conversely, two teachers from Puerto Rico and the Dean of Puerto Rico’s Catholic University spent a week in Trenton serving as resource persons to the area’s public and parochial schools. They provided firsthand information to city teachers about Puerto Rican students and demonstrated various teaching methods practiced on the island. The Puerto Rican community was beginning to come into its own in Trenton. Things were changing for the better, the result of the efforts of vigorous community leadership, the availability of better job opportunities, better housing and more responsive support systems. Latinos had become welcome consumers in downtown Trenton’s many food stores, furniture stores, clothing shops, and department stores. There was every reason for optimism about the future. But things were about to take a devastating turn in Trenton. In April of 1968, the assassination of Martin Luther King brought anger bubbling to the surface in inner cities throughout the country. Trenton was no exception as rioting resulted in the ransacking, looting and burning of more than 200 downtown businesses. Trenton’s losses were in the millions. Almost overnight, insurance companies dropped business coverage in Trenton or inflated premiums to the point where it drove remaining businesses out of town. Owners whose places of businesses had been destroyed were left with no choice but to collect on their policies and move out. In less than two weeks, rioting and its aftermath had virtually wiped Trenton off the commercial business map. New commercial development plans that were in the works prior to the riots were scrapped. Downtown Trenton was left in ruins and a viable source of tax revenue had been decimated. The situation would remain that way for decades until government office buildings replaced a once thriving commercial district and lively center city. In the months following the riots Puerto Rican grassroots leadership felt that local and state government completely overlooked their community’s needs. They were concerned that established Latino community leaders made promises to elicit change but failed to take action and deliver. They decided to form a political entity, the Puerto Rican Political Action Association (PRPAA) that would address some of the most immediate concerns such as the proper maintenance and upkeep of public housing and government job discrimination. The group also felt that state, county and city government failed to make an effort to hire Puerto Ricans and they wanted Puerto Ricans holding vital positions in government. It was expressed that bilingual employees in labor, welfare and human rights offices would be of immeasurable benefit to the entire community. Their most ambitious goal was to elect a Puerto Rican to city council.

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The PRPAA also had concerns about the hiring practices of the community action agency United Progress Inc. The association was concerned because various Puerto Ricans who were qualified city residents had applied for open positions at UPI but were not hired. They were particularly disturbed by the fact that in all of Trenton’s UPI neighborhood centers there was only one Spanish-speaking employee. That meant that Puerto Ricans who did not speak English had to go to that center regardless of where they lived. African-Americans and Puerto Ricans experienced similar problems in Trenton, but attempts to bring the two groups together politically during this time, failed. The Trenton Christian Leadership Conference, a local chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), made the most ambitious attempt to join forces when it met with Latino leaders and pointed out that both groups were in need of better housing, education facilities and job opportunities and should work together to achieve this. Trenton’s Puerto Rican leaders, however, felt that at the core of their problems were unique circumstances involving language and culture, and working under one leadership, even leadership with ties to the prestige and national presence of the SCLC, was not viable. They did propose that they support each other when trouble arose but suggested that the violence that occurred when the SCLC involved itself in a demonstration by Puerto Ricans in Patterson, NJ was cause for some concern and was a situation they would prefer to avoid. During this politically charged period, state and local governments were making some effort to connect with their minority populations, at least those with political clout. In July of 1968 the state acknowledged its significant Puerto Rican population by declaring its first statewide Puerto Rican Day. It also arranged for a parade in Newark. At the same time Trenton held its fourth annual Puerto Rican Day parade with a Puerto Rican flag raising ceremony at city hall. The mayor met with local community leaders following the ceremony about problems facing Trenton’s Spanish- speaking residents. Trenton's Latino community continued to organize as it identified new initiatives to tackle. Approximately 25 Puerto Rican residents met to establish an organization whose main goals would be to prepare Spanish-speaking youth to assume community leadership, and to stimulate community interest in political, social, civic and academic affairs. The group would be called Spanish Americans for Community Involvement (SACI). Elected to serve as advisors were veteran community activists Luis Guadalupe, Rev. Julio Gomez, and Guillermo Suarez. Immediate plans were to support a Head Start program for Spanish-speaking pre-school children. By the end of the decade there were so many Latino organizations tackling social, political and educational issues that an umbrella Counsel For Spanish Organizations was set up to help avoid duplication of effort, to share information and to devise strategies. In the early 1970’s small but increasing numbers of Latinos other than Puerto Rican were trickling into Mercer County. Migrant workers, primarily Mexican, the majority of whom were undocumented, were coming to the area following the harvest or in search of any kind of work they could get. A new community group, the Hispanic Cultural Circle, was formed somewhat as an acknowledgement of the arrival of these newcomers. The main purpose of the HCC was to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of these different Latino cultures and to break down the stereotypes surrounding them. Still, there were not enough of these newcomers for local governments to be concerned about. Most communities in the United States with large farming operations were used to migrants from Mexico coming in to help harvest crops. They were transient, following long established routes that snaked through farmlands in several states as different crops ripened and farmers readied their product for market. Each new season, however, it seemed that just a few more of the migrants stayed on in the community as they secured other kinds of work. The numbers of Mexicans migrating north directly corresponded to the economic situation at home.

3-5 Latinos in Mercer County History

The 1970’s ushered in a period of demonstration and protest as an organized emboldened community began to exercise its political muscle. Some situations would be hard to imagine, looking back ten years, as members of the community became more assertive. For example: Ø A group of adult Puerto Rican students felt offended by the treatment they received while taking a class at the Mid-city Adult Center (MAC). They were rudely treated by a teacher they described as “completely ignorant of our culture, and told to “shut up”. They organized and presented a set of grievances to the program director. The program, which was state and federally funded and primarily served Latinos, taught English as a Second Language and offered high school equivalency classes. Ø A Trenton High School guidance counselor was advising Puerto Rican students to apply only to Mercer County Community College or Trenton State College. He felt Puerto Ricans should not attempt anything more ambitious. Within days some 25 Puerto Rican students demonstrated in front of Board of Education headquarters demanding that THS hire at least two Puerto Rican guidance counselors. Students had met previously with the superintendent of schools who promised to hire a Puerto Rican counselor before the end of the year. They also demanded that a Puerto Rican teacher be hired to replace the English-speaking American teacher who was teaching a Puerto Rican heritage course and that the superintendent increase the number of Puerto Ricans in administrative positions at the high school. Ø The superintendent was less than responsive but the students persisted with their demands and in the process they gained the support of other community organizations and the school board’s only Latino member. He, in turn, demanded the superintendent respond to the students. They were especially insistent that the superintendent hire a Puerto Rican counselor who would be able to provide them and their families with bilingual counseling. When they failed to get a timely response, 75 students and their parents descended on the office of the commissioner of education with their demands. The commissioner agreed to act informally to help them find qualified Puerto Ricans to fill slots in the school system. Ø Emilio Sanchez, president of the Puerto Rican Political Action Association, suggested that the federally funded dropout prevention program should also employ Puerto Rican counselors and tutors since the Puerto Rican dropout rate was higher than that of any other ethnic group at Trenton High School. Ø The community also responded quickly when a young Puerto Rican man was shot and killed by a city policeman under circumstances that were unclear. While their spokesmen were inside meeting with Trenton city officials more than 200 members of various community groups demonstrated in front of City Hall demanding the immediate suspension of the officer. Trenton’s Puerto Rican community had turned a corner and was assertive, vocal and willing to protest if they perceived they were being treated unfairly. In 1975 the Puerto Rican community felt the city's main anti-poverty agency, United Progress, Inc. was discriminating against them. They resolved to petition the federal government for an agency of their own. Pablo Ortiz, one of the 21 UPI trustees insisted that Puerto Ricans in the agency would fight for the right to have their own program and the decision to pull out of UPI was made by the Puerto Rican Council, a group within the agency. Some of the reasons for the pullout were that UPI refused to correct 17 building violations at the Puerto Rican community center on Montgomery Street; that an employee at the center was denied a sufficient raise in salary; and two Puerto Rican employees were fired from the Prospect Street day care center without just cause. UPI’s entire program was funded for $600,000 of which the Puerto Rican center received $40,000 or less than 10 percent. That same year some 35 demonstrators converged on City Hall protesting police handling of a confrontation in front of a South Ward social club. The incident in question occurred when two officers radioed for help after ticketing a truck that was illegally parked and getting into dispute with one of the club owners at the scene. Witnesses contend that when the responding police arrived they threw the man 3-6 Latinos in Mercer County History

down a flight of stairs. Police later said the man fell down the stairs although they acknowledge he was "taken unconscious to a hospital." The City Hall demonstrators demanded that “police state” tactics and brutality in the Latino community stop. They presented a list of demands to mayor Arthur J. Holland who agreed to add enough Spanish-speaking interpreters at the city police and fire communications center that there would always be an interpreter on duty if a non-English speaking resident called for help. He also agreed to consider an affirmative action plan that was to be drawn up by the Latino community. Within 30 years of the arrival of the first Puerto Ricans to the area, the persistence of a core group of community activists, the influence and support of local clergy, and a commitment to organize, resulted in Trenton’s Latino community taking its place as a political force in the capitol city. In 1985 a group of community leaders came together to establish the first Latino multi-service community based organization to bring direct service to the community via a funded Latino-controlled and managed organization, the Mercer County Hispanic Association (MECHA) for the purpose of helping Latinos improve their lives through a variety of services. Their slogan was “Progreso con dignidad” (Progress with Dignity). They felt there was funding available to assist the community but Latinos were not accessing it. Among those helping establish and get the organization off the ground were: Carlos Figueroa, Rev. Raul H. Mattei and his wife, Virgin Velez, Aida Pacheco, Irma Gomez, Iliana Orco. They secured funds from the state to get the organization started and opened a three-room office on Hanover Street staffed with a director, a secretary and job developer. The idea was to provide counseling and to advocate for and address the needs of the community. Over the next decade the organization would expand and grow programmatically, in staff and funding. The 1980’s had ushered in a marked increase in the numbers of Latinos coming into Mercer County. In addition to Puerto Ricans who, as a community, had already been here for more than twenty years, there were growing numbers of Mexicans, Guatemalans, Ecuadorians, Costa Ricans and Columbians. Dominicans also began to filter in but many came prepared to play a significant role in the community. The economy in the Dominican Republic had been changing. Although the Caribbean island had long been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, the service sector had begun to overtake agriculture as the economy's largest employer due to growth in tourism and free trade zones. However, the country suffered from marked income inequality. The poorest half of the population received less than one-fifth of the gross national product, while the richest 10% enjoyed nearly 40% of the national income. With opportunity beckoning only a few hundred miles away, many of the working-class made their way to New York, staying briefly with friends and relatives there before venturing out on their own. A small group of Dominicans began arriving in Mercer County, primarily Trenton as early as the late 1970’s, early 1980’s. Compared to the undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Latin America many of the Dominicans were formally educated, were savvy, experienced in business, or harbored an entrepreneurial spirit. Although undocumented some had already been in the country for a while, coming down from New York and northern New Jersey with modest savings but prepared to open small businesses and stores that catered to the Latino community here. In the early history of the arrival of these groups, Mercer County’s non-Latino residents, unable to make cultural or nationalistic distinctions among Latinos, were inclined to identify all of them as being Puerto Rican. For a while, this tendency helped to keep the newly arriving undocumented population somewhat obscure. Puerto Ricans here, however, enjoyed a distinct advantage. They were American citizens with all its rights and privileges. Unlike the growing undocumented Latino population, Puerto Ricans were at no risk of deportation, and maybe most importantly, they were eligible to vote in local, state and national elections. They were also here for a longer period and to a certain degree, felt as if they belonged here. The growing numbers of Mexicans, Guatemalans, Ecuadorians, Costa Ricans and Columbians were away from home, some of them ill at ease because of their status, but looking forward to opportunities to improve their lives and that of their families; opportunities they wouldn’t have back home. For the undocumented this required living beneath the radar, avoiding contact with authority figures, accepting

3-7 Latinos in Mercer County History

low pay, long hours and unfair treatment at work, terrible living conditions, and adapting long periods of separation from their families. Before long, what began as a trickle developed into a steady stream of undocumented Latinos coming into the county. Most were peasant-class, with very little formal education; many were illiterate, even in their own language. They settled quietly in Hightstown, East Windsor and Princeton, some seeking out familiar farm work while others took anything that was available for pay. Predominantly male, almost all came seeking to escape poverty in their homelands or for even more dire reasons such as political suppression, physical brutality, torture and sometimes the threat of death. Usually, the head of a family would come first, alone, and establish a foothold by securing a job or two. The plan was to save enough money to break the cycle of poverty and return, buy land and build a home. One such immigrant was a farm worker who, when he could find work back home in southern Guatemala, worked from sunrise to sunset on small farms for meager pay. He migrated north eventually settling in Princeton where he found steady work where he said he earned four times as much money pumping gas for 8 hours than he did working all day in the fields in Guatemala. His plan was to save enough to go back to Guatemala, and get his own place. Once here, however, many decided to stay and eventually bring up their other family members and begin a new life with possibilities they could never realize at home. Undocumented Mexicans and Latin Americans had been entering and leaving the United States illegally for decades but the numbers were relatively small. Migrant workers would often come up to work for a season, save money and return home until the money ran out. Then they would start the process over again. While it was illegal to hire undocumented employees in the U.S., the nation’s farmers have been doing it for years. Indeed, many would not be able to get their crops harvested without the migrant labor force. To farmers they were an efficient, cheap source of labor that was often the difference between a profitable or losing season. Migrants workers were viewed as transients, people who did not stay in the community for very long. However, in the early 1980’s due to political unrest, collapsing economies, or war, Latin Americans would begin to leave their homelands in ever increasing numbers. The turmoil and abject poverty they faced at home left few other choices. Such was the case with many Guatemalans. During the second half of the 20th century, political unrest in Guatemala resulted in the rise and fall of a succession of military and civilian governments. A guerrilla war that began in 1960 and which continued for the next 36 years resulted in the deaths of more than 100,000 people and created some 1 million refugees. Many entered the United States illegally and spread out in search of work. Some made their way to Mercer County contributing to the growth of the undocumented population primarily in Princeton Borough and Princeton Township. This exodus pattern throughout Latin America would replicate itself for much of the next three decades, the result of a continent rife with economic instability, political unrest and poverty, leaving millions with few options but to go north. Many of these would gravitate first to California and Texas where there were already huge populations of Latinos. This made it somewhat easier to blend in and stay ahead of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). But the competition for unskilled jobs there was so fierce that more and more immigrants kept moving east, often as field workers, following the harvest as far north and east as Maine, and south to Florida. Some found permanent work with some of the bigger food processing companies like Birdseye and Tyson and would settle into the surrounding communities. In towns like Princeton they found work in restaurants scrubbing floors, bussing tables and washing dishes; in hotels as housekeepers or kitchens workers; in gas stations as attendants, or in the homes of Princeton’s well-to-do residents as domestics, cooks, nannies, gardeners and handymen. Ecuadorians were leaving their country too in an effort to escape abject poverty. A few prosperous individuals and wealthy families controlled the vast majority of Ecuador’s wealth. Even their small middle class struggled to survive. But more than half of the country's population existed at or below the poverty level, a population with no hope of relief or change except to leave the country for better 3-8 Latinos in Mercer County History

opportunities elsewhere. So, Ecuadorians too made their way out of the country, dispersing along the way, some eventually finding their way to Mercer County, settling primarily in the Hightstown and East Windsor areas. In Columbia there has been a 40-year insurgent campaign to overthrow the Colombian government supported in part by funds from the drug trade, which is widespread. Although the violence is deadly and large sectors of the peasant countryside are under guerrilla influence, the movement lacks the military strength or popular support necessary to overthrow the government. An anti-insurgent army of paramilitaries has grown to be several thousand strong in recent years, challenging the insurgents for control of territory, illicit industries associated with drugs, and the government's ability to exert its dominion over rural areas. While the government stepped up efforts to reassert its control throughout the country, neighboring countries worried about the violence spilling over their borders. The instability and lack of security in the countryside has, since the early 1980s, caused a steady stream of immigrants to leave and come north. As the undocumented began to impact Mercer’s general labor pool some employers were quick to take advantage of their illegal status by paying them below minimum wage, offering no benefits and having them work long hours and six-day weeks. They knew these people were reluctant to complain about working conditions for fear of discovery and deportation. Some unscrupulous employers held the threat of calling immigration over their heads for the slightest infraction or if they questioned their working conditions or pay. The undocumented were more likely to stay beneath the radar, avoid calling attention to themselves or risk coming into contact with authorities. Suspicious and cautious, they even avoided some of the social service agencies that might have offered some help. There were many instances where groups of men, sometimes ten or more, crammed together into single two or three-bedroom apartments to save money on rent. They shared beds or slept on mattresses on the floor. Some landlords who discovered the situation, rather than comply with occupancy and health codes, would instead demand more rent from the tenants. It soon became clearly obvious that there were a lot more immigrants in the Princeton area than anyone had accounted for. That being the case, authorities and service providers in the area referred to them as “Princeton’s invisible population”. In 1991, MECHA established a satellite office in Princeton in response to the rapidly growing immigrant population there. Unfortunately in the late 1990s MECHA would experience an organizational and fiscal crisis from which it has yet to recover, resulting in the closing of this office. Many of Mercer County’s undocumented immigrants would tolerate the undesirable working and living conditions for the opportunity to bring their families north or to, at least, better their situation back home. Others had dreams of returning a success with the kind of money they could never earn at home. Unprincipled landlords, employers and others would play on the fears of their undocumented tenants and employees, threatening to get the police or INS involved for some minor infraction. They were often easily intimidated, convinced that contact with authorities meant something horrible would happen to them. Such was the case back home where contact with authorities was at times the beginning of the end. Their reluctance to get involved with the law or report crimes made them vulnerable to scams, being cheated, swindled and robbed. Filing a lawsuit, a legitimate claim for something rightfully theirs was something they were inclined not to do. Even making an appearance for a minor traffic violation would sometimes cause tremendous anxiety and fear. One Princeton attorney said that he was required to go to some length to explain to one undocumented client that they wouldn’t be serving a jail sentence for the vehicular moving violation they were ticketed for. He has explained their point of view to authorities to give them a better understanding of the degree of fear and anxiety of Princeton’s undocumented Latinos when involved in some routine legal situation.

3-9 Latinos in Mercer County History

The fact that they have rights in certain situations regardless of citizenship sometimes confuses immigrants. However, even if they are aware of those rights, they tend not to assert them or solicit available help. This failure to understand or take advantage of their personal rights is a liability. Even without the influx of undocumented Latinos, the Latino population is the youngest, fastest growing in the country. In cities and towns across the country, that fact is having a political impact. Often, in spite of opposition from traditionalists, and lingering discrimination, Latinos were moving into jobs and professions that not too long ago were unofficially closed to them. Ø For example, in 1988 Carmen Garcia became the first Latino woman to be appointed to the Trenton Municipal Court by Mayor Arthur Holland. Mayor Douglas H. Palmer reappointed her in 1991 and promoted her to Presiding Judge of Night Court Operations in 1998. Ø In 1990, Pedro Medina, a detective with the Trenton City Police Department, ran for mayor of Trenton along with Douglas H. Palmer and Carmen J. Armenti, the Republican incumbent. Medina ran a strong campaign, coming in third, but capturing enough votes to force a run-off election between Palmer and Armenti. While Palmer won, becoming the first African American mayor of Trenton, Medina’s forcing a run-off signaled the arrival of the Latino community as a political force in Trenton. Ø In 1994, Eric Fontaine, who had become Mercer’s first Latino police officer in 1967 was retiring after more than 26 years on the job, having served in every capacity from police officer to Lieutenant to the nation’s first Puerto Rican public safety director, overseeing both Trenton’s police and fire departments. Ø Princeton Borough hired its first Latino police officer in 1994, James Martinez, a Rutgers University graduate with a degree in criminal justice. He still serves in the department today and in 2003 remained its only Latino officer. Ø Also in 1994, Kenneth Seda ran for one of Trenton City Council's at-large seats. Seda was declared the winner by the narrow margin of 11 votes. His opponent filed for a recount and discovered 40 uncounted votes in his favor. Seda in turn requested a recount but after every machine was examined he was unable to pick up any additional votes. So instead of winning by 11 votes Seda lost by 29. Had he won he would have been the first Latino elected to public office in Mercer County. Ø In 1990 the city had 67 Latino employees. By 1996 under Mayor Palmer’s administration there was a nearly 200% increase to 194 Latino employees including increases in Latino police officers and firefighters. Ø In the year 2000, Manuel Segura, a member of the city-based Hispanic Caucus and a systems design specialist for Bell Atlantic New Jersey was appointed by Mayor Douglas H. Palmer to the city school board. Ø In 2001, Carmen Garcia, after 13 years of service as a Trenton Municipal Court judge became the first Latino woman to be appointed the city's Chief Judge. The city council gave unanimous consent to Mayor Palmer's nominee, the daughter of illiterate immigrant factory workers, who worked her way through Rutgers University School of Law. Ø In 2002, Manuel Segura, a Dominican-born resident of Trenton, was elected to city council and became the first Latino elected to public office in Mercer County. Significantly, two other Latino candidates for city council that year were Harry Luna, a Guatemalan businessman and president of the Latino Chamber of Commerce, and Juan Martinez, a Puerto Rican community activist. Luna and Martinez ran against each other for the South Ward seat. Back in 1968, when the Puerto Rican Political Action Association announced that one of its major goals was to elect a Puerto Rican to Trenton city council, they probably didn’t anticipate a thirty-four year wait before the Latino community would field three candidates and win a seat.

3-10 Latinos in Mercer County History

Ø In 2003 Mayor Palmer, appointed Joseph Santiago as the first Latino to head the city's police department. Since the year 2000, the number of Latino police officers in Trenton increased from 35 to 51. Three of the Latino officers are women. This surge reflects the demographic profile of Trenton that indicates Latinos as the city's fastest growing ethnic group. The efforts by the Latino Law Enforcement Officers Association to steer qualified applicants to the police department has also played a role in the increase in Latino hires. There are also signs of progress on the business front in the Latino community beyond Trenton. Despite some local resistance to change, new businesses by Latin American immigrants are opening and thriving. Although Latino businesses are not always welcome by locals who would rather preserve the traditional look of their downtowns, Latino business owners feel that without their businesses in Hightstown, for example, there would be a lot less business activity downtown. The resistance and the persistence to overcome are similar to the experiences of immigrants in the past. But the emergence of this entrepreneurship in Hightstown and neighboring areas are encouraging. An article in the Times of Trenton in September 2003 describes several of these ventures in the downtown section along Main Street and sections of Mercer and Franklin streets. The businesses and their owners reflect the diversity within the Latino community: Ø Mauro Hernandez, a hair stylist from Colombia practiced his profession for more than for 15 years in his native country. He opened Mauro's Beauty Salon in Hightstown after having worked as a stylist at another salon here for more than 3 years. He had closed his business in Columbia, left the country and came to the U.S. because of a political climate he felt was unsafe for him and his family. Ø Manuel Gonzales, a Guatemalan who runs the family-owned Orquideas Panaderia bakery with his brother, Luis wanted to open a bakery that would cater to all tastes, but in particular those of Hispanics. He learned the business from his father who owned a bakery in Guatemala. When he came to the United States, he worked in several restaurants, advancing from dishwasher to food preparation to cook. His bakery has been open for 3 years. Ø Lijia Hoppe, who was born in Ecuador, runs the family-owned Cambio Express on Main Street. She came to the country when she was 5, and says her father was the inspiration for her business because of his many trips to New York City to mail packages to his native Ecuador. He started a money wire- transfer service 12 years ago, making his one of the first Latino businesses in the community. Ø Luis F. Ordones, co-owner of L&J Electronics on South Main Street is an Ecuador native. Ordones, who lives in East Windsor, first made his mark in the borough by opening a car maintenance shop with his brother, Juan. That shop eventually was sold so they could open the electronics business. These are all positive signs that the Latino communities in Mercer County are making strides. However there are many obstacles to surmount, systems that need to be developed to meet burgeoning need, and a great deal of work to be done.

______Much of this history was compiled through the use of the archives of local newspapers, primarily the Times of Trenton, the Princeton Packet and materials archived in the Trentonian Room of the Trenton Public Library. They were supplemented by oral histories from local key informants interviewed.

3-11 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

SURVEY RESULTS SUMMARIES In assessing local community views regarding the local Latino populations in Mercer County, its needs and community issues, surveys were conducted with key informants and service provision organizations. The key informants included service providers from a variety of service provision perspectives from front line workers to administrators and policy makers; community leaders in official positions—elected, appointed or professional; de facto community leaders—community leaders by virtue of their role as volunteers, advocates, activists, etc. The organizations targeted were those focused on the provision of human services to individual and families, including non-profit, educational and governmental entities.

This chapter summarizes the results of the surveys conducted. Survey target populations include: Latino Key Informants: Professionals, Official and De Facto Leaders and Key Community Members Non-Latino Key Informants: Professionals, Official and De Facto Leaders Organizations, Institutions, and Agencies Providing Services to Local Communities

LATINO AND NON-LATINO PROFESSIONAL, KEY LEADER, COMMUNITY MEMBER AND AGENCY SURVEYS METHODOLOGY In targeting key informant individuals, who for this study are defined as individuals who would have a first-hand broad base of knowledge regarding local Latino populations and/or the provision of services within local Mercer communities, two surveys were designed targeting Latino and Non-Latino key informants. The survey instrument for the Latino key informant was provided both in English and in Spanish. While the respondent demographic data was primarily collected through structured questions with alternative answers, information regarding issues of concern was elicited utilizing a number of open-ended questions to allow independent feedback based on local experience not guided by a pre- determined list. The same structure was utilized in the organizational/agency survey. The surveys were distributed through a variety of sources including direct mailing; distribution to the members of the United Way of Greater Mercer County (UWGMC) Latino Vision Council for distribution to their local communities and agencies; the UWGMC also sent a mailing of the Agency Survey to all the organizations within their database. In addition to the distribution of hard copies of the survey, the survey was available online and respondents were given the option of completing and submitting the online version or returning the paper survey. All the paper surveys contained the survey site and encouraged respondents to complete the online survey. Emails with a link to the survey site were sent to established key individuals and organizations. Mailed surveys were provided with a self- addressed return envelope. Approximately 1000 paper surveys were distributed and 125 emails sent. A total of 97 surveys were completed and submitted: 38–Agency, 33–Latino (14 Spanish, 19 English) and 26–Non-Latino. Forty-seven percent (47%) of the surveys were submitted online: 15 of 38– Agency, 10 of 33–Latino (1 of 14 Spanish, 9 of 19 English) and 21 of 26–Non-Latino Since the target survey groups were specific and limited in size, the respondents represent a sample comprising a high degree of statistical validity and reliability. In addition, the results of the surveys were further explored through in-depth face-to-face and telephone interviews with an additional 25 selected key informants. For the sake of brevity, Latino Key Informants: Professionals, Official and De Facto Leaders and Key Community Members shall be referred to heretofore as Latino respondents, the Non-Latino Key Informants: Professionals, Official and De Facto Leaders shall be referred to as Non-Latino respondents, and the Organizations, Institutions, and Agencies as responding Agencies.

4-1 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

LATINO AND NON-LATINO KEY INFORMANT RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS The survey key informant respondents reflect a diverse group of individuals that bring a variety of perspectives to the surveys. Among the Latino respondents, 73% were Puerto Rican, which reflects their representation in the professional community and their representation as the group with the longest history in the Latino community. The broader educational representation of the Latino vs. the Non-Latino respondents reflects the inclusion of the grassroots element and the de facto leadership in the community. Respondents indicated their role(s) in relation to the Latino community and the various perspectives from which they were responding. The percentages indicate the number of respondents selecting that response. Ninety-two percent (92%) of the Non-Latino respondents and 88% of the Latino respondents were female. A partial explanation to the one-sided gender factor of respondents is that it reflects the gender breakdown within the human service fields targeted. Additional male perspective was provided via the one-on-one interviews—approximately 25% of the individual interviews were male.

ROLE, AGE, GENDER OF RESPONDENTS ETHNICITY ETHNICITY Non- (Latino Respondents) (Non-Latino Respondents) Latino Latino I am filling out this survey as a: Guatemalan Other Other: 3% 9% 8% Professional/ Service Provider 77% 67% Ecuadorian 3% Key Community Leader 23% 30% African Community Member 4% 36% Dominican American 6% Volunteer 6% 23% Costa Rican Your Age 6% White Puerto Rican 69% 20-29 8% 12% 73% 30-39 4% 42% 40-49 27% 36% EDUCATIONAL LEVEL EDUCATIONAL LEVEL 50-59 46% 6% (Latino Respondents) (Non-Latino Respondents) 60-69 8% 3% Less than Graduate High School 70 or more 8% 9th Grade Associate degree degree graduate 3% 15% 18% 12% Bachelor's Gender degree Some Some 23% Female 92% 88% graduate college Male 8% 12% school 15% 18% Occupational Status Associate Graduate Some Employed 96% 85% Bachelor's degree degree graduate degree 12% 46% school Unemployed 9% 22% 15% Retired 4% 3% Disabled 3% AREAS SERVED AREAS SERVED (Latino Respondents) Occupations (Non-Latino Respondents) Mercer Executive Directors 23% 9% Hightstown Mercer County county Hightstown 7% 7% 7% Program Directors 23% 24% East Windsor 4% 3% East Human Service Workers 23% 12% Windsor Trenton Lawrence 3% 44% School/ Preschool Staff 15% 24% 4% Support Staff 0% 6% Hamilton 3%

Other 15% 24% Trenton Ewing 3% 61% Princeton Princeton 13% 36%

4-2 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

All of the Latino respondents were fluent in Spanish. Seventy-five percent (75%)of them were bilingual, highly fluent in both English and Spanish. Another 22% had limited English fluency and 3% had little to no English fluency. Only 15% of the Non-Latino respondents were fluent in Spanish, another 12% described their Spanish fluency as fair, 73% had little to no Spanish language skills.

LANGUAGE FLUENCY SPANISH LANGUAGE FLUENCY 58% (Latino Respondents) (Non-Latino Respondents)

Spanish 42% English 34% 31% 31% 27% 22% 15% 15% 12% 9%

0% 0% 3% Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor None Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor

Non- TYPE Latino Latino

Professional - Service Provider 44% 64% Interaction with Latino Community Personal 24% 30% Survey respondents had a broad base of interaction with the Volunteer with Latino organizations 11% 27% Latino population from a professional, personal and As a community leader 13% 21% community perspective as service providers, volunteers and community members. Eighty-one percent (81%) of Latino Volunteer working with Latino community members 7% 15% respondents and 54% of Non-Latino respondents interact with Other: 2% 6% the Latino community constantly or often. Only 12% of Non- Latino respondents and 3% of Latino respondents indicated FREQUENCY that they rarely interact with the Latino community. Constantly 31% 62% Often 23% 19% Occasionally 35% 16% Rarely 12% 3%

RESPONDING AGENCIES DEMOGRAPHICS

LATINO GROUPS SERVED BY RESPONDING AGENCIES Of the 38 responding agencies only 2 indicated that % of Organization's 80- 60- 40- 30- 20- 10- 1- they did not have any Latino clients and one did not Client Base 100% 99% 79% 59% 39% 29% 19% 9% provide its client breakdown. Ten had Latinos as 1- Latino Ethnicity/ Nationality Unknown 9 1 1 2 5 9% of their client base, 13 had 10-19%, 4 had 20- Puerto Rican 1 3 1 2 1 2 3 5 29%, 2 had 30-39%, 2 had between 40-59%, 1 Mexican 2 2 2 4 indicated 60-79% and 3 had a Latino client base of 80-89%. Nine agencies had no breakdown of the Guatemalan 1 1 4 4 3 2 Latino subgroups they serve. Another 2 did not know Ecuadorian 1 1 1 2 5 the subgroups of more than half of the clients they Costa Rican 6 served. The largest percentage of Latino subgroups Dominican 1 1 4 served by the responding agencies was Puerto Rican, Colombian 4 4 Mexican, Guatemalan, and Ecuadorian. Other Latino Cuban 4 subgroups served were Costa Rican, Dominican, Other 2 1 5 Colombian, and Cuban.

4-3 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

RESPONDING AGENCIES DEMOGRAPHICS SORTED BY PERCENT OF CLIENT BASE THAT IS LATINO*

Staff Clients Served by Race & Latino Origin

UNDUPLICATED

LATINO CLIENTS African Organization, Location, Area Served 2002-2003* American

Bilingual Latino White Latino Asian Other Better Beginnings, Hightstown, Mercer County (mostly) 13 13 113 1-9% 10-19% 80-89% 1-9% El Centro-Catholic Charities, Trenton 8 8 1,948 1-9% 1-9% 80-89% 0% 0% Puerto Rican Community Day Care Center, Trenton 30 30 178 1-9% 10-19% 80-89% 0% 0% Migration & Refugee Services Diocese of Trenton, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean and Burlington counties 2 2 1,200 10-19% 10-19% 60-79% 1-9% 0% Kidsbridge, Trenton, Mercer County 1 0 Not tracked 20-29% 10-19% 40-59% 1-9% YWCA of Trenton, Trenton and Mercer County 7 6 567 30-39% 20-29% 40-59% 0% 0% Catholic Youth Org of Mercer County, Trenton 6 4 123 1-9% 40-59% 30-39% Hightstown Health Department, Hightstown Borough 0 0 100 30-39% 1-9% 30-39% 1-9% 0% Henry J Austin Health Center, Trenton 3 3 2,489 1-9% 60-79% 20-29% 1-9% 0% Isles, Inc., Trenton/Central NJ 1 1 Don't know 10-19% 60-79% 20-29% 0% 1-9% John O. Wilson Hamilton Neighborhood Center, Hamilton Township 6 6 20 10-19% 60-79% 20-29% 10-19% St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton, Greater Mercer County 50 40 12,000. 20-29% 40-59% 20-29% Catholic Charities Emergency Services Div, Trenton, Mercer 0 0 160 10-19% 80-89% 1-9% 0% 0% Cherry Tree Club, Princeton Junction, Mercer County 0 0 3 1-9% 90-99% 1-9% Children's Home Society of New Jersey, Trenton 3 3 80 40-59% 40-59% 1-9% 1-9% 0% Friends Home Health Care - Mercer Street Friends, Trenton/Mercer County 9 9 Not tracked 40-59% 30-39% 1-9% 1-9% 1-9% Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Trenton, Trenton 1 1 9% 60-79% 20-29% 1-9% 1-9% Interfaith Hospitality Network of Mercer County, Trenton, Mercer Co-Emergency Housing 1 0 6 1-9% 90-99% 1-9% 0% 0% NJAC/Clinton House, Trenton, Mercer Co./State of NJ 2 1 15 10-19% 60-79% 1-9% 0% 0% Princeton Senior Resource Center, Princeton 0 0 Not tracked 60-79% 20-29% 1-9% 1-9% 10-19% Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Trenton 1 1 Not tracked 10-19% 80-89% 1-9% 1-9% United Progress, Inc., Trenton and Mercer County 4 4 Not tracked 1-9% 80-89% 1-9% 1-9% CancerCare of New Jersey, Mercer Office - Princeton and Trenton, All of New Jersey 1 1 14 40-59% 40-59% 10-19% 0% 1-9% Family and Children's Services of Central NJ, Princeton and Hightstown, Mercer and Middlesex Counties 6 5 78 60-79% 10-19% 10-19% 1-9% 1-9% Greater Trenton Behavioral Health Care, Trenton, Mercer County 12 9 325 40-59% 40-59% 10-19% 1-9% Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Mercer County, Princeton, Greater Mercer County 3 3 93 60-79% 1-9% 10-19% 1-9% Mercer County HIV Consortium, Trenton, Mercer County 1 1 Not tracked 10-19% 80-89% 10-19% Mercer Street Friends, Trenton & Hamilton Twp. 2 1 106 30-39% 40-59% 10-19% 1-9% 1-9% Princeton Township Police, Entire Township of Princeton 5 4 Not tracked 40-59% 10-19% 10-19% 1-9% 0% Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Hamilton, Trenton 7 5 36 10-19% 60-79% 10-19% 1-9% Signs of Sobriety, Inc., Ewing, New Jersey 0 0 5 20-29% 60-79% 10-19% 1-9% Trent Center, Trenton 2 2 52 40-59% 30-39% 10-19% 1-9% 0% True Servant Community Development Corp, Trenton 4 3 10 1-9% 80-89% 10-19% 0% 1-9% Womanspace, Mercer County 8 6 237 30-39% 30-39% 10-19% 1-9% YWCA Princeton, Greater Princeton area 5 1 1,020 60-79% 1-9% 10-19% 10-19% 1-9% Anderson House Halfway House for Women, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey 0 0 0 60-79% 20-29% 0% 0% 0%

Princeton Family YMCA, Princeton 2 1 Not tracked 90-99% 0% 0% 0% 0% Garden State Consumer Credit Counseling, Freehold, New Jersey and US 6 2 Not tracked *Please note that this is not a complete list of all agencies serving Latinos. It reflects those agencies that responded and submitted an Agency Survey.

4-4 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

RESPONDING AGENCIES LATINO CLIENTS SERVED AND BILINGUAL/LATINO STAFF The thirty-eight responding agencies indicated having a total of 212 bilingual staff and of these 176 were Latinos. Sixty-two percent (62%) of the Latino staff was concentrated in 6 of the 38 responding agencies. Twenty-eight of the 38 indicated that they tracked the number of Latino clients served and indicated a total of 20,978 Latino clients served within the previous 1 year period. Each responding agency reported the number of unduplicated clients served. The 20,978 may include units of service for clients who may have been seen at more than one agency. St. Francis Medical Center who reported having 50 bilingual (40 Latino) professionals or paraprofessionals accounted for 12,000 (57%) of the clients served. The following are other survey comments regarding bilingual staffing

Ø Trenton Area Soup Kitchen—Our custodial supervisor is Latino and bilingual. Ø Isles, Inc.—Only one currently (as a first language). About 5 others have a working usage but are not Latino. Ø Friends Home Health Care - Mercer Street Friends—In Health, Senior Services Division of Mercer Street Friends there are 9. 7 are caregivers, 2 office support staff. Ø Signs of Sobriety, Inc.—All staff are knowledgeable in deaf culture & most are fluent in ASL (American Sign Language) & English. Ø Greater Trenton Behavioral Health Care—7 professional; 5 support - Latino:4 professional; 5 support Ø Garden State Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc.—6 bilingual counselors Ø Migration & Refugee Services Diocese of Trenton—2 out of an office of 4 Ø NJAC/Clinton House—2 bilingual (1 Latino) at this site (Clinton House) but many work at other sites. Ø Mercer County HIV Consortium—1 of 3 staff members. Ø Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton—(For the OB/GYN Group) 3 medical doctors and 1 midwife. (At Planned Parenthood) 1 translator for NOB appts. (At RWJ Planned Parenthood scheduling) 2 receptionists & referral/insurance personnel. Ø Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Mercer County— Three bi-lingual, bi-cultural Masters-level mental health/family counselors. 1 in our Ewing office; 1 in our Hightstown office; 1 in our Princeton office.

Fifty-three percent (53%) of responding agencies indicated that their agency had an extensive (16%) or good (37%) knowledge of their local Latino communities. Only 17% reported that their agency had a limited or no knowledge of the local Latino community.

RESPONDING AGENCIES AND LOCAL LATINO COMMUNITY Extensive Good Fair Limited None

Knowledge Of Local Latino Community 16% 38% 30% 14% 3% Ability to Provide Services to Latinos 8% 53% 22% 17% 0%

Ninety-two percent (92%) of responding agencies reported that they have or have had Latinos as part of their client base. Forty-seven percent (47%) responded that they provided services that specifically targeted Latinos and 71% indicated that they provide services to undocumented Latinos and another 6% indicated they could only provide limited services.

PROVIDE SERVICES TO UNDOCUMENTED LATINOS PROVIDE SERVICES SPECIFICALLY TARGETING LATINO POPULATION Only able to provide Unable to provide limited services to services to undocumented undocumented 6% 6% No Yes No 17% 53% 47%

Yes 71%

4-5 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

RESPONDING AGENCIES’ DESCRIPTION OF including but not limited to food pantry, food vouchers, utility/rental SERVICES THEY PROVIDE TARGETING assistance. 3) Linkage to community resources e.g. affordable housing, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. LATINOS (Responses alphabetically listed by organization) Ø Kidsbridge: Kidsbridge will be building a new museum in the South Ø Better Beginnings: Each classroom has a classroom teaching team, one Broad St./Chambersburg area of Trenton. We will provide school of whom teaches in Spanish, the other in English. Children's learning programs, kids programs, parent and teacher program and be a styles, skill development and interests are recorded and used as a basis community resource. for lesson planning. The print-rich environment offers labels of common Ø Mercer County HIV Consortium: Spanish pamphlets & Brochures; objects in both languages, and photographs of many cultures provided. Spanish-speaking staff; educational programs. Ø CancerCare of New Jersey: Free counseling, information, guidance and Ø Mercer Street Friends: Early childhood education and child care. financial assistance for homecare, childcare, transportation to treatments School age childcare. and pain medications. Also, web-site (www.cancercare.org) sections in Ø Migration & Refugee Services Diocese of Trenton: We give legal Spanish and free teleconferences, educational presentations in Spanish. immigration advice and make referrals to social services. All these services are provided in English for Latinos fluent in English. Ø Princeton Senior Resource Center: Started a "Let's talk in English" Ø Catholic Charities Emergency Services Division: Food, clothing, conversation group for non-English native seniors March 2003. financial assistance, case management and information and referral Ø Princeton Township Police: Law Enforcement Service Ø Catholic Youth Organization of Mercer County: Bilingual staff in all Ø Puerto Rican Community Day Care Center: 1) a bilingual pre-school programs. Speakers at meetings offering community services to Latino education 2) a bilingual parent academy 3) a Spanish pre-natal/post families e.g. El Centro. natal support group 4) a family home provider network for Latina women Ø Children's Home Society of New Jersey: CUNA program is for 5) a resource unit that works with special needs learner 6) a social pregnant and parenting Latino women and their families. The program service unit that provide intervention and referrals. provides advocacy, support and information with regard to pregnancy, Ø Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton: 1. Prenatal, parenting and childcare. The Kids Intervention With Kids In School labor/delivery & post partum care, through education, social service, (KIKS) program offers recent Latino immigrants academic tutoring and nutrition and childbirth classes. 2. Translation services for visits. 3. social support services to middle school students in the East Windsor Children's Future for Trenton. 4. WIC. 5. Transportation service. Regional School District. Ø Signs of Sobriety, Inc.: Second Chance Project provides assessment, Ø El Centro-Catholic Charities: Psychotherapy, Anger Management referral to the appropriate level of care, and case management to deaf Group-one for Men and One for Women; Emergency Service--gas, and hard of hearing individuals with substance abuse diagnosis. Case electric, assistance with rent/security; Mentoring Program--Hispanic management includes advocating for services, interpreters and rights Education Leadership Program focused on Junior High and High School under ADA, scheduling appts, transportation to appts (limited), medical, Students; Children's Futures Programs--4 social workers go out and 2 legal, vocational & recovery network referrals. Independent living, skills nurses--nutrition, developmental stages, post partum depression; Project training and mobile counseling services. Project H.O.P.E. provides Child for developmentally delayed children (collaborative); Women's prevention education to adolescents. Carrying the Message provides Support Group--mostly newly arrived immigrants discuss the issues and interpreting services for sober houses & AA/NA meetings. obstacles they confront; AA group in Spanish; Computer Center--learn Ø St. Francis Medical Center: 1. Centro Medico - primary care services basic computer skills; ESL classes; In September part of Americorp-- for Latino population. 2. St. Claire Mobile Primary Care Van - primary Human Resources; GED (Mercer County College; Medical Svcs care outreach to Latino residents of Trenton & Hightstown. 3.Specialty (Collaborative with St. Francis Hospital) Clothing bank; soup kitchen clinics. 4. Children's Futures for the East Ward - prenatal care through collaborative with Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Monthly community age 3. 5. All inpatient & outpatient services regardless of ability to pay. meetings on issues of concern to the community. Ø Trent Center: ESL Classes, Computer Classes, Congregate Housing Ø Family and Children's Services of Central NJ: Bilingual outpatient Services Program, (Meals, Housekeeping, & Personal Assistance), counseling Family Child Home program which targets families with Case Management, Transportation, and Activities. toddlers and provides in-home services Ø Trenton Area Soup Kitchen: The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen serves Ø Friends Home Health Care - Mercer Street Friends: May serve clients meals unconditionally; anyone who comes in the door can have a meal, in home care program with funds from United Way. no questions asked. About 9% of our patrons are Latino. TASK Ø Garden State Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc.: Education and established a partnership with 1st Baptist Church of Trenton and El Marketing Workshops Centro de Recursos Para Familias to open the South Trenton Soup Ø Greater Trenton Behavioral Health Care: The agency recruits Spanish- Kitchen. This program is currently serving a meal one night per week to speaking staff for all of its programs. In particular, the agency's outpatient, the largely Latino population of the South Ward of Trenton. school-based and case management programs serve significant numbers Ø United Progress, Inc.: 1. Agency had food and clothing pantry. 2. of Latino clients. The agency also has two small grants specifically to Assists with finding jobs and housing. 3. Limited funds for eviction provide education and support to Latino families. prevention and security deposits and utility assistance. 4. Case Ø Henry J Austin Health Center: We provide primary (and limited management. 5. Drug and Alcohol treatment. 6. Computer classes. 7. specialty) medical care to any individual; thus, we provide medical care to Transitional housing. all Latinos who come, regardless of age, documentation status, or any Ø Womanspace: Mi Hermana, Mi Amiga - collaboration w/organizations other factor. We offer pediatric care, adult medicine, ob/gyn, HIV in Trenton (El Centro), Princeton (Medical Center Clinic) and Hightstown counseling, testing, care and treatment, dental care, podiatry, cardiology. (CASC) to provide individual counseling and information groups to Ø Hightstown Health Department: Our Child Health Clinic, and New Baby victims of domestic violence. We also see clients in our own visits are available to all residents of Hightstown Lawrenceville office including a weekly drop-in group. Ø Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Trenton: Any services requested. If we Ø YWCA of Trenton: ESL classes, Job Search/Readiness, Life cannot provide we will refer to organization that does. Skills/Parenting Workshops, Short-term counseling and referrals, and Ø Interfaith Hospitality Network of Mercer County: Provide temporary Community Luncheons housing to families with children Ø YWCA Princeton: ESL, Family Literacy and Literacy For All - teach Ø Isles, Inc: Our Financial Self Reliance Program staff has provided English to immigrants from over 40 countries to enable them to advance counseling to Latinos in Trenton, primarily in the old Trenton in their current jobs or obtain better employment, integrate into the neighborhood. Our affordable housing program is available to any low- community, access social services needed for their families and income family looking to purchase a house. become involved in the education of their children. Outreach consists of Ø Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Mercer County: 1) programs held in coordination with other organizations, including Mental health services and family counseling to individuals and families in Princeton Human Services and Latin American Task Force, and the the local Latino community. 2) Wrap-around case management services development of offsite programs in coordination with area employers

4-6 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

SURVEY RESPONSE SUMMARIES The following are summaries of responses to the survey questions by each respondent group. Some questions were included on all three surveys and others were included on only two of the three surveys. Most questions were open-ended and, rather than provide a predetermined list which might influence the responses elicited, categories were created reflecting the areas represented by the responses provided. Actual survey responses follow the summary of survey results for each question. Responses to the open-ended questions have been left unmodified except for instances of glaring grammatical and spelling errors. In the listing of actual survey responses, identical or very similar responses were grouped and the number of respondents giving that response is indicated in parenthesis. Responses given by only a very small percentage of the respondents were grouped under miscellaneous.

THE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE LATINO POPULATION % OF RESPONDENTS IDENTIFYING ISSUE AMONG TOP FIVE Survey respondents were asked in an open-ended question to identify what they believed to be the five most serious problems affecting Latinos in their area. The chart below reflects the percentage of the respondents under each survey group that identified that issue among their top five problems.

LATINO RESPONDENTS NON-LATINO RESPONDENTS AGENCY RESPONDENTS Language/Cultural Barriers 88% Language/Cultural Barriers 73% Language/Cultural Barriers 92% Education 55% Housing 69% Employment/Economic 47% Employment 52% Employment 50% Housing 47% Leadership/Community Issues 48% Education 46% Immigration & Undocumented 37% Mental Health & Family Issues 42% Immigration & Undocumented 42% Healthcare 37% Inadequate Services; Housing 30% Information & Referral 26% Mainstream Lacks Knowledge 35% Immigration & Undocumented 30% Healthcare 23% Education 16% Healthcare 24% Mental Health & Family Issues 23% Mental Health & Family Issues 13% Information & Referral 21% Transportation 19% Transportation 13% Discrimination 18% Childcare 15% Drug And Alcohol 11% Drug & Alcohol 15% Transportation 12% There was a significant amount of agreement among the three survey groups in the identification of the most serious problems affecting the Latino population. Among Latino respondents 12 major issues emerged; the Non-Latino and Agency responses each resulted in 10 key issues. All three survey groups identified eight of the issues that emerged: education, employment, healthcare, housing, immigration & undocumented, language/cultural barriers, mental health & family issues, and transportation. Latino and Agency respondents had ten issues in agreement—both also identified drug/alcohol and information/referral. Latinos respondents also identified leadership/community issues and discrimination as among the top problems. Non-Latino respondents identified inadequate services, the mainstream lacking knowledge about Latinos, and childcare as issues of concern. Language and Cultural Barriers Latino (88%), Non-Latino respondents (73%) and Agency (92%) respondents overwhelmingly identified language and cultural barriers as one of the top five problems affecting the Latino population placing it first among the problems identified. The primary barrier identified was the inability to communicate in English and the need for more ESL programs that are either free or affordable and accessible to the local Latino population, especially the working poor. In addition, the language barrier is further complicated by the issue of illiteracy among a segment of the Latino population who are illiterate in their native language. The second most critical concern was the need for bilingual professionals and staffing. Areas identified included: agencies, social services, federal offices, home health care workers, schools,

4-7 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

bilingual teachers, local government offices, businesses, reliable translators in police departments and the courts, job training and placement, and bilingual support groups. One response indicated that some clients were unaware of their entitlements because of the language barrier. Cultural barriers were identified as going hand in hand with the language barrier issue including: the lack of culturally competent staff; the lack of culturally appropriate social service resources; cultural shock (ignorance of U.S. law, and educational and cultural issues); feeling intimidated; not trusting; religion; mainstream community doesn't understand their culture; and for Latino seniors: cultural reluctance to seek help outside family/community. Employment and Economic Issues All respondent groups listed employment among their top three issues. The primary concerns in this area are unemployment, underemployment (underpaid and seasonal work), employability and the abuse of Latino employees. The issues include lack of jobs, subsistence wages—extremely low paying wages, being overworked, lack of marketable job skills, jobs with no documentation, need for jobs with benefits, poverty and homelessness. Education Fifty-five percent (55%) of Latino respondents and forty-six percent (46%) of Non-Latino respondents identified education among the top five most serious problems affecting Latinos. It placed 2nd among Latinos and 4th among Non-Latino. Agency respondents placed it 7th with 16% of responding Agencies identifying it among the top five concerns of the Latino community. The issues of concern identified by respondents included: the lack of bilingual teachers, low educational levels, illiteracy in both Spanish and English, access to affordable higher education for high school graduates, shortage of ESL classes, need for literacy programs for older secondary school students, adults with little formal education, and for drop-outs. Housing The second highest percentage of Non-Latino respondents (69%) identified housing as a top issue affecting the Latino population. It placed 3rd among the Agency respondents and 6th among Latino respondents. Among the issues identified were: housing affordability and availability, overcrowded housing, poor quality housing, landlords refusing to rent to large families consisting of several generations, additional low-income housing badly needed in Princeton. Leadership/Community Issues Almost half of the Latino respondents (48%) identified Latino leadership and community issues as one of the top five most serious problems impacting the status of the Latino population in Mercer. Among the concerns identified were: lack of political representation and power; lack of progressive, efficient or productive political leadership; lack of visible leadership and advocates; limited pool of Latinos with extra time to devote to worthwhile projects or to provide leadership and mentoring and who can only serve on so many boards or projects; a divided community and a lack of communication among Latinos; conflicts and internal struggles among different Latino groups, i.e. Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans—this challenges/discourages participation; lack of a proactive agenda for Latinos in Mercer County; lack of organizations that can voice concerns on behalf of Latinos; and lack of an organized constituency. While it did not emerge among the top problems identified by Non-Latino and Agency respondents, two Agency responses mentioned: lack peers to identify with—few role models; lack of political power. Mental Health & Family Issues Mental health and family issues were identified as one of the top five problems affecting Latinos by 42% of Latino respondents compared to 23% of Non-Latino and 13% of Agency respondents. Among the concerns identified were: mental health issues--depression: alcoholism; housing; jobs; family stress/breakdown/dysfunction--parent child issues; issues with adolescents and teens;

4-8 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

violence in the family (couples, against children, etc.); lack of linguistically and culturally competent social services including long-term counseling; parental loss of authority as children exceed parents education/literacy; broken families: living in their original countries - many Latinos remarry or live with another couple , have more kids, etc.; difficulty accessing mental health services: Spanish-speaking consumers have less choice of service providers because not all agencies have Spanish-speaking staff—even for agencies that have made it a priority, it is extremely difficult to recruit Master's prepared clinicians. Immigration & Undocumented Immigration and issues related to being undocumented were identified as one of the top five problems by all respondent groups—Latinos 30%, Non-Latinos 42% and Agencies 37%. The issues of concern identified included: lack of legal documentation adequate jobs for undocumented; they do not know their rights; need help with immigration at an affordable cost; no Social Security numbers for undocumented results in low paying jobs and no financial aid—no college for children; Latinos who feel they can't go for help due to immigration issues; lack access to: benefits, employment, driving privileges, higher education, etc., due to undocumented status; emergency funds for undocumented, especially if in a domestic violence situation. Healthcare All three survey groups—Latino 24%, Non-Latino 23%, and Agency 37%—identified healthcare among the top problems impacting the Latino population. In the area of healthcare the issues identified were a lack of: medical insurance, home health care workers who speak Spanish, proper health care, access to health care, funds to pay for needed medications and quality, affordable healthcare. Other concerns were substance abuse and an increasing incidence of HIV. Information & Referral Latino (21%) and Agency (26%) respondents identified the need for information and referral services. The primary issue according to a Latino respondent was that Latinos are unaware or are not effectively informed of what's available in terms of programs and services. Agency respondents indicated that Latinos lack knowledge of how to access services, laws, resources available, and how to negotiate healthcare and social service systems. Transportation The need for transportation services was identified by all three survey groups—19% Non-Latino, 13% Agency, 12% Latino. The issues identified were: convenient public service to places of employment was not always available; lack of transportation to services; transportation (bike paths, driver's license, public transportation) and, do not have driver’s licenses. Discrimination The issue of discrimination was identified as one of the top five problems by 18% of Latino respondents. The issues identified were: oppression, racism, prejudice and discrimination against Latinos. It did not appear among the top issues identified by Non-Latino and Agency respondents but one respondent in each category did identify the issues as: racism, prejudice and oppression. Drug & Alcohol Problems related to substance abuse were identified as a top problem by 15% of Latino respondents and 11% of responding agencies. The concerns presented were: substance abuse, alcoholism, drunk driving, drugs and drug dealers around community where there are kids. Childcare Childcare was identified as a top problem by 15% of Non-Latino respondents. It did not emerge as a top issue identified by a significant percentage of Latino respondents and responding Agencies—2 respondents in each of these survey groups mentioned the issue.

4-9 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

FIVE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEMS AFFECTING LATINOS—LATINO SURVEY RESPONSES LANGUAGE/CULTURAL BARRIERS ______Ø Language barrier. Inability to communicate Ø Need more bilingual people around federal office Ø Educating Latinos to the culture (read or write) in English. (17) Ø Lack home health care workers who speak Spanish. of park and open space care Ø Cultural shock: (Lack of knowledge about Ø Lack of linguistically and culturally competent social services Ø Shyness the law in the USA, educational & cultural Ø Agencies with bilingual persons Ø Trust issues... language barriers (2) Ø Bilingual Teachers Ø Religion Ø Job training/placement in Spanish Ø Not being fully integrated in the community Ø Not enough bilingual staff EDUCATION: ______Ø Education (5) Ø Education: (dropping out, lack family support to Ø Education: College student, ESL; High Ø Lack of Education (3) study, low expectations for children, teens. etc. School: academic under achievement -- Ø Education - adults and for children Ø Low educational levels many free days, as well as "free time" Ø Literacy ( both English, Spanish) Ø Education: Lack of time, uninformed about Ø Bilingual Teachers available economic and social resources EMPLOYMENT: ______Ø Employment/Lack of Jobs. (10) Ø Training for jobs Ø Low Wages/Low Income (2) Ø Economical/Laboral Struggle (due to immigration, unemployment, Ø Wages below minimum wage. Latinos also suffer because they are not housing, etc. and other economic consequences) paid more than minimum wage. (2) Ø Lack of jobs and economic opportunity LEADERSHIP / COMMUNITY ISSUES: ______Ø Limited pool of Latinos with extra time to devote to worthwhile projects or Ø Lack of progressive, efficient or productive political leadership to provide leadership and mentoring Ø Lack of visible leadership & advocates Ø Challenges of daily living make it difficult to find time for projects Ø Lack of organizations that can voice concerns on behalf of Latinos Ø We can only serve on so many boards, projects Ø Lack of an organized constituency Ø There appear to be internal struggles among different Latinos, i.e. Ø Lack of a proactive agenda for Latinos in Mercer county Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans. This challenges/discourages Ø Leadership participation. Ø Politically knowledgeable Ø Conflicts among the various groups of Latinos Ø Lack of communication among Hispanics Ø Lack political representation & power Ø Divided community Ø Center for people to go and get help staffed with trained personnel MENTAL HEALTH/FAMILY ISSUES: ______Ø Violence in the family (couples, against Ø Broken families: (living in their original Ø Lack of linguistically and culturally competent children, etc.) (3) countries - many Latinos remarry or live with social services (2) Ø Child Abuse (2) another couple, have more kids, etc. Ø Lack of access to community services Ø Mental health (2) Ø Long-term counseling in Spanish (depression, Ø Parental loss of authority as children exceed Ø Too many people living together sometimes addiction, etc.) parents education/literacy IMMIGRATION, STATUS & UNDOCUMENTED: ______Ø Immigration Ø Learning opportunities for career advancements for Ø Do not have legal US status. (2) Ø Legal documentation. undocumented Ø Not being a resident Ø Adequate jobs for Ø Issues of Citizenship Ø Help with immigration at an affordable cost undocumented Ø They do not know their rights HOUSING: ______Ø Housing (7) Ø Adequate housing Ø Poor housing conditions Ø Housing problems HEALTHCARE: ______Ø Medical insurance (2) Ø Substance abuse Ø Healthcare (2) Ø Quality, affordable healthcare Ø Lack of home health care workers who speak Spanish. Ø Lack of access to medical services INFORMATION & REFERRAL: ______Ø Latinos are unaware of what's available in terms of service Ø Lack of information/knowledge about community programs and other services to which they are entitled (6) DISCRIMINATION: ______Ø Racism (4). Ø Oppression, Racism and Prejudice Ø Discrimination against Latinos DRUG & ALCOHOL: ______Ø Drugs (2) Ø Drug dealers around community where there are kids Ø Drug/Alcohol prevention Ø Substance abuse TRANSPORTATION: ______Ø Transportation (3) Ø Not having a driver’s license MISCELLANEOUS: ______Ø Childcare, quality/affordable (2) Ø Community trash and cleanliness (2)

4-10 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

FIVE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEMS AFFECTING LATINOS—NON-LATINO SURVEY RESPONSES LANGUAGE/CULTURAL BARRIERS: ______Ø Language barriers (8) Ø Difficulty communicating (English) (2) Ø English as a second language Ø Lack of English skills Ø Language- Reading in English is limited Ø Inadequate communications-Language barrier with adults Ø Very little English, especially the women. Ø Language/Cultural Gap Ø Spanish illiteracy and lack of English HOUSING: ______Ø Housing (7) Ø Housing Availability Ø Lack of affordable housing (6) Ø Overcrowded Housing Ø Affordable housing (landlords refusal to rent to large families Ø Safe, affordable and stable housing consisting of several generations) Ø Educating Latinos to the culture of park and open space care Ø Housing. Additional low-income housing badly needed in Princeton Ø Not being fully integrated in the community EMPLOYMENT: ______Ø Employment (4) Ø Low wages Ø Subsistence Wages Ø Lack of marketable job skills Ø Winter unemployment Ø They receive extremely low paying wages but Ø Employability Ø Lack of good paying jobs are overworked Ø Permanent Employment Opportunities Ø Jobs w/benefits EDUCATION: ______Ø Lack of education (2) Ø Access to affordable Higher Education for Ø Need for literacy programs for older Ø Need for education (2) High School graduates secondary and adults with little formal Ø Shortage of ESL classes Ø Under-education education. Ø Lack of High School Education Ø Drop out Ø Illiteracy in Spanish and English Ø Schools IMMIGRATION, STATUS & UNDOCUMENTED: ______Ø Immigrant status (5) Ø Latinos who feel they can't go for help due to immigration issues. Ø Immigration issues Ø No U.S. citizenship No Social Security numbers to input information (if Ø Citizenship (immigration laws) previous is the case) Ø No SS numbers for undocumented results in low paying jobs and Ø Access to, benefits, employment, driving privileges, higher education, no financial aid, no college for children etc., due to undocumented status. INADEQUATE SERVICES/MAINSTREAM LACKS KNOWLEDGE: ______Ø Not enough services or people who understand what those services Ø Not enough agencies that are set up to address issues/problems need to be for this population. Ø Agency support Ø People who think they're helping, but have no idea as to the real issues. Ø Community support Ø Lack of awareness on the part of mainstream community of Latino Ø Latino organizations not reaching out to other agencies and needs. advocating for their non English speaking consumers. Ø Lack of services Ø Interpreters HEALTHCARE: ______Ø Need for health care Ø Lack of health insurance Ø Health education Ø Healthcare benefits Ø Lack of proper health care/poor health care. Ø Health (physical and mental) MENTAL HEALTH/FAMILY ISSUES: ______Ø Mental health services Ø Alcohol Consumption Ø Lack of alcohol-free place in John- Ø Family stress/abuse/alcohol Ø Alcoholism/excessive drinking Witherspoon neighborhood where Latinos Ø Parenting issues can socialize. TRANSPORTATION: ______Ø Transportation. Convenient public service to Ø Transportation to Nursery School Ø Transportation places of employment not always available. Ø Transportation (bike paths, driver's license, Ø Transportation to services public transportation) CHILDCARE: ______Ø Childcare (3) Ø Affordable Childcare MISCELLANEOUS______Ø Rip-offs by notorious and unethical lawyers who overcharge and often Ø Expanding their circle of influence Ø Misfile or do not file immigration applications. Ø Community resources (viable) Ø Racism, Prejudice Ø Low income Youth Interaction Ø Lack of convenient public laundry facilities in John-Witherspoon neighborhood

4-11 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

FIVE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEMS AFFECTING LATINOS—AGENCY SURVEY RESPONSES

LANGUAGE BARRIER______Ø Language barrier. (12) Ø Lack of linguistically and culturally appropriate Ø Lack of bilingual support groups, Ø Language (ESL) social service resources Ø Not aware of their entitlements due to Ø Language and cultural barriers Ø Communication barriers language barrier—lack of communications Ø Language barrier & literacy Ø Communications problems (lack English) Ø Cultural barriers. Ø Language barriers and barriers to services Ø Lack of interpreter services - not accessible Ø Cultural differences. Ø ESL classes at hours that they can access info. Ø Acculturation Ø ESL or other language barriers Ø Lack of interpreters Ø Feel intimidated Ø Inability to speak English Ø Reliable translators in police Ø Community doesn't understand their culture Ø Limited understanding of English language departments/courts. Ø For Latino seniors: cultural reluctance to seek Ø Lack of bilingual staff & professionals at local help outside family/community govt. offices, schools, and businesses EMPLOYMENT/ECONOMIC ______Ø Employment. (4) Ø Job Placement Ø Poorly paying jobs Ø Unemployment (3) Ø Jobs with no documentation Ø Limited jobs available. Ø Financial (2) Ø Difficulty obtaining employment. Ø Wages Ø Employment -Fair working/Living wage Ø Income Ø Poverty and homelessness HOUSING______Ø Affordable housing (6) Ø Housing opportunities to undocumented Ø Overcrowding in dwellings Ø Housing (8) population Ø Housing problems Ø Poor quality housing. IMMIGRATION & STATUS ______Ø Immigration status/issues (9) Ø Limits to services for undocumented status Ø Emergency funds for undocumented, especially Ø Immigration resources (affordable) Ø Lack of documentation. if in a domestic violence situation. Ø Legal Documentation HEALTHCARE ______Ø Health Care (5) Ø Access to health care. Ø Insufficient funds to pay for needed Ø Health Insurance (3) Ø Medical care. medications. Ø Lack of health insurance (2) Ø Increasing HIV incidence INFORMATION & REFERRAL ______Ø Lack access to information about resources Ø Lack of knowledge re: available services. Ø Not utilizing community resources Ø Lack of education especially health issues. Ø Difficulty accessing services Ø Negotiating healthcare and social service Ø Lack of knowledge how to access services Ø Resources available systems Ø Lack of knowledge of laws, etc. Ø Don't know services exist. EDUCATION ______Ø Education (4) Ø Literacy Ø Lack of schooling/education. MENTAL HEALTH ______Ø (MH) long-term therapy addiction parenting skills Ø Difficulty accessing mental health services: Spanish-speaking Ø Mental health mental health consumers have less choice of service providers because not all Ø Mental Health Issues--depression: alcoholism; housing; jobs; family agencies have Spanish-speaking staff. Even for agencies such as ours breakdown/dysfunction--parent child issues that have made it a priority, it is extremely difficult to recruit Master's Ø Family issues especially with adolescents and teen prepared clinicians. TRANSPORTATION ______Ø Transportation (3) Ø Transportation limitations. Ø Lack of Transportation DRUG AND ALCOHOL ______Ø Substance abuse (2) Ø Drunk Driving Ø Alcoholism. MISCELLANEOUS ______Ø Child Care/Daycare (2) Ø Driving without a license Ø Legal aid Ø Distrust of police that results in Ø Driving without Insurance Ø Legal representation in their language failure to report crimes Being Ø Lack peers to identify with—few role models. (affordable). ripped off by notarios and Ø Lack of political power Ø Non-compliant care. disreputable lawyers. Ø Racism and oppression Ø Recreational outlets

4-12 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

SERVICES LATINOS NEED THAT DON'T EXIST OR ARE NOT BEING ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED BY EXISTING SERVICES Survey respondents were asked in an open-ended question to identify what services Latinos need that don’t exist or are not being adequately addressed by existing services. The chart below reflects the percentage of respondents under each survey group that identified the issue related to a needed service.

LATINO RESPONSES NON-LATINO RESPONSES AGENCY RESPONSES Mental Health Services 39% Language Instruction 50% Bilingual Staffing/Resources 58% Health 33% Immigration, Status & Legal Services 31% Health/Dental Care 18% Language Instruction 30% Mental Health Services 31% Immigration/Legal Services 16% Employment/Job Training 27% Affordable Housing 27% Affordable Housing 11% Immigration, Status & Legal Services: 27% Education 27% Employment/Job Training 11% Advocacy/Support Services 21% Health 23% Language Instruction 11% Affordable Housing 21% Child Care 15% Education 8% Education 12% Recreation- Youth Activities 15% Information & Referral 9% Community Relations 15% Transportation 12% Employment/Job Training 12% Advocacy/Support Services 8%

All three respondent groups had six areas in common regarding needed services: health, affordable housing, employment/job training, language instruction, education and immigration, status and legal services. Latino and Non-Latino respondents had eight areas in common—both also had mental health and advocacy/support services as needed services. In addition to the needed services identified in common, Latino respondents identified information and referral; Non-Latinos had recreation—youth activities, support services, transportation, childcare, and community relations; and responding Agencies identified bilingual staffing and resources. Mental Health Services The largest percentage of Latino respondents (39%) and 31% of Non-Latino respondents identified mental health as a need that is not being adequately addressed by existing services. Mental health services listed included the need for: more counseling services in Spanish (counseling exists, but not enough); bilingual counselors and psychiatrists; more Spanish-speaking mental health workers— individual, group and couple counseling; emergency services; advocacy services; more support for parents of school-age children; guidance and school counseling, substance abuse services, social services for men, job search and placement, medical services, education counseling offered in a linguistically and culturally competent manner; long-term therapy with qualified professionals; Spanish-speaking speech pathologist; and Spanish-speaking therapists for speech, hearing aids and special needs. Language Instruction Services addressing the language barrier and the necessity for English language skills were the needs identified by the largest percentage of Non-Latino respondents (50%) and 30% of Latino and 11% of Agency respondents. Service needs named and suggestions include: more language (ESL) programs: accessible, affordable, free programs to teach English to low income persons with a focus on survival skills; organize groups to teach persons who don’t speak English or provide free English classes; more interpreters; language (lack of funding limits what we can do); ESL classes should be marketed more among highly populated Latino areas by agencies or schools that offer them—these agencies or schools should also be able to readily refer them to immigration and other services needed that fit the person's or their family's situation; language barriers to getting transportation - cabs, buses, etc.; after-school programs for children from non-English speaking families; only have a message in Spanish if you actually have someone who speaks Spanish to help them in your office.

4-13 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

Bilingual Staffing and Resources Responding Agencies overwhelmingly (58%) identified the need for bilingual staffing and resources as the biggest service need. The next highest service need identified by Agency respondents were listed by 18% of this survey group. The issue of bilingual staffing was also mentioned by the other survey groups but in the context of specific areas such as mental health. In the area of bilingual staffing and resources, Agency respondents listed: a resource so that we could access an interpreter via the telephone; access to bilingual and bicultural providers including: personnel in healthcare and social service organizations, mental health/counseling services, long-term therapy, psychiatric services, linguistically and culturally appropriate health services; bilingual staff & professionals at local government offices, schools, and businesses; bilingual professionals (doctors, nurses, teachers, etc.); outreach in Spanish to provide information about community resources on negotiating systems; quality non-family translation; reliable translators in police departments/courts; Spanish materials (e.g.) brochures, flyers, networking; help in completing forms and applications; assistance in obtaining proper driving credentials; and education in what is expected from them as members of the community. Health/Dental Care The need for additional health services to meet the needs of this population was identified by 33% of Latino respondents and 23% of Non-Latino respondents, while 18% of responding Agencies identified service gaps in health and dental care. Service needs include: affordable health insurance/access to services; doctors and medicines - most Latinos do not have insurance; home health care services in Spanish; medical and dental insurance or affordable services for the undocumented; dentistry is unaffordable health programs with bilingual personnel - not enough medical personnel who speak the language; more medical services for undocumented persons; pregnant women that don't have health coverage are not aware of the resources available in the community; inadequate health and dental services including preventative health care; accessibility to preventative measures; Screening, education and follow-up regarding chronic conditions; and special needs services for Latino children. Immigration, Status & Legal Services All three survey groups identified legal status and legal services as services needed in the area of immigration, all: Latinos 27%, Non-Latinos 31% and Agencies 16%. Areas of needed services that were listed included: assistance with immigration/legal status/documentation; orientation on legal issues for the undocumented; immigration counseling; provide work permits; providing access to housing, employment, benefits, driving privileges, higher education, etc. for the undocumented; legal services—accessibility to assistance from law—affordable legal representation in their language; more immigration services that will help foreign with legal status in this country. Affordable Housing The need to provide affordable housing was identified by 27% of Non-Latino, 21% of Latino and 11% of Agency respondents. Issues mentioned included: Fair price, protection against [landlords] who take advantage of them; rental property control; Affordable housing exists, but not enough; Additional low-income housing badly needed in Princeton; bilingual housing services. Employment/Job Training The three survey groups—Latinos 27%, Non-Latinos 12% and Agencies 11%, listed the need for services related to employment and job training. Employment with fair salaries, health insurance and opportunities for professional advancement; training to further their education or job skills; vocational training; employment opportunities for limited English speakers. Education Educational issues were among the top service needs areas identified by the three survey groups— Non-Latinos 27%, Latinos 12% and Agencies 8%. Educational service needs listed included: illiteracy— some don’t know how to read or write in Spanish; need literacy programs for older

4-14 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

secondary school students and adults with little formal education; job training; assistance in public school system—adequate education, K-12 and secondary; better education improvement programs (summer) for the children so that they can be mainstreamed into the American academic structure as quickly as possible Advocacy/Support Services Latino (21%) and Non-Latino (8%) respondents identified the need for advocacy and support services. Areas of concern and suggestions included: addressing discrimination (employment, social, educational, etc.); having more Hispanics in governmental office, social service agencies and in all institutions that serve the community; providing "advocate" type services that assists them and shepherds them through various activities - immigration status, driver's license, housing, social service resources, ways of living in the US, school, bank, court, etc; help getting work, food and housing; political representation; and leadership training. Information & Referral In addition to the areas in common with the Non-Latino and Agency respondents, Latinos (9%) identified advocacy, and information and referral as community needs not being met. This area of service includes: providing information about and referral to available programs and services in the community; services exist but many in the community don’t know what is available; and provide information about their rights. Non-Latino Respondents identified 4 additional areas they considered were not being adequately addressed by existing services: Child Care (15% Non-Latino) Ongoing affordable quality childcare: affordable childcare exists, but not enough. Recreation—Youth Activities (15% Non-Latino) A greater outreach of publicity to the Hispanic population regarding recreation offerings (mostly summer) so that the children have something to do in the summer; summer sports and activities for teens; family-oriented community activities for socialization and education; lack of alcohol-free place in John-Witherspoon neighborhood (Princeton) where Latinos can socialize. Community Relations (15% Non-Latino) Latino organizations need better outreach services and also better communication with providers in the Trenton area; Invite Latinos in the community to join the boards of agencies that are supposed to be helping Latinos; community support and acceptance; lack of awareness on the part of mainstream community of Latino's needs. Transportation (12% Non-Latino) Additional less expensive public transportation; convenient public service to places of employment is not always available.

4-15 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

SERVICES LATINOS NEED: LATINO SURVEY RESPONSES MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: ______Ø Mental health (3) Education Counseling—–offered in a linguistically and culturally Ø Mental health services—more Spanish-speaking mental health workers competent manner (2) Ø Long-term therapy w/qualified professionals Ø All individual, group and couple counseling: Emergency Services, Ø Counseling Advocacy Services, Ø We need professional counseling Ø Guidance and School Counseling, Substance Abuse Services, Social Ø Therapists in Spanish for hearing aids, speech and special needs Services for Men, Job search and placement, Medical Services, Ø Spanish-speaking speech pathologist. Ø Spanish-speaking therapists HEALTH:______Ø Access to healthcare (2) Ø Home health care services in Spanish Ø Medical and dental insurance or affordable Ø Doctors and medicines - Most Latinos do not Ø Medical coverage for undocumented. services for the undocumented have insurance Ø Medical assistance Ø More medical services for undocumented Ø Health insurance/access to services. Ø Health programs with bilingual personnel persons. Ø Detox centers IMMIGRATION, STATUS & LEGAL SERVICES:______Ø Assistance with immigration. (3) Ø Orientation on legal issues for the Ø Provide work permits Ø Legal documentation. undocumented Ø Immigration Counseling Ø Medical coverage for undocumented. Ø Assist Latinos with their legal status LANGUAGE:______Ø More language (ESL) programs (3) Ø There is also a need for affordable ESL courses. Ø Learn English as second language Ø ESL classes: accessible - focus on Ø More interpreters Ø Provide more free programs to teach English to survival skills Ø Organize groups to teach persons who don’t speak low income persons Ø Interpreters for the Latin people English or provide free English classes. Ø They need to go to school to learn English EMPLOYMENT/JOB TRAINING: ______Ø Employment (2) Ø Employment with fair salaries & health insurance Ø Better salaries for Latinos Ø Employment rights Ø Vocational training Ø More and better jobs with better salaries and Ø Job training Ø Training, to further their education or job skills. opportunities for professional advancement ADVOCACY: ______Ø People that accompany them to the school, bank, court, etc to advocate Ø Political representation (advocacy, writing to representatives, etc.) Ø Advocacy Ø More Hispanics are needed in governmental office, social service Ø Advocacy and support against discrimination (laboral, social, educ., etc.) agencies and in all institutions that serve the community. Ø Center for people to go and get help staffed with trained personnel. Ø Leadership training AFFORDABLE HOUSING ______Ø Apartments for low-income families. Ø Affordable housing - Fair price, Ø Housing bilingual services (2) protection against tenants (landlords?) Ø Access to more affordable housing Ø Housing (2) who take advantage of them. EDUCATION: 4 ______Ø Literacy Ø Educational Services within everyone’s reach Ø Some don’t know how to read or write in Spanish Ø We need more schooling for Latino children INFORMATION & REFERRAL: 3______Ø Most of them exist [services] but for some reason people don't find out Ø Informational classes about services available in their community about them. Ø Information about our rights as Latinos MISCELLANEOUS ______Ø Childcare Ø More culturally competent enrichment program for youth, especially first- Ø Transportation for senior citizens for daily living time offenders. Ø Access to public (social benefits such as Welfare, etc.) Ø Legal Services Ø We need activities for the children and to keep them away from drugs.

4-16 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

SERVICES LATINOS NEED: NON-LATINO SURVEY RESPONSES LANGUAGE:______Ø Classes for English as a second language. (2) Ø Language barriers to getting transportation - cabs, buses, etc. Ø Language (we offer the language component, but our lack of funding Ø Phone messages in Spanish at agencies that are supposed to help limits what we can do) Latinos. Ø ESL classes should be more marketed among highly Latino populated Ø Only have a message in Spanish if you actually have someone who areas by agencies or schools that offer them. These agencies or schools speaks Spanish to help them in your office. should also be able to readily refer them to immigration services if need Ø ESL classes offered at reasonable cost and reasonable hours. be and any others that fit the person's or their family's situation. Ø Difficulty communicating (lack of English) Ø Concentration on improving English language & comprehension. Ø After school programs for children from non-English speaking families Ø Increased help with language barrier. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ______Ø More counseling services in Spanish Ø Counseling services (3) Ø Bilingual counselors and psychiatrists Ø More support for parents of school-age Ø Counseling exists, but not enough children Ø Mental health services EDUCATION: ______Ø Literacy Ø Education Ø Better education improvement programs Ø Need for literacy programs for older Ø Need for education (summer) for the children so that they can be secondary and adults with little formal Ø Job Training mainstreamed into the American academic education. structure as quickly as possible. Ø Adult literacy education AFFORDABLE HOUSING: ______Ø Affordable housing (4) Ø Affordable housing exists, but not enough Ø Affordable housing/rental property control Ø Housing. Additional low-income housing badly needed in Princeton. HEALTH:______Ø Medical - not enough medical personnel who speak the language Ø Pregnant women that don't have health coverage are not aware of the Ø Health education resources available in the community. Ø Health needs Ø Need for health care services Ø Medical coverage and accessibility to preventive measures. IMMIGRATION, STATUS & LEGAL SERVICES ______Ø Immigration services (2) Ø Immigration issues Ø Access to housing, employment, benefits, driving privileges, higher Ø Legal help to become naturalized citizens education, etc., due to undocumented status. Ø Legal services Ø Legal status Ø Accessibility to assistance from law CHILD CARE: ______Ø Child Care (2) Ø ESL exists, but not enough Ø Affordable child care exists, but not enough Ø Ongoing affordable quality childcare RECREATION- YOUTH ACTIVITIES______Ø There needs to be a greater outreach of publicity to the Hispanic Ø Family-oriented community activities for socialization and education. population in regard to recreation offerings (mostly summer) so that the Ø Lack of alcohol-free place in John-Witherspoon neighborhood where children have something to do in the summer. Latinos can socialize. Ø Summer sports and activities for teens. COMMUNITY RELATIONS______Ø Invite Latinos in the community to join the boards of agencies that are Ø Lack of awareness on the part of mainstream community of Latino's supposed to be helping Latinos needs. Ø Community support and acceptance Ø Latino organizations need better outreach services and also better communication with providers in the Trenton area TRANSPORTATION______Ø More less expensive public transportation Ø Transportation. Convenient public service to Ø Transportation places of employment not always available EMPLOYMENT/JOB TRAINING______Ø Employment (2) Ø Decent pay for honest work SUPPORT SERVICES______Ø An "advocate" type service that supports the people and shepherds them through various Ø Help getting work, food and housing activities - immigration status, driver's license, housing, social service resources, ways of living in the US

4-17 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

MISCELLANEOUS ______Ø Racism exists, and issues of inclusion need to Ø Lack of convenient public laundry facilities in Ø I believe that most services are available- be addressed High School is divided; e.g., all John-Witherspoon neighborhood maybe more d/A services could be used Latinos are in one unit (Hightstown) Ø Benefits and representation in the community. Ø Increased direct care services for this Ø New parent education classes Ø Family support; population Ø Alcoholism/excessive drinking. Ø Enforcement entities;

SERVICES LATINOS NEED: AGENCY SURVEY RESPONSES BILINGUAL STAFFING/RESOURCES______Ø A resource so that we could access an interpreter via the telephone. Ø Lack of bilingual support groups Ø Access to bilingual and bicultural providers Ø Lack of bilingual staff & professionals at local gov. Ø Bilingual personnel in healthcare and social service organizations offices/schools/businesses Ø Bilingual staff in social service agencies Ø Quality non-family translation Ø I can only speak for the deaf Latinos I've worked with & they cannot Ø Reliable translators in police departments/courts access services due to the lack of interpreters being offered by Ø Not enough bilingual professionals (doctors, nurses, teachers, etc.) agencies. Ø Computer instruction in Spanish Ø Inadequate mental health/counseling services including insufficient Ø Not enough public relation within Spanish community. number of bi-lingual, bi-cultural counselors. Ø We need to bring awareness to Hispanics about programs. Spanish Ø Linguistically and culturally appropriate health services materials (e.g.) brochures, flyers networking. Ø Long-term therapy in Spanish by a qualified professional. Ø Education in what is expected from them as members of the community. Ø Not enough translation to adequately inform Latinos of different We need a more open forums with the Latino community, however, when services they are scheduled, the attendance is poor Ø Outreach in Spanish to provide information about community Ø Help in completing forms and applications resources on negotiating systems Ø Assistance in obtaining proper driving credentials Ø Bilingual psychiatric services HEALTH/DENTAL CARE ______Ø Affordable health insurance Ø Medical coverage and accessibility to Ø Screening, education and follow-up regarding Ø Inadequate health and dental services preventative measures chronic conditions. including preventative health care Ø Dentistry-unaffordable Ø special needs services for Latino children Ø Medical and dental services. IMMIGRATION/LEGAL SERVICES______Ø Legal representation in their language Ø Legal services including immigration services Ø Immigration resources (affordable) (affordable). Ø More immigration services that will help foreign with legal Ø Legal Counsel Ø Legal services status in this country. AFFORDABLE HOUSING______Ø Affordable housing (4)

EMPLOYMENT/JOB TRAINING ______Ø Job training (2) Ø Employment opportunities for limited English speakers Ø Job readiness LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION ______Ø English as a second language - Ø English as a Second Language (2) greater access to this service Ø ESL classes are inadequate EDUCATION______Ø Educational services Ø Adequate education, K-12 and secondary Ø Assistance in public school system MISCELLANEOUS______Ø After school programs for children. Activities Ø Emergency funds for undocumented, especially if in a Ø Mentoring for teens. Family oriented activities for domestic violence situation. Ø Resources socialization and education Ø Financial services Ø Transportation (2) Ø Recreational outlets Ø I think many services exist but are not well utilized by Ø Childcare services (2) immigrants in this community. Health care; ESL; jobs. Ø Counseling - financial especially Ø Mental Health Services;

4-18 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AMONG LATINO POPULATIONS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF LATINOS

Cultural, Class and Language LATINO RESPONDENTS Differences All three survey groups overwhelmingly CULTURAL, CLASS, LANGUAGE 55% indicated that in providing services to DIFFERENCES the Latino population one must consider

ACCULTURATION, GENERATIONAL, cultural, class and language differences. 12% ENGLISH FLUENCY According to the survey respondents: There are 21 Hispanic countries including Spain with important NON-LATINO RESPONDENTS differences between them. Organizations and their staff should be CULTURAL, CLASS, LANGUAGE 54% educated about these differences. DIFFERENCES Different groups take in and interpret information differently depending on 19% cultural values. Differences include EDUCATIONAL customs, traditions, religious beliefs, foods, child rearing practices, home practices, business practices, level of AGENCY RESPONDENTS education, socio-economic levels, cultural differences between regions CULTURAL, CLASS, LANGUAGE 53% such as urban and rural, the different DIFFERENCES reasons for immigrating. More qualified 18% IMMIGRATION & STATUS bilingual & multicultural staff is needed. It is not enough just to speak ACCULTURATION, GENERATIONAL, 11% Spanish; staff working with this ENGLISH FLUENCY population must understand historical 8% EDUCATIONAL realities, cultures, family roles, and individual experiences of Latinos in this country. Behavioral: Guatemalans are usually very shy/modest/submissive people in contrast to Argentineans or Columbians. Puerto Ricans are seeking a strong advocacy agenda, while other groups are in need of basic services such as housing, food, shelter, and translation assistance. The Caribbean folks are more open to trying more innovative things; many from Central and South America are more resistant to new things. Most have the dream of going back and don't want to become too Americanized. Cultural: Each Latino group has a unique culture and hierarchy while sharing some basic cultural similarities. Male and female roles in the family need to be understood, as well as the roles and expectations of male and female children in the family. Understanding the responsibilities of the children when the parents work more than one job to feed, house and clothe the children. There are some "class" issues. Some men come here without families to earn money and send home. They are "disconnected", live in crowded conditions, and tend to drink. Latinos are generally more family oriented and are very close knit. The father in the family has a lot more control. Macho culture makes it difficult for women to be more public in their needs.

4-19 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

Status: Economic, educational differences, power. For example: Puerto Ricans have more access to benefits than other Latinos. Class system sometimes exists between less educated Latinos vs. more educated Latinos (look down on the less educated). Language: While a common language unites Latinos, there are significant differences in the way they speak. There are many dialects and different expressions; some words commonly used by one Latino group may be offensive to another group. Learning what certain phrases mean to them is a huge part of cultural sensitivity. Inter-group Issues: Most people lumped together as Hispanics or Latinos do not identify with or appreciate this label but strongly identify with national origin identity. There is prejudice and tension among some Latino groups: Puerto Ricans vs. Dominicans vs. Mexicans vs. Guatemalans, etc. Acculturation, Generational, English Fluency Latinos (12%) and Agencies (11%) identified the level of acculturation as a significant factor in differences among Latinos that should be considered. The level of acculturation is also reflected in their level of English fluency and the generational differences between the immigrant parents and children raised in the U.S. Survey respondents indicated the following: Differences between generation, culture shock and children more Americanized than their parents. Recent immigrants are at a disadvantage because they don't know how the system works. They find themselves confused and disoriented. This causes them to make many mistakes and this is how they learn—through trial and error. Recent immigrants need more culturally sensitive services compared to other groups. Latinos that are born here and speak the language have an advantage over those Latino families that have more recently immigrated to the U.S. and are limited in English proficiency. We should explore this question in the context of age and generational differences. Anecdotal information suggests that our young people have barriers to secondary and post secondary education that severely limit professional opportunities into adulthood. This differs according to both income, urban vs. rural and ethnicity. Educational Non-Latino (19%) and Agency (8%) respondents identified educational levels and backgrounds as significant differences to consider. According to respondents: Educational needs vary significantly. Different levels of education and literacy. Central American "poor" have low levels. Some Latinos place high value on education; others are work-oriented and see education as a luxury. Immigration & Status Eleven percent (11%) of Agency respondents considered immigration and legal status as an important difference to consider in working with Latinos. Issues related to immigration and legal status: The greatest difference is between those who have legal immigration status and those who do not; citizenship issues are quite varied; undocumented Latinos have limited access to resources; availability of work visas—Costa Ricans are pursued by companies who recruit them; US immigration policies differ for each country depending on degree of US involvement in their country's politics.

4-20 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AMONG LATINO POPULATIONS—LATINO SURVEY RESPONSES CULTURAL, CLASS, LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES______Ø Cultural differences (i.e. Puerto Ricans, vs. Guatemalans, vs. Ø There is also tension among Latinos...Puerto Ricans vs. Dominicans vs. Ecuadorians); I would suggest that the needs are different for each Mexicans vs. Guatemalans, etc subgroup of Latinos in Mercer. Perhaps Puerto Ricans are seeking a Ø Beliefs (social). strong advocacy agenda, while other groups are in need of basic Ø Absolutely, we may be united by a common language, but that is about services such as housing, food, shelter, and translation assistance. it. Our subgroups need to be acknowledged. Ø Cultural differences, Class system between less educated Latinos vs. Ø Bilingual education (2 languages at the same time). more educated Latinos (look down on the less educated). Ø There are many differences within the various Latin American countries - Ø In the Latino community the different parts of one's origin needs to be customs, dialects, home practices and business practices. We need addressed. That is, there are significant differences from one Latino more qualified bilingual & multicultural staff that will be paid good salary American country to another. For example, different dialects, customs, to be situated in various agencies. It is not enough to speak Spanish. Do religious beliefs, etc. you understand the historical, environment structure, cultural, families’ Ø Yes. There are 21 Hispanic countries including Spain with important role, and individual experience of Latinos in this country? differences between them. This should be taken into account when Ø It is a subjective question but one that is of increasing importance given working for them. CBO's and staff should know more about these the increase in Latinos of different cultures with different education and differences and be educated on it. Behavioral differences: Guatemalans economic needs. are usually very shy/modest/submissive people vs. Argentineans or Ø There are significant differences in the way they speak, act and interpret Columbians are mostly the opposite way. Economical/Educational situations. differences/Power: Puerto Ricans have more access to benefits than Ø Undoubtedly, we are all Latinos but our customs and traditions are other Latinos, etc. Noticeable differences (original country). different. For example, some words commonly used by one Latino group Ø Foods are different. may be offensive to another group. Ø Child rearing practices. Ø There are differences in the language Ø Language dialect. Language Barrier. Ø Yes there are differences and, at times, we forget that we are Latinos but from different countries which have cultural differences. (2). ACCULTURATION, GENERATIONAL, ENGLISH FLUENCY______Ø Differences between generation & culture shock - children more severely limit professional opportunities into adulthood. This differs Americanized than their parents. according to both income, urban vs. rural and ethnicity. Ø Perhaps we should explore this question in the context of age and Ø Recent immigrants are at a disadvantage because they don't know how generational differences. Anecdotal information suggests that our young the system works. people have barriers to secondary and post secondary education that Ø They find themselves confused and disoriented. This causes them to make many mistakes and this is how they learn—through trial and error. MISCELLANEOUS ______Ø The Latino population in Mercer County must there is no consideration for seniority and how should take in consideration(?) Is that you come together as one group. We as Latinos many years they have worked there. have to make the Latino like you as family, in Mercer County are fragmented. Ø I work with Puerto Ricans consequently I don't they like to feel welcome. Ø There is much discrimination on the job in know much about our differences. Certainly relation to benefits and salaries and often they have to be. Is there something that you

SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AMONG LATINO POPULATIONS NON-LATINO SURVEY RESPONSES CULTURAL, CLASS, LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES ______Ø Variables include socio-economic levels, educational background, and Ø Significant difference are based on socio-economic status, both in cultural differences between regions parent country and in US Ø Enormous socio-economic, educational and cultural differences between Ø Yes that they are more family oriented and are very close knit The father immigrants from different countries and backgrounds in the family has a lot more control Ø There are a number of differences within the Latino communities. Just Ø Latino population is diverse: Puerto Rican, Columbian, Mexican, as there is prejudice elsewhere, there is prejudice amongst Latinos - Guatemalan, etc. There are some "class" issues. Some men come Puerto Ricans, Guatemalans, Cubans, Mexicans, etc. Each has a here without families to earn money and send home. They are different culture and hierarchy. 2. Male and female roles in the family "disconnected", live in crowded conditions, and tend to drink. need to be understood, as well as the roles and expectations of male Ø Certainly cultural differences and level of education. and female children in the family. 3. The responsibilities of the children Ø Yes, socio-economic factors/class differences, country of origin. when the parents work more than one job to feed, house and clothe the Ø Cultural differences should always be considered. children. 4. Like everyone else, they want what is best for their families. Ø Cultural differences among different nationalities. (Similarity). Ø Certain customs depending on where they come from. Ø I believe that the most significant difference is language and if they're Ø Cultural differences English speaking, then use of language. Learning what certain phrases mean to them which is a huge part of cultural sensitivity would dispel Ø Language issues may be taken into consideration. stereotypes, but it all starts with learning. EDUCATIONAL ______Ø Variables include socio-economic levels, educational background, and Ø Educational needs vary significantly cultural differences between regions Ø Different levels of education. Central American "Poor" have low levels. Ø Enormous socio-economic, educational and cultural differences between Different values. To some, work and earning money is more important immigrants from different countries and backgrounds than education. Ø Certainly cultural differences and level of education.

4-21 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

MISCELLANEOUS ______Ø None that I am aware of. Ø As with many groups, the most economically and educationally Ø There are many differences between the Latino populations. The disadvantaged populations are usually the neediest. In my current uniqueness of service recipients should always be taken into account. position, I have many families from Oaxaca, Mexico and Guatemala who However, I don't know the different populations well enough to know fit into that category. (Princeton) how services should differ. Ø Availability of work visas. People form Costa Rica are recruited by US Ø I have heard that Mexicans and Guatemalans sometimes don't get companies and can get visas more easily. Therefore, they are legal. US along, but I have no direct knowledge of this. politics If our country backed their govt., they do not get immigration Ø It appears that the Latino community helps each other and does not fully benefits. e.g. Cubans can get green cards after 1 year. Mexicans get access services that may be available to them outside their community. nothing. Mixed immigration statuses within a family. US born children, Ø Yes, Citizenship. For example, Puerto Ricans are US citizens and foreign-born children, documented spouse and undocumented spouse. Guatemalans are not. Ø Children who have grown up here have needs that differ from those who are newcomers.

SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AMONG LATINO POPULATIONS — AGENCY SURVEY RESPONSES CULTURAL, CLASS, LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES ______Ø Language (3) Ø It is my understanding that most people children remaining on bottles longer, children Ø Cultural differences (6) lumped together as Hispanics or Latino do not being "baby" for longer periods). Ø Differences in dialect identify with or appreciate this label but Ø Macho culture makes it difficult for women to Ø Urban/rural strongly identify with national origin identity. be more public in their needs. There are significant cultural differences, Ø Different groups take in and interpret Ø Sensitivity to differences in culture and information differently depending on cultural which need to be taken into account. customs values Ø Difference in actual Spanish translators Ø The Caribbean folks are more open to trying between different countries Ø Understand the different reasons for more innovative things; many from central immigrating. Ø Understanding cultural customs (such as and south America are more resistant to new whole families go with patient to the doctors, Ø Cultural differences—Strong family values things; Most have the dream of going back and don't want to become too Americanized IMMIGRATION & STATUS ______Ø Immigration status Ø Availability of work visas. Costa Ricans are Ø The greatest difference is between those who Ø Citizenship issues are quite varied pursued by companies who recruit them. US have legal immigration status and those who Ø Undocumented vs. Documented immigration policies differ for each country do not. The illegal immigrants are often afraid Ø Undocumented Latinos have limited access to depending on degree of US to access needed services. resources. Ø Providing services to undocumented Latinos ACCULTURATION, GENERATIONAL, ENGLISH FLUENCY______Ø Recent immigrants need more (culturally sensitive) services among all Ø Yes, those Latinos that are born here and speak the language have groups an advantage over those Latino families that have more recently Ø There are differences logistically (dialects, etc.) immigrated to the U.S. and are limited in English proficiency Ø There are generational issues that arise EDUCATIONAL ______Ø Different levels of education and literacy. Different values-some Ø Their education place high value on education; others are work-oriented. Ø Levels of educational differences MISCELLANEOUS ______Ø An understanding of the different needs within subgroups Ø Mistrust of Police Ø Involvement in their country's politics. Ø Our family statistic shown an increase in Guatemalans Ø Lack of information Ø None that I am aware of except when dealing with legal issues in their Ø Lack of political input. homes of origin (i.e. police corruption, etc.).

4-22 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

LOCAL AGENCIES/ORGANIZATIONS PERCEIVED AS DOING A GOOD JOB SERVING THE NEEDS OF LATINOS

Combined Responses Latino Respondents El Centro de Familia - Catholic Charities (Trenton) 42% El Centro de Familia - Catholic Charities (Trenton) 35% Puerto Rican Community Day Care (Trenton) 36% Churches 16% MECHA (Trenton) 24% MECHA (Trenton) 15% Churches 24% Puerto Rican Community Day Care (Trenton) 15%

Latinas Unidas/YWCA of Trenton, 11% Latinas Unidas of Trenton 15%

YWCA Princeton 11% Non-Latino Respondents

Community Action Service Center (Hightstown) 9% YWCA Princeton 38%

Corner House. (Princeton) 9% El Centro/Catholic Charities (Trenton) 31%

Latin American Task Force (Princeton) 9% Corner House (Princeton) 23%

Princeton Medical Center Clinic 8% Latin American Task Force (Princeton) 23%

Better Beginnings Day Care (Hightstown) 6% Princeton Medical Center Clinic 19%

Princeton Young Achievers 5% MECHA (Trenton) 15%

Womanspace (Trenton) 5% Princeton Young Achievers 15%

Churches 12% All three survey groups were asked to Agency Respondents identify those organizations that are perceived El Centro de Familia - Catholic Charities (Trenton) 32% as doing a good job serving the Latinos in their area. Top responses for each survey group Community Action Services Center (Hightstown) 16% indicate those organizations that were Latinas Unidas/YWCA of Trenton, 16% identified by a minimum of three respondents. The percentages for the combined responses Churches 13% reflect the total number of respondents from Better Beginnings Day Care (Hightstown) 8% the three survey groups that gave that response. Corner House. (Princeton) 8% Thirty-five percent (35%) of all survey respondents identified El Centro de Recursos MECHA (Trenton) 8% para Familias (El Centro) program of Catholic Princeton Medical Center Clinic 8% Charities in Trenton as a key organization serving the Latino population. This organization was identified by a significantly higher number of respondents than any other organization. The next highest organization identified by 16% of all respondents was area churches. It is important to note that some responses to this question were influenced by the area of service of respondents. Yet the responses indicate the organizations viewed as key organizations providing service to the Latino community. Three organizations appeared in the top listing for each group: El Centro of Catholic Charities, MECHA and Churches.

4-23 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

LATINO COMMUNITY STRENGTHS % OF RESPONDENTS IDENTIFYING ISSUE

LATINO RESPONDENTS NON-LATINO RESPONDENTS

HARD WORKING PEOPLE 33% FAMILY AND CULTURE 54%

WILLING TO HELP EACH OTHER 30% HARD WORKING PEOPLE 35%

FAMILY AND CULTURE 21% WILLING TO HELP EACH OTHER 27%

RELIGIOUS FAITH 9% EMERGING LEADERS & PROFESSIONALS 23%

LANGUAGE 9% RELIGIOUS FAITH 19%

Latino and Non-Latino key informant survey groups were asked to identify strengths that the Latino community has which can help it move forward. There was a significant amount of agreement. Both groups identified five key areas of strength and four of the five were the same: hardworking people; family and culture; willing to help each other; and religious faith. Non-Latino respondents also identified emerging leaders and professionals as a strength and Latino respondents identified a share language. Hardworking People Thirty-five percent (35%) of Non-Latino respondents and the largest percentage of Latino (33%) respondents identified Latinos as hardworking people. They viewed this quality as a strength which included: a strong work ethic; excellent workers; a willingness to do "whatever it takes"; having the capacity to overcome obstacles; they are consistent, like to make progress and advance—one respond indicated having especially noticed this among Latinos from Central America; ambitious and willing to be productive citizens to forge ahead as a people; determined to succeed; and their interest in working hard and settling in this community. Family and Culture The largest percentage, more than half, of Non-Latino respondents (54%) and 21% of Latino respondents viewed the Latino family and culture as one of the strengths of the Latino community. The family and cultural strengths include: Strong family natural support system; Strong commitment to children “believe in giving our children what we did have—education, a second language, cultural pride, etc”; their sense of family; most Latinos have large families and allow their extended families to live with them; strong family ties and mutual support and are willing to sacrifice to help those back home; strong commitment to their heritage—a very rich culture; they are used to facing frustration, poverty and family struggles—many times the struggles make them stronger Willing to Help Each Other Latinos 30% and Non-Latinos 27% found that a Latino strength was their willingness to help each other from a community perspective. They describe Latinos as: having a strong sense of community; the community is close knit and supportive; help each other in difficult times; by nature, like to help others; “we care about the progress of our people—employment, housing, health, education, medical/mental, etc”; many passionate leaders; the commitment and dedication of some community leaders and service providers who really care about the people more than their own personal agenda or political needs; inner community ties and support and informal information systems.

4-24 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

Religious Faith Both Non-Latinos (19%) and Latinos (9%) indicate that another strength of the Latino community is their religious faith. Descriptions included: they are a faith-filled people; spiritual strength; have strong Catholic ties or beliefs; very religious and devoted to church. Emerging Leaders & Professionals Twenty-three percent (23%) of Non-Latinos indicated that the Latino community has an emerging group of leaders and professionals that are part of the strength that can help it move forward. Comments included: emergence of more Latinos with professional training working in agencies and organizations; some emerging leadership; some Latino leaders within the community who are prepared to stand up and voice concerns; a well-integrated, educated professionals solid middle class; and currently, more Latino politicians. Language In addition, to the areas identified in common with the Non-Latino respondents, Latino respondents identified the common bond of the Spanish language as a strength of the Latino community. Speaking with someone that speaks your language gives you confidence and the freedom to overcome.

STRENGTHS THE LATINO COMMUNITY HAS WHICH CAN HELP IT MOVE FORWARD LATINO SURVEY RESPONSES HARD WORKING PEOPLE______Ø Hard working (4) Ø The capacity to always be ready to do whatever kind of work is needed. Ø Latinos are excellent workers. The capacity to overcome obstacles. Ø always willing to work Ø They are consistent, like to make progress and advance, I have Ø Willingness to do "whatever it takes" especially noticed this among Latinos from Central America Ø Generally, the Latino community is hardworking, dedicated and wants to Ø Willing to try advance. WILLING TO HELP EACH OTHER ______Ø Willingness to help each other Ø The commitment and dedication of some community leaders and service Ø Help each other in difficult times. providers who really care about our people more than their own personal Ø Good faith people. agenda or political needs. Ø Latinos supporting each other - CBO's, communities, etc. Ø We are strong when we are united. A lot of the progress we have made Ø We care about the process of our people - employment, housing, health, is as a result of the few people who are willing to help us. education, medical/mental, etc. Ø Many passionate leaders. Ø They also, by nature, like to help others. Ø Help for the children and low-income families. FAMILY AND CULTURE ______Ø Family oriented. (2) Ø In general, the cultures and language are the strength of the Latino Ø Strong family natural support system community Ø Strong commitment to children Ø It is a resilient, family oriented community Ø We believe in giving our children what we did have - education, a Ø They are used to facing frustration, poverty and family struggles. second language, cultural pride, etc. Ø Many times the struggles make them stronger LANGUAGE ______Ø In general, the cultures and language are the Ø Speaking with someone that speaks your Ø Strong Spanish language skills strength of the Latino community. language gives you confidence and the freedom to overcome. RELIGIOUS FAITH ______Ø Very religious and devoted to church. Ø Faith in God Ø Our religious belief MISCELLANEOUS______Ø Our youth others, not less. That is all we want. Equal Ø Many resources Ø The power to vote and change things. access to jobs, housing, education, etc. Ø Willingness to be educated Ø Education oriented Ø The strengths that many other communities Ø Board – offer English classes for Latinos have. We need to be recognized on par with

4-25 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

STRENGTHS THE LATINO COMMUNITY HAS WHICH CAN HELP IT MOVE FORWARD NON-LATINO SURVEY RESPONSES FAMILY AND CULTURE ______Ø A great strength is their sense of family. Most Ø Family strengths Ø Their culture Latinos I've seen have large families, but also Ø Strong family ties and mutual support Ø They are family oriented and are willing to allow their extended families to live with them. Ø Family oriented sacrifice to help those back home. They are a culture that can live because they Ø Sense of family, love of children Ø Strong commitment to its heritage work together Ø Strong family values and concern for the Ø They have a very rich culture. They want a Ø I find the Latino Community to have very high future of the children. better life for their children. family values. Ø Support of their families Ø A strong sense of family and community Ø Strong family values HARD WORKING PEOPLE______Ø Strong work ethic (3) Ø Ambition and willingness to be productive Ø Determination to succeed Ø Hard workers (2) citizens to forge ahead as a people Ø Their interest in working hard and settling in Ø Drive to succeed this community WILLING TO HELP EACH OTHER ______Ø As the community continues to live Ø Willingness to help one another Ø Their natural tendency toward here and to grow in size those who Ø Strong community unity community - they support each other have succeeded in establishing Ø Strong sense of community Ø Inner community ties and support; themselves can lead others. Ø The community is close knit and informal information systems (Princeton) supportive EMERGING LEADERS & PROFESSIONALS ______Ø Currently, more Latino politicians Ø More Latino professionals working in Ø Well-integrated, educated professionals solid Ø Emergence of more Latinos with professional agencies and organizations middle class training working in agencies and Ø Some Latino leaders within the community Ø Some emerging leadership organizations. who are prepared to stand up and voice concerns RELIGIOUS FAITH ______Ø Beliefs (spirituality) Ø They are a faith-filled people Ø Spiritual strength Ø Cohesive religious beliefs Ø They have strong Catholic ties or beliefs MISCELLANEOUS ______Ø Good People Ø They know their own needs. They respond to help when offered in a Ø Information travels quickly by "word of mouth." Most people are happy culturally aware manner. to take advantage of programs offered. Ø They are survivors Ø I also appreciate the fact that they are very rule abiding.

4-26 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

ISSUES THAT NEGATIVELY AFFECT LATINO COMMUNITY PROGRESS

LATINO RESPONDENTS NON-LATINO RESPONDENTS

33% RACISM/DISCRIMINATION IMMIGRATION STATUS 31%

LEADERSHIP/COMMUNITY ISSUES 30% 27% LANGUAGE BARRIERS/RESISTANCE

21% 23% EDUCATION STEREOTYPES

LANGUAGE BARRIERS 18% ECONOMIC ISSUES 19%

SERVICE/FUNDING NEEDS 18% CULTURAL/INTERCULTURAL 19%

12% HOUSING 12% HOUSING

9% 12% CULTURAL ISSUES SERVICE/FUNDING NEEDS

6% 8% STEREOTYPES LEADERSHIP

Latino and Non-Latino respondents were asked to identify internal or external issues that affect the progress of the Latino community. Latinos and Non-Latinos each identified 8 issues. They named 6 issues in common: cultural, housing, language barriers, leadership, stereotypes and service/funding needs. In addition to the issues both survey groups named, Latinos identified racism/discrimination and education. Non-Latinos identified economic issues and immigration status. Racism/Discrimination The largest percentage of Latino respondents (33%) identified racism and discrimination as issues that negatively impact the progress of Latinos in Mercer. Under this area the issues of prejudice, oppression and exploitation were included. While this placed first among the issues identified, it did not emerge among the issues named by Non-Latinos. Immigration Status The largest percentage of Non-Latinos (31%) identified immigration status as an issue that negatively affects the progress of the Latino community. Among the issues noted were: undocumented status makes full participation in this society difficult (or impossible); lack of documentation is a major problem that closes door to higher education; lack of trust due to fear of being reported to the BCIS (INS)—inequality of treatment by the US government. Latino respondents did not identify immigration status as a key obstacle to the progress of the Latino community. Leadership/Community Issues Thirty percent (30%) of Latino respondents identified leadership issues and community issues and 8% of Non-Latinos named leadership issues as affecting Latino community progress. The issues mentioned were: no Latino agenda locally with key stakeholders driving the issues; we can't seem to agree on "who are the leaders"—whether they earned this title or is it self-proclaimed; collaborations are hard—people tend to want what they want and seldom compromise—control issues or fear of losing something; we discriminate between us—conflicts between the different Latin American groups, ex: Puerto Ricans against Dominicans and vice versa, and etc; we need to be more united as a community; we need credible and capable leadership; we can’t stick together long on one issue; many criticisms and envy that some people have that they only see the negatives and not the positives; we should unite and work together to get more services for the Latino community; we have division of subgroups instead of overall unity and leadership; no "voice" in many meetings— 4-27 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

depend on representation by Non-Latinos; many are undocumented—sense of being disenfranchised; there appears to be difficulty in having middle and upper middle class Latinos become engaged with the rest of the community; there is not a volunteer ethic. Language Barriers and Resistance Twenty-seven percent (27%) of Non-Latino respondents identified language barriers confronting Latinos and what they perceived as Latino resistance or lack of motivation to learning the language. Eighteen percent (18%) of Latino respondents viewed the language barrier as an issue negatively affecting the progress of the Latino population but did not identify resistance or lack of motivation related to learning English as an issue. The language barrier issues included: the time it takes to learn another language; Many Latino adults speak little or no English; many Anglos speak little or no Spanish. Communication often is difficult. Organizations, businesses, etc. need to be efficiently staffed with persons that are bilingual to ensure that the Latino communities’ needs are met. The motivation and resistance issues mentioned were: the issue that negatively impacts the Latino community is the lack of motivation and perhaps resources to learn the English language; Compensations are made so there is no need to learn English; the lack of English skills and the resistance to accepting we live in an English speaking country and if you are not fluent in the language, then extra efforts should be made to do so. Stereotypes Twenty-three percent (23%) of Non-Latino and 6% of Latino respondents viewed stereotypes as one of the issues negatively affecting the progress of the Latino community: issues presented were: sometimes as Latinos we are perceived as being lazy not wanting to show self-worth or inspire our youth to be better than what we are or have become; stereotypes from outside communities as well as stereotypes within the community that don't allow growth; some people in the town perceive them as intruding and ruining neighborhoods (by overcrowding their homes); they are treated as if there are no differences in the countries they come from; external issues such as stereotypes, which group a culture into one lifestyle, belief, etc. also affects their progress because we, the outsiders think of them as "all the same—"that all we want to do with our women is to keep them barefoot & pregnant, and the Latino male is nothing more than an abusive, addictive, chauvinistic man”; the perceptions that we are all undocumented, thus unemployable; and perceptions of whites. Service/Funding Needs Eighteen percent (18%) of Latino and 12% of Non-Latino respondents identified service needs and funding issues as affecting Latino community progress. Issues listed were: lack of services needed by the community; frustration with helping systems; lack of funding; lack of support from government (economic, legal, etc. to legalize immigrants, avoid discrimination at schools, jobs, etc.); little information on funding for small businesses; too many people disinterested in taking the time to understand the needs—basic needs not being met—people in positions of authority making decisions based on their own values and not based on the values and needs of the Latino community; not enough help in schools to get a good education or financial help for higher education— standardized tests and the scores that are aimed at the upper middle to upper class white population. Education The issue of education as affecting progress was identified by 21% of Latino respondents. Low education levels: This is a barrier because it also impedes them to learn English early, or other skills to improve their lives. Issues included: higher education - too expensive; the lack of education, in many cases, is the reason why two or three jobs are needed to support the household; Latinos do not encourage their kids to continue higher education; lack the time to continue their education—many hours of work.

4-28 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

Cultural/Intercultural Nineteen percent (19%) of Non-Latinos identified cultural and intercultural issues as impacting progress. Nine percent (9%) of Latinos identified cultural issues. Factors listed included: cultural differences can make for difficult relationships. For example, overcrowded housing among Latinos leads to complaints about noise, garbage, etc; obligations to help others who have helped them; much reliability is placed on informal information systems, who often give out wrong information; machismo; Latina women won't participate in meetings without their husbands; Latina women don't drive cars; Relationships with other cultures are not as good as they could be; internal issues that negatively affect them might be the intercultural differences because not all Latinos are the same. Economic Issues Nineteen percent (19%) of Non-Latino respondents identified economic issues as affecting Latino community progress. The issues listed included: low wages and high cost of living; poverty; demands of work and low income make it difficult for immigrants to take advantage of many programs; programs in Princeton are available, but in different places, there is no central location providing information and services; their need to hold two or more jobs does not allow them time for ESL, education, job skill training. Housing Twelve percent (12%) of Latino and 12% of Non-Latino respondents identified housing as a concern affecting the progress Latinos. Issues mentioned include: lack of affordable housing; rents are too high; housing needs to be improved; many landlords neglect the properties; some landlords renting to undocumented will not repair or upkeep the apartments; housing regulations should be stricter to force landlords to repair and improve apartments since in some cases they are renting places that are barely habitable; and overcrowding in houses is a serious issue.

INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL ISSUES THAT NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE PROGRESS OF THE LATINO COMMUNITY—LATINO SURVEY RESPONSES RACISM/DISCRIMINATION ______Ø Racism (4) Ø Prejudice Ø Oppression Ø Discriminación racial Ø Ethnicity and age discrimination Ø Exploitation Ø Discrimination Ø Muchas veces es el racismo LATINO LEADERSHIP/COMMUNITY ______Ø No Latino agenda locally w/key stakeholders driving the issues. Ø We need credible and capable leadership. Ø We can't seem to agree on "who are the leaders?” Have they earned Ø Sincere unity and the fact that, we cant stick together long on one issue this title or is it self-proclaimed? Ø Conflicts between the different Latin American groups. Ø Collaborations are hard. People tend to want what they want and seldom Ø The many criticisms and envy that some people have that they only see compromise. Control issues or fear of losing something. the negatives and not the positives. We should unite and work together to Ø Another internal issue is that we discriminate between us, ex: Puerto get more services for the Latino community. Ricans against Dominicans and vice versa, and etc. Ø The division of subgroups instead of overall unity and leadership. Ø We also need to be more united as a community, and we are not. LANGUAGE BARRIERS ______Ø Language barriers. (5) Ø Language and cultural barriers SERVICE/FUNDING NEEDS ______Ø Lack of services needed by the community (2) Ø Little information on funding for small Ø Lack of support from government (economic, Ø Lack of funds (2) businesses legal, etc. to legalize immigrants, avoid discrimination at schools, jobs, etc.) EDUCATION ______Ø Low education levels: This is a barrier Ø In my opinion the lack of education, in many Ø Internal - Latinos do not encourage their kids because it also impedes them to learn English cases, is the reason why two or three jobs are to continue higher education. early, or other skills to improve their lives. needed to support the household. Ø Lack of education Ø Economic problems (low paid jobs) Ø External - Higher education - too expensive. Ø Lack the time to continue their education— many hours of work.

4-29 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

HOUSING ______Ø Lack of affordable housing. Ø Housing regulations should be stricter to force landlords to repair and Ø Housing needs to be improved. Many landlords neglect the properties. improve apartments since in some cases they are renting places that are Many landlords renting to undocumented will not repair or upkeep the barely habitable. apartments. Ø Rents are too high. CULTURAL ISSUES______Ø Latina women won't participate in meetings without their husbands. Latina women don't drive Ø Machismo (2) cars.

STEREOTYPES ______Ø That sometimes as Latinos we are perceived as being lazy not wanting them barefoot & pregnant, and the Latino male is nothing more than an to show self-worth or inspire our youth to be better than what we are or abusive, addictive, chauvinistic man. have become. Also that all we want to do with our women is to keep Ø The perceptions that we are all undocumented, thus unemployable MISCELLANEOUS ______Ø Alcoholism Ø In addition to what has been mentioned, there Ø Drugs Ø Low expectations about their children's future is a lack of staff to help Latinos carry out their Ø Legal Citizenry that abuses the in terms of education, employment, etc. ideas and succeed. As a community we have undocumented. little and sometimes no support.

INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL ISSUES THAT NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE PROGRESS OF THE LATINO COMMUNITY—NON-LATINO SURVEY RESPONSES IMMIGRATION STATUS______Ø Lack of documentation (2) Ø Their lack of documentation is a major Ø Immigration problems Ø Undocumented status makes full participation problem that closes door to higher education. Ø Their lack of trust due to fear of being in this society difficult (or impossible). Ø Immigration status reported to the BCIS (INS). The inequality of Ø Undocumented status; treatment by the US govt. STEREOTYPES ______Ø External; stereotypes from outside Ø Some people in the town perceive them as Ø External issues such as stereotypes, which communities as well as stereotypes within the intruding and ruining neighborhoods (by group a culture into one lifestyle, belief, etc. community that don't allow growth. overcrowding their homes); also affects their progress because we, the Ø Stereotyping Ø They are treated as if there are no differences outsiders think of them as "all the same." Ø Perceptions of whites in the countries they come from. CULTURAL/INTERCULTURAL ______Ø Cultural differences can make for difficult Ø Much reliability is placed on informal Ø Internal issues that negatively affect them relationships. For example, overcrowded information systems, who often give out might be the intercultural differences because housing among Latinos leads to complaints wrong information not all Latinos are the same. Micro cultures about noise, garbage, etc Ø Relationships with other cultures are not as exist within that culture as with other cultures Ø Obligations to help others who have helped good as they could be. such as the African American or Black culture. them ECONOMIC ISSUES______Ø Low wages; high cost of living programs. Programs in Princeton are available, Ø Their need to hold two or more jobs does not Ø Low wages but in different places, there is no central location allow them time for ESL, education, job skill Ø Poverty providing information and services. training. Ø Demands of work and low income make it difficult for immigrants to take advantage of many LANGUAGE BARRIERS/RESISTANCE ______Ø Language barrier (2) Ø Compensations are made so there is no need to learn English Ø Internal - the time it takes to learn another language Ø The issue that negatively impacts the Latino community is the lack of motivation Ø Many Latino adults speak little or no English; many Anglos and perhaps resources to learn the English language speak little or no Spanish. Communication often is difficult. Ø The lack of English skills and the resistance to accepting we live in an English Organizations, businesses, etc. need to be efficiently staffed speaking country and if you are not fluent in the language, then extra efforts with persons that are bilingual to ensure that the Latino should be made to do so community’s needs are met. SERVICE/FUNDING NEEDS ______Ø Frustration with helping Ø Too many people disinterested in taking the time to understand the needs; basic needs not being met; people in systems positions of authority making decisions based on their own values, and not based on the values and needs of the Ø Lack of funding Latino community; not enough help in schools t get a good education; financial help for higher education - what about tax credit? Standardized tests and the scores that are aimed at the upper middle to upper class white population HOUSING ______Ø Lack of affordable housing (2) Ø Overcrowding in houses is a serious issue.

4-30 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

LEADERSHIP/COMMUNITY ISSUES ______Ø No "voice" in many meetings - depend on representation by Non- Ø There appears to be difficulty in having middle and upper middle class Latinos. Many are undocumented. Sense of being disenfranchised. Latinos become engaged with the rest of the community; there is not a volunteer ethic MISCELLANEOUS ______Ø I believe that the gang image is negative and Ø Keep in mind these are generalizations based physical, emotional and educational needs a would be better to project wholesome attitude on what I have witnessed on several occasions, priority than the fighting but I feel that the progress of the Latino Ø The same external issues that affect groups Ø Jealousy, dishonesty community is most negatively affected by that are not, in control of a community's Ø Overuse of alcohol parents not making their children's basic, resources. Ø External - prejudice

ESTIMATES OF MERCER LATINO POPULATION THAT IS UNDOCUMENTED

LATINO RESPONDENTS NON-LATINO RESPONDENTS 6-10% 11-20% 1-5% 6-10% I have no idea. 3% 3% 21-30% 4% 4% 11-20% 16% 9% 4% I have no idea. 26%

21-30% Over 60% 23% 16% 31-40% 19%

Over 60%

51-60% 15% 31-40% 28% 41-50% 51-60% 41-50% 4% 6% 8% 12%

The overwhelming number of respondents estimated the percentage of undocumented persons at over 30%. Half of the Latino respondents (50%) and 35% of the Non-Latinos placed the undocumented population at over 40%. Twenty-six percent (26%) of Non-Latino and 16% of Latino respondents indicated that they had no idea.

WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN REGARDING UNDOCUMENTED % OF RESPONDENTS IDENTIFYING ISSUE AMONG TOP FIVE

LATINO RESPONDENTS

SERVICES 45%

DOCUMENTATION 24% NON-LATINO RESPONDENTS

VICTIMIZATION 6% DOCUMENTATION 42%

GATHER DATA 6% EDUCATION 19% EDUCATION 6%

4-31 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

Latino and Non-Latino Survey groups were asked to respond to an open-ended question indicating what they thought should happen regarding the undocumented population in Mercer County. Non- Latino comments focused on two areas: documentation and education. Documentation was the one area that Latinos had in common with Non-Latino respondents. Services The largest percentage (45%) of Latinos identified the provision of service to the undocumented as a primary concern; Service provision issues listed included: advocacy; counseling; orientation; help them with resources; services need to be offered to anyone in need with no documents requested; affordable housing; opportunity to being able to get benefits since most undocumented Latinos do pay taxes like everybody else; education and guidance to help them understand and deal with their situation; information about the new laws; provide ESL; they are our gardeners, childcare providers, cooks, etc. and have a profound impact on our economy— they need services and we need to serve them

Documentation Forty-two (42%) percent of Non-Latinos and 24% of Latinos identified the issue of documentation as one of the issues that had to be addressed. Areas included: legal help; permission to work; get politicians involved; new legislation that will help them become legal; we need to help them get their visas because they are taking jobs that Americans don't want to do; earned legalization as proposed by Dick Gephardt. 245(i) needs to be reinstated by Congress; Guatemalan asylum cases from 1995 need to be reinstated; Federal government must clarify and simplify the steps undocumented Latinos must take to get proper documents; pressure to bring INS laws in line with employment needs; specific help in obtaining documentation: i.e., sponsoring free talks with immigration lawyers, newsletter in Spanish distributed in Grocery Stores, Laundromats, schools and agencies; removing the barriers to everyday necessities (e.g. accepting alternatives to SSN for various things) would make life easier; more pro bono services provided by lawyers and social service workers to help individuals with their documents; more information to immigrants regarding their status and options; education of employers and supervision of working conditions in order to correct abuses; pressure on government to improve immigration services and implement rational immigration policies. Education Nineteen percent (19%) of Non-Latinos and 6% of Latinos identified education as an area that had to be address in relation to the undocumented. The primary concern in this area is the access of higher education for immigrant and undocumented children. Issues and suggestions listed include: access to higher education; literacy training; issue green cards to students who have achieved a certain number of years in our schools; change in college and university admission policy, to allow students who have completed high school in the USA to enter college at in-state tuition rates; adjustment of status for undocumented students who have completed a high school education here; the possibility of qualifying for state and federal financial aid for higher education would enormously improve their access to a better life; earned legalization as proposed by Dick Gephardt, DREAM, allowing children of the undocumented to get green cards and go on to college. Other areas identified by Latino respondents related to the undocumented: Victimization (6% Latino) Undocumented persons who are victims of crime and abuse should have some protection so that they won’t fear reporting to police, court, etc. Watch for unscrupulous persons that take advantage of their situation Gather Data / Demographics (6% Latino) Strategies should be developed to gather better data and demographics on the undocumented.

4-32 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN MERCER COUNTY REGARDING UNDOCUMENTED LATINOS— LATINO SURVEY RESPONSES SERVICES______Ø Advocacy/counseling Ø Give them the opportunity to being able to get Ø Education and guidance to help them deal Ø Please get more people in the field to help benefits while on Welfare, etc. since most their situation and understand their situation those people in need. undocumented Latinos do pay taxes like correctly. Ø Orientation. everybody else Ø To give them more participation in all that has Ø Food Ø They are here and we need to recognize that. to do with employment since they come to this Ø Help them, with resources They are our gardeners, childcare providers, country to try to better their situation Ø Services need to be offered to anyone in need, cooks, etc. Without them, it would have a Ø Training for jobs profound impact on our economy. They need no documents requested Ø Give them more support—information about services like everyone else, and we need to Ø Provide them the opportunity to progress the new laws—provide ESL. serve them. economically Ø Help them to progress and resolve the housing Ø Affordable housing issue DOCUMENTATION ______Ø Help them to have their paper to be legal. Ø I think we need to help them get their visas, Ø New legislation that will help them become Ø Legal help why? These people are taking the jobs that legal Ø Permission to work Americans don't want to do. Is a hard work Ø Federal government needs to be brought in to Ø Get politicians involved where the weather is their enemy but they do the local level to address immigrants. it because they need to work and are use to Ø Amnesty it.. VICTIMIZATION ______Ø A law to protect victims of crime and abuse to report to police, court, etc. Ø Watch for unscrupulous persons that take advantage of their situation ensuring that they will not be deported. GATHER DATA / DEMOGRAPHICS ______Ø A door to door effort (count) by Latinos in their perspective communities Ø Strategies should be developed to gather better data and demographics (including the census.) EDUCATION ______Ø Access to higher education Literacy training Ø Provide them the opportunity to progress educationally Ø Education MISCELLANEOUS ______Ø Immigrants need a valid drivers license so they will not be thrust into the Ø I believe it needs to be more clear about how we help and what are the legal system for driving without a license. consequences. There seems to be so many misconceptions about their Ø They need more help because they are not citizens. rights and the law. With the lack of teacher, nurse, and therapists we Ø They need to be treated equally. need to help make it easier. People should be allowed to stay if they Ø To help them although they’re undocumented have demonstrated their support to the country. Economically we know how they help and at times exploited. Ø To help them prepare themselves to be accepted in our community Ø Healthcare

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN MERCER COUNTY REGARDING UNDOCUMENTED LATINOS— NON-LATINO SURVEY RESPONSES DOCUMENTATION ______Ø Earned legalization as proposed by Dick Gephardt. 245(i) needs to be Ø For [undocumented] families, removing the barriers to everyday reinstated by Congress. Guatemalan asylums cases from 1995 need to necessities (e.g. accepting alternatives to SSN for various things) would be reinstated. make life easier. Ø Federal government must clarify and simplify the steps undocumented Ø The entire United States needs to improve its immigration laws. As for Latinos must take to get proper documents. Mercer County specifically, more pro bono services provided by lawyers Ø Greater effort should be made to document the undocumented. In doing and social service workers could work with individuals to help them with so, many more would be eligible for services to enhance their lives and their documents. remove the stigma associated with the INS and other governmental Ø There needs to be a change in the law, which will make it possible for agencies able to help. them to become documented. Ø More attention to immigration help. Ø Pressure on government to improve immigration services and implement Ø Pressure to bring INS laws in line with employment needs. rational immigration policies based on documented needs for workers. Ø Specific help in obtaining documentation. Latin American Task Force More information to immigrants regarding their status and options. does this by sponsoring free talks with Immigration Lawyers. Perhaps Education and supervision of employers and working conditions in order this could be done by other agencies as well. A local newsletter in to correct abuses. Spanish distributed in the Mexican Grocery Stores, Laundromats and Ø Legal assistance and change of laws schools like ours with large Latino population; other agencies that serve that population

4-33 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

EDUCATION ______Ø As a teacher, I am most concerned with the children and their futures. I Ø I realize that the majority of Latinos in Mercer County are probably not would like to see green cards issued to students who have achieved a documented, but the vast majority of my students and their families are. certain number of years in our schools. We try to prepare our students For my students the possibility of qualifying for state and federal financial for bright futures, only to have them graduate to a dead end. Financial aid for higher education would enormously improve their access to a aid is not awarded to someone without a legitimate green card. Without better life. (Princeton Regional Schools) financial aid, very few of these kids can afford to go on. Ø Earned legalization as proposed by Dick Gephardt. DREAM allowing Ø Change in College and University admission policy, to allow students children of the undocumented to get green cards and go on to college. who have completed high school in the USA to enter college at in-state tuition rates and adjustment of status for undocumented students who have completed a High School education here. MISCELLANEOUS ______Ø Acceptance of those who are willing to work, learn and provide for Ø If they came here for a better life, why not help them with that. We families into our population. already learned from our own history that we say we'll take the tired, the Ø Better census information needs to be provided. This can only be done poor, etc., yet people who came to Ellis Island so many years ago, were with the help of community agencies who see the vast majority of treated like dirt. Why can't we learn from that, instead of offering lip undocumented Latinos because they either are afraid of being deported service? or don't know of any other help. We should really document the Ø More voter registration demographics of the people who we service each day. Ø Provide supportive services, and where able to assist in becoming Ø I hardly ever get involved with the Latino community. I am unable to give citizens. any input on this. Ø Get the message out to Latino community leaders regarding the Ø I'm not sure, however it should be the same to record undocumented importance of gaining citizenship. "citizens" of any group. Ø They need to understand that they need to be identified in order to be helped adequately.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS

LATINO SURVEY RESPONSES Ø Help us in the community so that we can better serve our clients with the services that can truly help them. Ø Local, state and federal government need to partner w/ non-profit, faith-based org to address issues immigrants have. Many are very religious. Ø Most everyone I come in contact with is here to improve the quality of life for their children. They are willing to do whatever it takes to educate themselves and work. I believe, that given the opportunity, they will seep into the fabric of life in the United States and elevate the quality of life for everyone. Ø Sometimes it is frustrating to work with agencies that say they offer services, which they do not really offer. Also with funders who are not aware of how their funding is used and if members of the community are receiving services as promised. Funding for Latino services goes to agencies and decision makers who are not Latino and know very little about this community. Many times these agencies will use a small percentage of the funding for Latino services and the rest for regular English speaking clients when the funding was assigned fully for the Latino community. It appears as if the way funding is distributed is sometimes more related to politics than to choosing the best service provider for the community. I also believe that there is a higher burnout of Latino professionals, especially in social services and health services. Ø We need to find new funding and work to build capacity in local CBO, churches and the leadership of the community. We need to find ways to collaborate with other agencies without feeling we have lost something. Having a Latino plan for the county is important too.

NON-LATINO SURVEY RESPONSES Ø 1. I think access to English Language Instruction has improved a lot in the past ten years. 2. The suburban schools need to do a better job of handling newcomer students - especially at the secondary school level. Maybe cross-regional cooperation is an answer to this problem. Ø Better referral and communication by Latino community leaders. Ø Educate & promote to the culture that becoming fluent in the English language is not a betrayal of their Latino culture. To learn the language means you can give back to your community & family in a way that improves everyone’s life. Ø I believe that the Anglo community needs to be educated about current immigration law. I believe that many of the difficulties, which many Latinos have, are based on their lack of documented status. This leads to all sorts of other problems, which often cannot be addressed because of the lack of legal status. If current immigration law were changed, so that people would be able to become documented, then the population would no longer be a "shadow" population. It would be better identified; its needs and strengths would be better identified, and plans could be made and measures affected to address problems and solidify and expand on strengths. Ø Maybe we should have more community outreaches that allow them to come out and see the services that are provided to them. This is of course with the understanding that not all Latinos are English illiterate or are in the country illegally, but have a right to the same services that other cultures take advantage of. I believe that if the racial representation were opposite of what it is within Mercer County then the same services would and should be provided to that certain culture. Ø Need greater cohesion of services and development of more Latino community centers Ø Need to educate the general public about this population in our midst who we all depend on Ø There needs to be a greater regional network of working committees that could involve itself with focus issues and report back regularly as to the progress being made. This should be an ongoing task force that is topic driven. Ø They are human beings, just like the rest of us. We can learn from them as much as they can learn from us if we work together. Ø They could use adult GED testing in Spanish and elder care facilities like all races do.

4-34 Latinos in Mercer County Survey Results

AGENCY SURVEY RESPONSES Ø 2 clinical staff members are attending Spanish classes to learn to speak Spanish. (Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton) Ø A unifying coalition of providers that will network and address on-going issues affecting the community. Ø As the Latino population is growing so rapidly it is difficult to adequately document the unmet need, particularly of those new to the area. A community- wide survey would be of great benefit in helping community agencies to anticipate and meet those needs. Ø Can you please share results? I will contact the United Way for permission. Wonderful survey! Ø Deaf or hard of hearing Latinos are not being properly served in NJ. Programs designed for Latinos that I've tried to refer clients to have not accepted them due to their hearing loss. Some of our clients write in Spanish but communicate in ASL in their daily interactions. I understand Latino programs can't afford sign language interpreters and need to refer out-of-state programs for deaf and hard of hearing individuals for any Level III services. Ø I currently began working with Interfaith Caregivers in Trenton in Feb. of 2003. My responsibilities are as follow: Help seniors and people with disabilities remain in their homes and stay independent. Help recruit volunteers. Reaching congregations and speak about the services we provide. Ø In response to families and children's needs and requests, the center (Better Beginnings) offers in addition, substance abuse prevention, violence prevention, computer access, many bilingual workshops for families including computer classes in Spanish, a digital inclusion program that aims to place a donated, usable computer is the home of each family, and more. Ø Jobs are available for educated individuals. Ø Language continues to be a barrier/inhibiter to full participation in many area programs. Ø More Latino bilingual/bicultural staff in management and decision-making positions to really make a change. Financial resources are needed through grants and other funding sources to hire more bilingual/bicultural staff. Ø Our ability to provide services to Latinos is equal to anyone else with the exception of language/bilingual skills. (Anderson House Halfway House for Women) Ø The Latino families served by Jewish Family & Children's Service are primarily working poor. They therefore do not qualify for entitlements such as Medicaid or food stamps. When they have a mental health and/or family counseling issues, they need a place that can offer comprehensive bi-lingual, bi- cultural services. Ø There is definitely a need for services in the Mercer County area. The Latinos are the new immigrant populations in the US at this time. As in the past we provide help to the immigrants, so should we now help this new population until they are assimilated into the area? Ø There is the potential to expand all of our programs as long as funding is available - there are many more people who could be receiving benefits from us if the money were available. Ø Urge the production of educational materials in Spanish. We are currently translating our Asthma prevention video "Dust Does Not Discriminate" into Spanish. Ø We are still as a community stuck in the model of trying to make Latinos fit our existing programs, rather than reforming our programs to fit the needs and strengths of Latinos. Ø We do work closely with El Centro when a Latino client presents to Catholic Charities Emergency Services Division. We use their assistance especially when someone does not speak English, as we do not have any bilingual staff. Emergency Services is one of seven divisions of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton. We have programs in Trenton, Lakewood (Ocean County-where we do provide a lot of service to the Hispanic population and have bilingual staff), and Delanco (Burlington County). Ø We have to be able to bridge a gap where folks don't feel that we're competing for these clients. There are enough clients for everybody. Ø When dealing with issues related to domestic violence these are the most at-risk clients because they often are undocumented and fearful to go to police and w/ no documentation services are limited and achievement of self-sufficiency is almost impossible. Ø Workshops have been provided to Spanish-speaking community. (Garden State Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc.)

4-35 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

AN EXPANDED PERSPECTIVE ON ISSUES Interviews were conducted with 20 Latino and 14 Non-Latino key community informants consisting of service providers, professionals, and official and de facto community leaders. The Latino subgroups represented among the Latino key informants were Dominican, Guatemalan, Mexican, Peruvian and Puerto Rican. Twenty-four were individual interviews conducted face-to-face or by telephone. The interviews ranged from 45 minutes to two hours in length. In addition, two group sessions were held; one in Trenton and one in Princeton. The following is a summary of the pertinent information resulting from these interviews. The key points were summarized and grouped into relevant categories. These categories were not predetermined but emerged from the interview results. Also contained in this chapter is a summary of key points extracted from the document Latin American Princeton resulting from a summary of student research projects on the Princeton Latino community sponsored by Professor Miguel A. Centeno in Spring, 1997. This document provided some significant perspective on the Princeton Latino community.

KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEW SUMMARIES LATINO POPULATIONS Trenton and Mercer County Ø There have been a lot of changes in the city—most recently Puerto Ricans migrating to the suburbs and coming in their place are Mexicans, Guatemalans, Dominicans. At one time Puerto Ricans rode the economic boost of the city—mostly through small-business mom-and-pop deli’s—now many of them have been sold to Dominicans. Puerto Ricans are moving to the suburbs for better schools and a better quality of life. This is a normal progression of the population that has been here the longest and has generally become more economically stable. Ø The Puerto Rican population is more settled and there are not as many new arrivals; more acculturated and English dominant. There were many changes in the Puerto Rican community which included a significant change in population with other Latinos coming in especially during the late 1980s and 1990s—Guatemalans, Dominicans, Costa Ricans. Many Puerto Ricans have moved out into the suburbs. While Census 2000 indicates that Puerto Ricans are 49 percent of the Latino population in the city, the reality is that the percentage may be lower—considering the numbers of undocumented and the many Latinos who are afraid to be counted by census takers. It is a challenge for the city being able to deal with the new immigrants and the social issues they bring—especially the socialization of a community that is predominantly rural and non- English speaking. The mindset of many of these new arrivals is that they are here to stay vs. Puerto Ricans who typically came with an attitude of one day going back. Ø There was a huge influx of undocumented in the very late 80’s, early 90’s. That was when Proposition 187 came out and when they started to implement it we saw a major influx coming down from California, Texas, at least for the Hightstown and Princeton area, because that’s where they first started. I remember us working at MECHA and saying to people who were homeless, “ Mira con ese dinero, you can go and rent an apartment, we’ve got one in Trenton for you.” And they would not! They were terrified of Trenton. They did migrate to Mercer County but they stayed in Princeton, Hightstown, even in Kingswood, the little town next to Princeton, there were a lot of Latinos there. It wasn’t until about seven years ago, that they started coming down into Trenton. Seven years ago in Trenton you didn’t see the amount of new immigrants you see now. Ø Many of the businesses in the area are now transferring into the hands of the newer Latino arrivals. Chambersburg was primarily Italian now is primarily Guatemalan in Mexican. The kitchens of the Italian restaurants are filled with Latino cooks and beyond just being staff, they are now buying those restaurants and keeping the Italian names. They are also buying properties out there. As Puerto Ricans we did not have a bakery, now there is a bakery owned by Guatemalans—for two years. It was once in Italian bakery. Corner bars are also becoming Latino owned Ø In Mercer there are second and third generation Dominicans. Many businesses previously Puerto Rican- owned are now owned by Dominicans. Puerto Ricans have moved on—some have returned to the island and their children have moved on to do other things.

5–1 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

Ø It wasn’t probably until 1983 that you started to see Latinos other than Puerto Ricans come to the area. I wouldn’t necessarily agree that the Dominicans took over the old businesses—I’m not saying that there wasn’t a few—because it seems to me that the type of businesses Dominicans are in were mostly in bodegas and mechanical shops. I do agree with that with some of the beauty parlors. Having worked with Immigration on many of these Dominicans knowing where their assets are and who they were buying from—they were buying from mainstream Italians, most of the businesses. Ø What generally brought Dominicans to the area is leaving New York and North Jersey, Elizabeth, Patterson, a whole North Jersey, New York, close-to-New York contingency. Dominican owners that I know that live in the city, they were business people even when they were back home. The mentality was they were entrepreneurs, even back home. So yes, they were entrepreneurs in New York but even prior to New York they were entrepreneurs in the Dominican Republic. Because those were the original people that came out, that left because of the political system. Also, if they were not entrepreneurs, if you sit down with these people most of them have a college education. I’m not talking about the workers, but the actual owners are architects, engineers, etc. So even if they were not entrepreneurs in the Dominican Republic, they were professionals. It hasn’t been until the 90’s when you really see the migration here to Trenton of others, more of the massive opening of the gates. The more middle and educated class [Dominicans] was more the class that came initially from the 60’s to the 80’s, that’s what you saw. Lower middle and lower class did not leave. They didn’t have the resources. Ø For the most part the Dominican population here is documented. I’m not going to tell you when they arrived in the U. S. they were documented. But a lot of the Dominicans took advantage of the amnesty back in ’86. Ø The figure of 34,000 (county) in the Census is not even close to the real number. Ø In Trenton the same situation exists as in other parts of the county regarding large numbers of men who come here to work without families and live together in small rooms or apartments to save money and send money home to their families. Princeton Ø The largest groups of Latinos in the Princeton area are Mexican and Guatemalan. In Hightstown it’s Ecuadorian. Ø There are really two Princetons. The borough is a little more sensitive to the needs because the population lives primarily in the borough. Fewer Latinos live in the township which surrounds it. The township’s experience with the Latino community is different from that of the borough. In the borough they are more highly visible. Part of the problem in the borough is housing and overcrowding issues. Ø I don't believe the census count of Latinos in this area was accurate at all. The Guatemalans living in large groups of single men are less likely to be counted than intact families. In many cases those who own or legally rent the residents gave the information on their immediate family but do not include the additional persons living in the house and renting rooms and or bed space for all kinds of reasons. School district figures would not accurately portray the growth because many come without spouses or children. Ø Mexican consists of more intact families. Ø Many of the Guatemalans are in groups of men who come here without families—although many of the men living together may be related. Ø In the 1980s during the Civil War in Guatemala, Guatemalan refugees were sponsored by the churches and that's how many arrived here.

UNDOCUMENTED AND IMMIGRANTS Trenton and Mercer County Ø We're not doing enough to help these individuals out. Ø Many Latinos coming in as a group are not really understood by many. Ø For the undocumented I think there’s a lot to be done. Some organizations that have been trying to help but they haven’t yet grasped the true sense of really helping them. They don’t know the exact rules, regulations and the laws in order to help. A non-profit that is going to work on helping immigrants with their status should have an attorney or have training to educate them on the law and what can be done. We have made progress from where we were 10 years ago but we have a long way to go. About 50% of Latinos in Mercer are undocumented. It’s a crazy number but being out there I see there are people who have their green cards but there are as many without. There are people who say it’s 70% undocumented but I would say 50%.

5–2 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

Ø Women are coming here and leaving children behind in their country of origin. They sometimes starting families and when they’re finally a reunited with children they left behind who were raised by the family members, there are serious family problems and conflicts—leading to emotional problems and depression. Some women face conflicts when being reunited with their husbands—example: a woman was raped during her trek via coyotes and her husband could not deal with the fact that she had been raped Ø If you look at the area of Mercer County and the non-existent farmland that used to exist—there were a lot of migrant workers out in Cranberry, the Windsors, South Brunswick. I had a couple friends who worked in a pre-school in South Brunswick just outside of Kingston and it was known as the migrant workers school so if you go back probably 30 years you’ll see that the Mexican population has been here in Mercer County. Ø We do immigration paperwork and immigration counseling. Anyone who needs attorneys we refer to a reputable attorney or we will tell them outright if they are not eligible. Largest population we are dealing with are Guatemalans and because of TPS (temporary protected status) El Salvadorans and Hondurans—all three groups have TPS at this point. Mexicans have no program most of them are undocumented. Estimate of undocumented is over 60% in this area. We need to advocate in Washington on behalf of the undocumented and seek status for those here over five years. The church stand is that they are here because they had to escape for some reason and they should be humanely treated and accepted into society. Ø A lot of the situation has to do with the policies of our government. They wouldn’t touch the Guatemalans— anyone who came seeking asylum back in the 90s, their cases are still pending. People here from Nicaragua and El Salvador where our government was backing their government during the civil war they had no benefits. Now because of Hurricane Mitch some have temporary protected status. El Salvador has its own. Hondurans and Nicaraguans have a plan where they can get work authorizations for a year—up to 18 months and driver’s licenses. Ø Many parents work 2 and 3 jobs and don’t have time to learn English..—this is a major problem. There are ESL services but they may not be at times when everyone can access them. For some of them, they value working more than educations –so they have an older child forget school and have them go to work because they need the money. It’s a survival situation. Ø Some of the other issues are that children cannot go beyond high school—they should be allowed to get legal status and be able to go on to college at the state rates. You have children who came here at 2 or 3 years and have no concept of status. Some are here 10-15 years and the parents never addressed the issue of their status—they let the children believe they are here legally because it is safer in terms of others finding out. Recently we had a girl who had a full scholarship to college and she couldn’t take the scholarship. There was another case of a 21 year old man who got arrested on a drug charge and then found out he was undocumented—he had no idea. Now he faces being deported or becoming a lifer in custody if he cannot be deported. These children who grow up here are Americanized and some don’t even speak their native language well—being sent back to where they were born is a culture shock. Mercer County College used to accept undocumented students but now they can’t. They must have social security numbers. After 9/11 the federal government is checking into all the colleges regarding foreign students. Students in college that were undocumented were told they couldn’t return in January 2002. Beginning next year, people coming into the country will now be fingerprinted and pictures taken Ø A lot of these people who are undocumented have come here because they want to help their families. They send most of their money home. If they had a way to come here and to work for certain period of time and to go back home and know that they could come back again, most of them would do that. Ø These people are working and they pay taxes they perform jobs for which employers and unable to find other employees. They are very important to the economy. If they were all to be sent back there are sectors of the economy that would collapse because it would not have employees. I have had many employers tell me that at the undocumented Hispanics who work for them a wonderful workers. Some employers have tried to find a way to help them become legal. Ø Most undocumented people will do anything in their power to try to become documented. They typically come here because of need to—they are primarily economically motivated. A lot of them are Guatemalans and Hondurans and Nicaraguans and Salvadorans who are escaping terrible things going on in their countries and they came here and for political reasons but they didn't get asylum. There is a group of people who came before due to persecution and genuine fear and a lot of that our government contributed to politically. So their cases were not adjudicated in now they have nothing to go back to. Columbians are coming because a lot of them are suffering from persecution. Colombians have a warfare that's going on in their country is to a large extent is based on economic. Colombians here are coming here are them primarily middle-class,

5–3 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

educated, and professional. There are some poor people but by and large they're not. Those from Mexico Guatemala Salvador and other Central American countries are primarily poor and less educated. There are a certain number of people who come here with visas and then they overstay. In other cases and they are students who have come to study and the money runs out and then fall out of status. Ø We have created a system that has no provision for documentation of persons who have been here undocumented regardless of the situation or how long they have been here. Once people become illegal they can't really under current law, unless they become the immediate relative of U.S. citizen, they can't become documented. There are number of children who are here and are undocumented but haven't been told by the parents that they are undocumented. The result is that was a complete high school they have no future because been unable to enter the universities. A lot of colleges will not accept them and in the case where some private college may accept them, they can’t afford the cost. It was a case of a young man who was brought here very young by his parents and had no idea he was undocumented in his parents them a told him he graduated at the top of this class but found himself a with no future due to the fact that he could not pursue higher education. Children who are born here can file for their parents once they reach 21 years of age. Ø People need to be educated to the fact that they can have input and can help change the law. Between 1990 1996 immigration law changed drastically. It was because of the push of a fairly small group of people. It is not difficult to change the law if you're determined, the fact that NACARA occurred and the Student Adjustment Act got to introduce. People need to be educated regarding change in the law. Ø You need to identify people in the Hispanic community who are really dedicated to helping the community so that the efforts come from within the Latino community. We need to bring them together in a workshop and educate them regarding immigration to related issues and the law. Puerto Ricans as citizens need to be educated because they have the ability to cause so must change since their status as citizens is so different. Ø There is a misperception that it is not very hard to become the citizen. People need to be educated possibly with case studies as to how difficult it is to become a citizen and the situations that undocumented people have faced. Ø In New Jersey you can't get a driver's license unless you’re documented. Which leads to unlicensed uninsured drivers on the road. Princeton Ø The undocumented ask for very little because they don't feel they are entitled to it—for example the Christmas toy drive. We had to work hard to convince them to take the toys. They do use the clinical services. With the Latin American Task Force we do an annual health fair in October. They do come out and do get tested for a variety of health issues such as blood tests, breast exams, prostate, AIDS. A lot of the single men do come and many are connected with the clinic if services are needed. Most of the Latinos have been happy with the clinic health services and feel comfortable there. Confidentiality is respected. There are some other services such as the food bank in the churches—especially during the months of December to February when the landscape businesses really slow—most of the husbands are in the landscape businesses and usually are working during those months. They try to keep as low a profile as possible and sometimes think getting any kind of help to put them on the radar. This is especially true any place that asks them for any kind of identification. We advocate on this issue because they get intimidated. Ø Many Guatemalans come with a plan to earn money and returned after three years to Guatemala. Ninety percent of the guys have a three to four-year plan. Most Mexicans have been here longer, have more intact families and have blended in more. Ø Social Security numbers—they are very savvy as to how to get around document obstacles. Most of the kids adapt to here and adults typically say they want to go back but we don't know how many actually to go back. They come to these communities for jobs. Their migration is economically motivated. When asked what happens if they go back, especially to same economic situation, they respond that with the money they earn they pay for the land, house, and buy furniture. Then they need only be able to feed and close their family. With a land and home that is paid for they become more self-sufficient by building that nest egg and then living off the land. This is typically their three to four-year plan. Ø More people will be losing jobs as employers receive “no match” letters from people making up numbers or use fake ones. Employers are firing those people because they’re scared when the get a letter like that from the Social Security Administration. Ø There are a lot of Guatemalans all over this entire county that have old asylum applications and as those old asylum applications come up and now there’s no longer a basis for granting asylum. By now we have people

5–4 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

who have been living here for ten years and there’s going to be a real problem once the asylum office starts reaching those cases because you have children who have been born here and you have people who have nothing to go back to. Here it’s Guatemalans, other places El Salvadorans, anyway that’s going to be a major problem that affects this entire region. Ø Ecuadorians come where they know there are people like them. More and more are getting caught at the border but still many people get through because they are so desperate to come here and most of them have absolutely no status. We’re having an increasing population, a shadow population with no status, no documentation and we’re making believe they don’t exist. East Windsor/Hightstown Ø In the mid to late '80s began the arrival of Latinos in large numbers. The first came as migrants but later started staying here. East Windsor has a lot of farms and factories. Prior to Latinos, African-Americans were the field hands. As the African American population grew more educated, they went into other work and the created a need. In Windsor, there are still many Puerto Rican. Ø Ecuadorians of the largest group in this area and there are also Colombians. Job opportunities and clusters of apartments—about six different apartment complexes—are part of the draw for settling in this area. Latinos go where they know others. Family members and friends follow. There are a lot more males since in most cases the males come first and later try to bring their families. First they send for wives and then they send for children. They come here to try to make money for their families but often means the separation of families. The separations cause family problems especially parent-child conflicts resulting in anger over being left behind and accepting a parent now as a disciplinarian. I know a young boy who had been separated from his mother for over seven years because it took that long to save the money she needed to send for him. They are often sending for their children and family members underground so the cost is extraordinarily high. Ø There are many stories of the difficulty, the money, the time and the dangers of what they have to go through to get here. There are also a lot of domestic violence situations. One issue is that some of the women are raped in the process of getting here and the first thing they must do is tell their husbands—first because of the possibility of disease or pregnancy—which ends up in a blame the victim situation and she has to deal with a hostile partner. One woman who was raped and is dealing with a domestic violence situation says that this happens a lot—rape. In providing services to these women part of the issue is that they work and are not available during the day. WomanSpace has tried to provide some services. Also if we provide the services we have to disguise the program to avoid problems at home. Ø While it is difficult to determine the number of undocumented and to accurately state the number of Latinos in the area, one only need look at the stores and see how many now cater to Latino foods. It was a time when there was one person who sold Latino foods out of his garage and everyone knew that was the only local place you can find Latino foods. Now almost every store cater so the Latino clientele. There is also a local church that is all Latino. If you walk through downtown Hightstown, it’s amazing because it is such a cosmopolitan little stretch. It starts out with a man who from India who is a pharmacist and provides wiring services for Latinos sending money home. There is a Latino bakery and a Mexican restaurant. Ø Ecuadorian—Migration is economically driven. Many work at Barnes & Noble, fast food places, housekeepers, landscaping, farming. Ø We've been going to the farms and checking with the community nurse and HIV case manager. There are people working on the farms that are 12 years old and it's legal for them to work on the farms. You would think that they're there with an Uncle or a father or another relative but they're not—they're alone. They need to work to get paid. We try to provide them with information on health care, how to keep themselves safe, if they're sexually active we provide condoms. At one point we found that they were sharing a bowl and razor when shaving. We stop them from doing that. But it's an ongoing issue because the population is constantly changing. Ø Well the only real demographic change in this area over the last ten years has been the Latino population and I would guess the majority of these are undocumented. There’s a fair amount of Columbians and Guatemalans but the largest group are the Ecuadorians and the smallest group I think are the Mexicans. There are no new Puerto Ricans who are coming into the area. There are some older established families who have been here for about 25 years. But their kids don’t associate with the recién-llegados [newer arrivals]. A lot of these Puerto Ricans have assimilated to the point where their children no longer speak Spanish. This to me is a phenomenon because one of the greatest political resistances and cultural resistances of the Puerto Ricans in effect was to maintain the language. But in this small town and these areas that’s not happened. As a result, there’s a cultural difference between the Puerto Rican kids and the recién-llegados because the Puerto Rican

5–5 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

kids can’t speak Spanish and the recién-llegados only speak Spanish. The Puerto Rican kids are kind of mixed in with the general population and they don’t want to be identified with these kids because it’s a national kind of citizenship thing, documented, not documented, but it’s also cultural and it also has something to do with a certain rivalry that you also find between the different Latino groups as well. There’s a strong class issue connected with this as well because the older Puerto Rican community has begun to do okay and of course the recién-llegados are at the very bottom of the economic ladder. So there’s a very powerful class issue there. Ø The census data is very low because many of the undocumented would not fill out the census.

COMMUNITY ISSUES/LEADERSHIP Trenton and Mercer County Latino Leadership and Community Involvement Ø As far as leadership Manny Segura is the first Latino elected to the city council and there are currently two school board members one a Hispanic male and a Hispanic female who is an attorney was recently been named to the board. Ø We have a scattered and divisive leadership and no vehicle by which people can come together effectively. I think people have made attempts to do focus groups and committee groups and advisory councils and everybody’s trying to come up with something. But when you look at the dynamics you have the same board members on everyone else’s board, you have staff members who come from this agency and switch to the other agency and by the time you have one Latino person who’s been staff at all the different agencies, board members who have been in all the other agencies, and when you look at the contributions I don’t feel that they’re very significant. I don’t think clear objectives and a strategic plan have been set for the betterment for the entire community of Mercer. Ø I think people don’t want to partner with each other, they want to spotlight themselves, and I understand, it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there but I think that it’s been a detriment I think for our community because there’s a lot of separation. You have the Dominican groups here, the Puerto Rican groups here, the Costa Rican groups here the Mexican groups here and no one has found a way, in my opinion, to get them all together. You know, to say, we are from different ethnic backgrounds but the issues that we’re facing here are the same. I don’t care if Puerto Ricans are citizens or not we still suffer from housing issues, or discrimination issues, or whatever. Ø Our religious leaders don't get involved. Ø We talked about doing Latino leadership development in Trenton but I got frustrated. We need to find some entity to fund it. Ø There is so much talent and we have so much to offer—but it’s frustrating that we can’t get it together. There are a lot of people out there that don’t get involved because of the same frustration. Ø Trying to bring together the current leadership is a waste of time. Ø Latinos aren’t really coming together at a county level or even at a city level. “One of our weaknesses is that we are growing in numbers but not in leadership. We need to grow for the youth. The youth is tremendous.” The development of leadership is critical. The leadership program must be culturally bound to address the cultural nuances such as how Latinos view political systems and how they personalize relationships. The idea of “It’s just business” is not accepted. It’s personal. Ø The 2002 primary is an example of lack of political savvy or good political advisers that led to the Latino division of the votes and being used by more experienced politicians. "We were involved in a divide and conquer scenario and didn't see it. When I became aware of what was happening, it was too late to back out. If I could do it again, I would do it completely differently. Ø A leadership program is needed but I think it’s going to be another effort that is put out there and not moved forward because you don’t have a commitment from the leadership to even sit down at the table and negotiate. The issue of everybody continuing with business as usual based on this is the way its always been done is the reason why we have had so many organizations. Just within the last few years, I have seen 7 different organizations started to address Latino issues and they never get off the ground. Since there is no group that really represents the community, the mainstream basically sees the three leaders of the three major Latino organizations as the spokespersons for the entire community.

5–6 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

Ø A Latina heads the Leadership Trenton program at the John S. Watson Institute at Edison State College but the program is not geared to help out the Latino community. She has a hard time trying to get Latinos to participate in the current program. One obstacle is the $2000 cost. Youth leadership development is needed to prepare the young people to be effective leaders. Ø We were developing a Latino Advisory Board that went by the wayside. I understand they will try to regroup in November. It will be mostly a group that will be dedicated to working on a political agenda for the community. Ø The development of leadership is a very important issue—most don't have developed skills. We are mostly self-taught and OJT. Ø There is available funding out there that we're not accessing and we are not developing Latino organizations. Ø Even though the number of Latinos is increasing dramatically we have become very vulnerable in economic situations, politically and also in services. Even though we’re increasing in numbers it doesn’t mean the people in charge know what they are doing. You can’t blame them because it’s a totally new situation for us. I strongly believe we need an education process of leadership for our community because we’re still hitting certain walls. There’s still some racism among our own people. There’s not enough education within our own leadership. There’s still a lot to be done within our community. We have made a lot of progress but much has to be done. Ø A leadership-training program for Latinos would be useful. When I opened my business six years ago, I didn’t know much about business but because of my involvement with the community I was asked to be one of the founding members of the Latino Chamber. I saw it as an opportunity for me to learn from the Chamber. I saw it as an opportunity for an educational process for myself thinking that the Chamber was already up and running, even though they were just starting. I found out the rest of the business people also lacked a lot of knowledge. We have a lot to learn so we are able to provide better services to our community. Leadership is very important. The blind man cannot lead the others. Sometimes we learn through experiences, obstacles and problems we encounter. But on the other hand a lot of the problems we encounter we’re creating ourselves. For example, right now you have some business organizations that don't know how to write a business proposal on how to obtain funding from the government. We don't know how to get the money to help our communities and what happens is to keep cutting up the same small piece of the pie. We’re not being effective. Ø One of the problems that we’re having with certain leadership in Trenton is they do not have the mentality of cultivating leadership. They wanted to be just them. I think one of the main problems that we have with some of the leadership is that we’re not on the same page when it comes to the agenda of the community. We don't have a stated agenda. We’re working on the block level and we’re way beyond the block level. Ø I would strongly support a leadership training program—not only for those are out there right now but to develop future leaders. I was talking to Bob Hernandez that would like to see a leadership camp for young Latinos. Some of our youth have no goals as some of them are dropping out of high school and have no idea what they want for their lives. Ø We have to bring together Latino leaders that really have the interest of the community at heart and work towards having the community come together and identify the needs of the community. We need to create a mechanism to run politically. There are a lot of people with good intentions but not having the wherewithal to know how to implement things. We tried to form a Latino Alliance but again it was not effective. There is no effective Latino advocacy organization – there is no vehicle that brings a Latino leadership together when there are issues at hand that have to be dealt with. Ø Regarding the leadership in Trenton and other areas of the County—I think the issues are similar but I think they’re approached a little bit differently. I think the Trenton area is a little more political… and in this area [Princeton-East Windsor-Hightstown] there is more advocacy. Latino Intergroup Conflict Ø Relationships between various groups: there are undercurrents of expectation and stereotypes about each other. Puerto Ricans are viewed as not understanding the struggle of other Latinos and having it easy due to their citizenship status. We don't talk about it openly but we do talk about each other behind closed doors. There is a need for the development of cultural competence and understanding between Latino groups. We need to learn about each other and each other's history.

5–7 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

Ø In the Latino community there are divisions even within the Latino subgroups. There are divisions depending on what city they came from in their country of origin. There is a great need to bring the Latino community together because despite the differences many of the basic needs are the same. Ø Working together to identify needs—we need to forget regional, geographic, national differences to be able to work together and as "Latinos" for common goals. There’s a lot of dissension between the Puerto Ricans, Guatemalans and Mexicans and other Latinos. Ø The 2002 primary race became a race of a Puerto Rican vs. a Guatemalan. The same thing with Manny Segura. In the race it was the Dominicans all in support of a Dominican rather than considering us two Latinos running. The fact that two Latinos ran and thereby split the Latino vote showed that we are divided. Latinos really need to learn about each other and we need not to work with a tribe mentality of sticking only with your own. Ø Some Puerto Ricans tend to forget that Latino populations are our brothers and sisters. With the new populations there are a lot of problems in the community such as domestic violence and drinking. There are a lot of services needed for these individuals. Puerto Ricans need to help the other newer populations. The attitude of exclusivity is more among the older Latinos. Among the younger Latinos you see more mixing and inclusiveness. You will see a difference in the next generation in terms of unity Ø I think it is possible to unify the Latino community. One of the things we did was create the Latino Fair to get the different Latino groups together.

East Windsor/Hightstown Latino Leadership and Community Involvement Ø Latino leadership coming together to address issues—I think there is a lot of potential to do that and I think that there is some of it here. I think the Woman’s Latino Council has been excellent as far as providing an organizational network that can call on people for volunteering and so forth, and there has also been a volunteer group that has been set up for the East Windsor School District. I think there’s about 20 names of people who are willing to translate, come to the schools to work with parents who are arriving with their children, who are willing to participate in open houses and things of that kind. So there is a pretty good response when you ask them, they’re pretty responsive I think. A lot depends on face-to-face politics, when you call people or speak to them individually. I also think that St. Anthony of Padua has a tremendous potential. They do some things but I think they have even more potential. The have a Spanish mass, I think at 12 o’clock, and 500 people show up. So there’s tremendous potential there for tapping into the community as far as making them aware of what’s going on. And I think that potential is not as well tapped. Latino Intergroup Conflict Ø Some Latinos feel that Latinos from other backgrounds can’t understand their issues. “You can’t understand where I’m coming from cause you’ve never been undocumented.” Some of these issues came up when we were organizing and recruiting for the Latino Women’s Council. The Latino Women’s Council has done some things to create positive relations—such as scholarship programs, picnics for community outreach. Cultural Competence Ø Diversity training is needed to help bridge cultural differences and having the mainstream understand the differences among Latinos. Latinos themselves need to be able to appreciate the differences among themselves. There are stereotypes about the Latinos and the undocumented.

NON-LATINO & LATINO RELATIONS Trenton Ø There are some problems within the Latino community—among the various groups and issues between Latinos and African-Americans. Ø We have a good mayor but the reality is that power is taken not given. I’ve seen situations of divide and conquer among African-Americans and Latinos in Trenton but it is dwindling because of the changes in population. Ø There is a lot of competition for resources among Latinos and African-Americans.

5–8 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

East Windsor/Hightstown Ø All the African Americans who have lived through the racism and explosion in this community are open and appropriately resentful of all the help that’s in place right now for the people who need it. Although it really doesn't make a dent in the actual need—it's much more than they had. In terms of the young people— Princeton has more of a problem than we do. Out here there is a lot of intergroup dating between African Americans and Latinos especially. Many of the parents are opposed. Ø Generally African Americans in this community are doing better than Latinos. Ø This area is very generous. There are many civic groups, many of whom provide food. There is an informal network of African American people who help Latinos in need. The Latinos have typically been migrant workers. Princeton Ø The Latino population is located primarily in the John Witherspoon neighborhood, which was primarily an African-American neighborhood and is now primarily African-American and Latino. It has become a quality of life issue with overcrowding and trash concerns. There are a lot of Latinos living in one-family dwellings. It has caused a lot of problems. There are health issues and concerns—sanitary issues—police issues—and many quality of life related issues. Quality of life and not understanding the culture and what brings the Latinos to the community causes conflict. The Latinos are coming because there's work and because transportation is accessible. Black people are not looking at that. Black people are looking at the fact that there's 40 people living in one house—there's trash everywhere and beer cans lying around—and the police are being called every five minutes. There are quality of life issues and the fact that services that used to be primarily for the black community are now being geared to the Latinos. Ø I think there’s a cultural clash and the overcrowding feeds into that and that’s holding a lot of people in the community back from embracing the Latino community. The overcrowding is the most visible of reasons why but there are all kinds of complaints about their presence in the community, the music, the garbage, washing outside, taking baths outside, illegal restaurants, the different way of life from where they’re coming from, you know…the community expect them to instantly acculturate to our way of being… In Latino communities people tend to be outside more. We have a “plaza” type of mentality. And here you don’t. You drive around Princeton except for certain neighborhoods, no one’s out front. No one’s anywhere, but I think there’s also a positive spin and I don’t know if this is something you can do in the report, but there are so many wonderful things about Latino culture that they do bring to us. Ø We’re starting a race relations program in the high schools in the fall and we were not expecting to have a large number of kids interested but 18 high school students signed up to address this issue, which kind of shocked us. The kids are very much aware of this issue. They’re feeling the racial tension in the community. It’s West Side Story comes to Princeton, is what we’re dealing with. What’s interesting is I find a lot of the kids are more integrated than the adults. They’re feeling a kinship with all kinds of different people and they’re not having a problem with it, but then they look out and see the adults and there’s a completely different message. Ø Another perception that’s really false is that the Latino community and the African American community don’t get along and you certainly don’t see that with the children. And I don’t see that when you walk throughout the community because if you go to the local [African American] bar on any given night you may see 10 Latino men sitting at the bar and maybe four years ago you wouldn’t see that. There have been incidents between Blacks and Latinos and that gets blown up. And that’s true of any groups… more than one group living together in closed areas. This is the same issue in Hightstown that Latinos and blacks don’t get along or the blacks and the whites and it’s just untrue. Ø I would say the area where the Latino and Black communities live I sense a tension. That comes from our YWCA mission to eliminate racism. To sum up a paragraph, we had a Black history month, an oral history of Princeton, and I heard a lot of resentment of the continuum of being put aside because at one point in time, of the history of the YWCA Princeton, there was more primary attention to the African American community. Right now the ESL program literacy and the pre-school program have a greater number [of Latinos], and as we’re saying there seems to be a shifting in the numbers and I hear and see resentment from the adult Black community about these things. Ø What African Americans are saying to our politicians is “ You’ve got to do something about this overcrowding.” They’re not targeting the individuals saying we don’t want them here. We want you to do something about the overcrowding.

5–9 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

Ø If you go to Hightstown and East Windsor… like in East Windsor the Latino community lives in Windsor Castle Apartments, and in all the other apartments [complexes] there are very few. If you go to Hightstown it’s Westerly Apartments right by the high school, predominantly Latino, and there are very few Latinos in the rest of Hightstown Borough. But, as in any community, and I would probably say in all 13 municipalities of the county, you’re going to have your pocket. I mean, in Trenton there are “pockets”. They’re a little more spread out in Trenton but there are definite pockets of these neighborhoods and they do clash with people, of course. I mean, blacks and whites clash, Irish and Italians clash. So that’s a given wherever. But for people to say that there’s a Black/Latino problem in Mercer County I think is unfair and inaccurate. I think for the most part African Americans are receptive of the Latino community and we inter-marry and our roots go back. So I think the education piece is a key piece and not feeding into this media sensation that is going on. One of the complexes under Princeton Community Housing is Princeton Community Village where I live and it is probably the most diverse pocket of communities in Princeton and our Latino community families have grown. I’ve been there 10 years now and will probably stay there until I can afford to buy a house, but it is just a wonderful place to live. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of any racial issues, and I would because I’m on the board there and I’m a resident there and we have Black, White, Latino, new Russian, Haitian, Asian, you name it, we are very diverse in that community and we have 238 units of townhouses and a good number of one-bedrooms. And our one-bedrooms are mostly senior citizens so if you come up to that community there’s a whole pocket of Latinos in that community as well.

CHILDCARE East Windsor/Hightstown Ø East Windsor is not an ABBOTT District like in Trenton. Areas identified as having large percentages of poor children are designated as ABBOTT Districts. They have all day kindergarten and all day preschool. That’s a big need here. We have a large number of poor children but we do not have an ABBOTT designation. We don’t have all day kindergarten. ABBOTT has now started having part time programs for 3 yr olds. Not having ABBOTT puts a hardship on the poor in East Windsor because they don’t have the all day kindergarten and preschool and so they have to pay for daycare. Ø In childcare they are requiring children to have social security numbers.

EDUCATION Trenton Ø Many Latino children are dropping out and many [who stay]are not learning. They are graduating with poor reading skills. The school district of Trenton is building seven new schools. But there was an issue with the Latino community regarding the fact that Latino contractors did not have equal access to contracts for the work. Ø One thing that is commendable it is that these parents have a big concern about educating their kids. At a recent Board of Education meeting that was televised you saw many Latino parents in attendance. Those that spoke were primarily Mexican or Guatemalan. Ø We need more in school services—teachers, administrators. We need staff people who can assure that parents and children have access to all available services. Ø We have to support bilingual education. We need to be able to have an easier transition from all Spanish and English. Some kids say that they don't like school but the real problem is that the English language makes it hard for them. Ø There aren’t programs for Latino youth and what a lot of the people are asking is for after school programs and summers programs to keep the kids out of gangs and off the streets. There needs to be some kind of programs for the teenagers. Ø The schools need people who speak Spanish and ESL is never taught how it should be. Parents need to be educated and they need to be taught how to help their children. Princeton Ø We have to assure the same opportunities and same expectations for children the school system—there are some discrepancies. They should be kept in the mainstream and given the support needed for them to succeed such as extra lessons. They also separate them out so their scores are not included in the mainstream and don't bring down the district scores. Princeton has a lot of tutoring programs such as Princeton Youth

5–10 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

Achievers at Clay Street learning center. Children are profiled and expectations are lowered. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. There was a Latino counselor who left and was never replaced. There is a lack of Latino staff especially to communicate with parents. There are cultural differences in the perspectives of parents in regards to the role of teachers. A big issue is that they don't challenge the placement of children in Special Ed classes. Teachers don't really understand the Latino parents. Ø Children are expected to have computers and are sometimes penalized for doing things by hand instead of by computer but often the parents cannot afford computers in the home and schedules make it difficult to always get to the library to do their work. Support for Latino parents is needed – help with parenting in light of the conflict created by the moves, new environment and cultural differences; and learning English and how to help their children. Ø There have been a number of situations with children raised and educated here but undocumented and sometimes not knowing they are undocumented. Once they graduate high school, finding work or going on to higher education is a challenge and a serious obstacle to having a future. Mercer Community College does accept undocumented students but cannot provide them with funding—there are some scholarships that undocumented students can receive but they are limited—often parents can’t afford the cost of the tuition— although by comparison the community college tuition is reasonable. (Due to changes in the law Mercer Community College may no longer be able to accept undocumented.) Ø Yeah, we have a larger population than the census would indicate and from our looking at the data we’ve been able to collect over the past ten years we’ve seen a major increase in actual population and the need for providing many more services. We’re struggling to try to provide services that far exceed our capacity— whether it be counseling within the schools or support services within the school district trying to partner with the agencies outside of us. We’re seeing our African American population starting to decline and our Latino population expanding. East Windsor/Hightstown Ø Our schools are segregated. The kids are literally segregated. In the high school, the Latino kids are in one section of the school and the other kids are in another section. There is a lot of overrepresentation of minority children in basic skills classes and hardly any at all in AP [advanced placement] courses. Ø We do a school-based mentoring program. The philosophy was to give the school a hand with what ever came up. Example: let's say you have a child who is challenging, possibly due to ADD, and they're in the process of being evaluated and they are a challenge to the teacher and she may need a hand. The school immediately shifted us to working with only the Spanish-language kids—so now we're primarily a resource for getting people who speak Spanish to go into the schools to work with teachers, ESL and mainstream, to help kids who come into the school who don't speak English. Also this person ends up being a liaison between the schools and the parents, so the parents get the right information and are not using the students to translate. This is East Windsor Regional School District. When we first started with them all the parent manuals and all materials were in English. Yet the parents were expected to enroll the children in school and [complete] papers and be accountable. Now every time we say something has to be in languages, they say "Well will you do that for us?" We can do it, but you should have a line item in your budget to make sure you can do that, because you know it's needed. Ø In the schools there’s a tremendous amount of discrimination, especially if you’re undocumented. They sometimes show hostility. Sometimes they inappropriately ask for proof of citizenship, which they’re not allowed to do. It’s against the law. These are school officials. And they’re not allowed to do that in the schools but they don’t even know the law. So recently there’s been a big effort to educate the school district in regards to the rights of undocumented students and their parents. So I would say that’s been one of the most difficult issues in this particular area, that kind of discrimination against the undocumented students and their parents. Ø I work primarily at the high school and sometimes at the middle school… at the high school, the main issue there is that the kids are segregated. I think a lot of the faculty think, “Well that’s an ESL kid [who] belongs to the ESL program and the ESL teachers. That’s not much of our concern”… so it’s like two schools. As it is, you always have schools within schools because when you go to the cafeteria you can see how kids sit and they always sit in groups. But I think this exacerbates it even more so because the language issue and the cultural issues and the legal status issue, all of those things help to isolate those kids. And the other thing is that the ESL faculty themselves are isolated sometimes. Because they’re looked down upon as “well you work with those kids and you do remedial work.” So there’s this kind of a feeling there, I think, in regards to the ESL faculty, so they feel a little bit uneasy about that. Almost all these kids also work. They work after

5–11 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

school so they can’t get into the culture of the school by getting involved in all kinds of after-school activities. They can’t afford not to work. This also tends to isolate them and then if they get into trouble at the school their parents are reluctant sometimes to come down because they shy away from any kind of contact with officials, in addition to which they don’t know the language and they can’t miss work. So there’s a whole host of issues like this that we’ve been working very hard on to make the school district sensitive to this. Some of us began to do some pretty formal stuff in the schools by giving presentations in the schools about culture, diversity… just in general on how to respond to new populations. So there was a fair amount of that they got as well but you never know how that’s going to help. I think the thing that really turns it around is when people in administrative positions just begin to say “That’s not going to happen anymore… they way we used to do things. We need to make these changes.” I think that’s begun to happen.

EMPLOYMENT Ø The INS has not been in issue in this area. People really don't complain about employer abuses especially if they are not legal, because if they can get the hours and can work that's what they want to do. The only time we get complaints related to employment is if they haven't gotten paid or they were promised something they didn't get. A lot of times employers get away with a lot because these people are typically not going to complain. They're happy to get overtime hours even if they don't get the overtime pay. They just want the opportunity to make money. Some of these people have put up their property and houses as collateral to get the money to make the trip and if they don't send money back their family could lose their home. Money is so important that they won't complain unless they don't get their money or was promised to them. Unfortunately they don't expect to get treated well.

HOUSING Trenton and Mercer County Ø Affordable housing has income guidelines, which many Latinos cannot meet because the income is so low. We need to redefine what constitutes affordable housing in light of Latino incomes. Latino seniors often don't meet the guidelines for senior housing. Ø Housing is a big issue—many are being exploited. They don't know their rights and avoid the authorities— many homes are not up to par. I have a property that I rent and I hear horror stories from potential renters and they act as though decent housing is more uncommon than not. The city of Trenton has had a large number of absentee landlords. They may exceed the owner occupied housing. This shift has taken place in the last 10 years. Overcrowding is one of the big issues with anywhere from 10 to 20 people sometimes sharing an apartment or house. Ø I don’t think it’s a secret that landlords do, knowing that maybe the property’s not up to par, break codes, they do rent them. I mean it’s a money-making business. But we’ve had incidents when I was working at MECHA when we’ve had clients, mothers with very young children, living in closets, paying, almost subletting to whomever the main family [is] that’s living there, so it’s not unusual to have 3,4,5 families living under the same roof and sometimes having a couple who would rent an apartment, very high, sometimes $1000 or above, and they would allow 5,6,7, 8 men to come in and they would share bunks or beds or make their own accommodations, so that has become a big issue. Ø There are things that sometimes in our countries [of origin]we’re not aware of or we don’t do. We don’t recycle for example. So that was a main issue because the landlord gets fined and then he wants to raise the rent. Princeton Ø Latinos are concentrated in the John Witherspoon area. The primary issues are affordability and that they are steered there because it's one of a few areas where anyone will rent to them. Also it's accessible to the downtown area where the shops are. There are vans that come in and pick people up to take them to where they have to go work. Also in Princeton, you are right there on the bus line so you can even get to work yourself. It also places many within walking distance of their jobs. Princeton's primarily affluent and the rents are generally higher. There are no rent control ordinances in the borough. You can charge whatever you want. Longevity and having bought family homes many years ago and in some cases having passed them down to other family members has made living in Princeton affordable for many African-Americans. The John Witherspoon neighborhood has African-Americans of various economic levels. There are some affordable housing developments but the waiting list for affordable housing in Princeton is two years long.

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There are people who have lived in affordable housing units all their lives and even pass them down to other family members. Ø One survival tactic is that a Latino individual or couple rents a house and they in turn rent space to the single guys at $100 to $125 each and then basically live rent-free since they pay the landlord the rent they contracted for. The landlord typically doesn't know they are renting out space—although landlord is making out well since he is typically getting top dollar for the property. But for many of these guys here alone… costs, credit qualifications, and documentation are major obstacles—so they have a hard time trying to rent through typical channels. This situation works for the men—most men living in the same house are typically from the same country and many are related. They typically know each other and it makes it easier for them to live together. Also the person who rents the space also provides meals—breakfast and a lunch they can take with them—it is basically run as a boardinghouse. Basically these individuals are "making lemonade out of lemons"—they are happy with the set up. They make sacrifices so they can send as much money as possible back home. Ø Some landlords are overcharging some immigrants for tiny spaces and tacking on extra charges which, if not illegal, are unethical. Housing spaces available are very small and the houses/apartments are not well maintained—some are in very poor condition—although they are being charged high rent. Yet they won't move to Trenton because the schools here are much better and it is much safer here. Ø Most Latino families are not living in affordable housing. They’re certainly not in rural housing because rural housing is under HUD and totally federally funded and they’re not eligible for Section 8. We do have Latinos under Princeton Community Housing because we are a private non-profit affordable housing agency and only 25 percent of our units are under Section 8. Ø There was a fire here back in the wintertime—46 people came out of 2 apartments. Overcrowding is a major, major issue. We have families who come to us, mothers living in one room with four kids and being charged five, six, seven hundred dollars a month and that’s more common than not, for one room. East Windsor/Hightstown Ø The way some of the apartments are set up, in some cases, leads to unsafe situations because sometimes complete strangers are sharing housing and there is little to no privacy. In some situations they rent space on rotation basis where an individual has the use of a bed for 8 hours. These are often used by men who come here to work and send money home. They sometimes have men waiting around for their shift so they can get some sleep. They don't really have a place to live—they basically only have bed space. It is rumored that a health inspector took down a sign that actually said "renting bed space". Nobody blows the whistle because these are people that are coming here to earn money to keep a child from starving. The conditions in which they live may not seem humane but it’s more humane than letting a child back home starve. But, there are safety issues. One example is two apartment fires with 57 people in Twin Rivers. We knew of a situation where an inspector was going to check out an apartment because it turns out that the police were chasing someone who ran into an apartment and then locked himself in a closet. When they opened the closet, they found it was being used as a tiny apartment. The person was actually renting a storage closet and turning it into a living space. Some apartments have storage spaces that lead underneath the stairwell and they are being rented and used as living spaces. The exploitation in this area is related to housing and living conditions with large numbers of persons living in one residence. Ø Another housing concern is that the towns will [start to] enforce their housing regulations. Because all of a sudden all you have to do is start going back into old statutes and saying, well, there’s not more than four people allowed in a place, and once you start to enforce those kinds of things you can really put a lot of pressure on [immigrants] especially, because in order to survive they sometimes double up and triple up. All previous immigrant groups did this.

RECREATION Trenton Ø Regarding recreation there is a field to which many Latinos used for baseball in Trenton and there's another field in Hamilton to which other Latinos use to play soccer. Also there is a large soccer league in the area. The city has numerous programs for entertainment and recreation that the Latino community may not know how to take advantage of, or may not be aware of what is available.

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Princeton Ø Need for recreation programs/activities is critical. Latinos are seen as “hanging out” and some even find groups of men socializing in the streets as intimidating but it is a typically cultural activity which is misunderstood by non-Latinos. Ø The Princeton Recreational Department provides financial aid assistance for most of Princeton’s summer programs. We have been overwhelmed for the past ten years with legitimate demand for financial aid scholarship assistance. In most instances what is happening here is the recreation board is picking up the cost, we don’t have an endowment and we don’t have a fund, and we agonize over getting forms and being told “none of these families can afford to pay a cent” and getting stuck with $10,000 worth of services. It becomes a dilemma and yet we believe very strongly in offering financial aid because we are a user-fee pay-as-you-go department and there certainly is a strong argument to say that there should be a greater municipal effort to offset the cost for basic programs. There are three programs that happen to be mostly for children, that’s our basic day camp program, the teen travel camp, and the pool. Now, when you get into the pool complex we’re providing memberships at a reduced rate, certainly there’s family units involved in there but for the most part we’re talking about children. And all the issues associated with bilingual signage, which we’re not absolutely sure is a good idea or not, and the fact is that we happen at this time not to have Spanish-speaking staff. East Windsor/Hightstown Ø One of the big issues down here is that people are hanging around. These are not people that are in front of the TV playing video games. They’re out socializing. They do hang out when the weather is nice—they go outside and socialize. They talk, hang around—they joke and fool around but there needs to be a place for them to do it so it is not perceived to be "loitering" because people here typically cannot socialize in this manner. It is a cultural issue having to do with the plaza mentality. The situation is also true in Princeton. In Hightstown there's nowhere to go. There’s a park down the street but it's right by the police station so they are not going to go there. The park up here by the projects is used mostly by African American people from the projects and there's a stereotype around that. Ø Whenever African Americans or Latinos are seen hanging out in groups on the streets, the perception is that it is a gang—that they are going to start trouble—that they're loitering. They need a place where they can socialize, play dominoes, talk, joke, tell stories, play games. They need a community center which helps them with information and also can be a place for recreational activities. These Latinos are not socialized to be inside watching TV. They like to be outside and the issue is also that they may not be readily acceptable where other people might meet and gather. Ø There are some Latinos buying homes and finding unique ways to enhance their income—some are having volleyball games and charging people to participate and there is gambling—playing cards for days. At least 8 homeowners are known to be doing this. They set up in the backyard—they have volleyball and card games and there is gambling. The owner might charge them $15 to play and they offer them drinks and food. You have a lot of car parking right on the lawn and all over the place. This is their recreation. They're not allowed to use the indoor bathroom—so they sometimes pee in public. In the area, there are some very beautiful parks and we ask why can't these be opened up. We were told it was because drinking is such a big problem. There is a huge need for recreational facilities. Generally speaking there is very little in the way of recreation for teens. The community center is really something that is needed. If you think about putting your children in the Y camps it's just unaffordable. The middle school age is the most vulnerable, 12-14. After 14 they can volunteer or get jobs. Ø The Latino community loves soccer and they’ve been having some problem just getting access to facilities. There are entrenched groups that control certain areas and it’s been very difficult for the community to break into that. They get blamed for breakage of some of the equipment or they get blamed for parking problems. I think a lot of that tends to be excuses on the part of those people who have controlled the park facilities for such a long time. That’s an area there that I think needs to be looked at in terms of having healthy outlets. Places to hang out, I think that one of the interesting places in this area where a lot of the kids hang out is at McDonald’s. So there are pockets like this where they’ll learn to come together and do certain things, but again, I think a lot of them, they find places where they can have dances and things like that. And the local school here has become a little more tolerant and open to that so there’s more access for the kids expressing themselves and dancing here. But in general, I would think that’s a problem for all the kids in this district, and not just the Latino kids, the point being when you look at the geographic area of these two towns [East Windsor and Hightstown] Hightstown is like the hole in the doughnut and then you have this huge surrounding geographic area called East Windsor that is so spread out there is no real center to it. It’s just a

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bunch of…a jumble of places, here’s some residential areas, some agricultural areas, the business area. So there’s no real downtown area for East Windsor, and there is somewhat for Hightstown which is that main street over there, there’s a little bit of a downtown there, but for East Windsor there’s almost nothing except if you go over to the mall or if you go over to 571 and Route 130 where you have those gas stations and you have the ShopRite and a couple of diners, that’s probably the closest area to a downtown but it’s not. There’s no community plaza or something like that. The need for a community center was mentioned—that probably would help a lot.

CRIME/SAFETY Trenton and Mercer County Ø Safety is a big issue. Many Guatemalans are very humble people from rural backgrounds and small villages and not used to urban environments. In Trenton they have to deal with some tough people—urban and streetwise—country living is more familiar—in the city they are like fish out of water. The young men are especially vulnerable. Ø We have a lot of critical issues, such as with the police that we have to address. Right now a lot of immigrants are being attacked and robbed and they are calling them walking ATMs. I have met with the Mayor and other officials to ask them what they are doing about the fact that these immigrants are getting robbed—not only on the street but also their homes get broken into. They say they are working on it. We need people to get together to talk about these issues and have more impact. There are a lot of people taking advantage of the new arrivals and the undocumented. One thing is trying to help them get bank accounts without needing a social security number. In addition, single men who are looking for companionship and drink to pass the time end up in bars and that is a ready-made situation for trouble. Ø [Trenton] There was one financial institution that asked for me to read and translate a document to a couple who wanted to buy a house—I read the contract and saw that he had an interest rate of 5.4% –the couple had good credit. I explained the contents of the contract to the couple. The day of the closing about 3 weeks later the buyer brings me a copy of the contract that he said the man from the financial institution had given him. He brought both papers and on the final contract he was given the rate had jumped from 5.4 to over 18%. I told him that there was something wrong and that if he had good credit he should not be paying 18% credit. At that point the man said he did not want to do anything to risk not getting the house. I suggested he take to his attorney and question why the change in the rate. Later the person making the loan came in angry telling me to mind my business, and this man advertises in the local Latino newspaper. Ø [Non-profit agency specializing migration and refugee services] We get the people after they’ve been to the lawyers and lost thousands of dollars because they do not qualify for legal status. It is nothing to pay $3000 and get nothing. Undocumented people go to a lawyer and tell them they want to get a green card. The lawyer tells they have to pay $3000 and then they add the immigration fees on top of that. The lawyer fills out the papers and either they never send it in and don’t tell the people or put in information for which these people are not qualified and then the INS rejects their case and they lose both the lawyers fee and the immigration fees. There are Latino notarios who take hundreds of dollars to fill out the papers for work authorizations for which people are not qualified and of course they are rejected. Many are being ripped off for hundreds and thousands of dollars by lawyers and notarios. The notarios are actually doing something illegal because they are practicing law without a license when they fill out and file immigration papers. There are some non- profits trying to help but mostly they are not qualified to help and sometimes do more damage than good. We have the expertise, and for those that don’t qualify, I warn them. I had one man that told me that a lawyer told him that for $5000 he would get him citizenship. I told him that what will happen is the lawyer will take your money, take the INS fees—they will send it in and the INS will just reject it and you will lose your money.” The lawyer makes his fee by simply filling out the paperwork. Our max fee is $500 in an asylum case. For a work authorization we charge $55. For TPS we charge $100. We had a family that came down from Flemington, the lawyer wanted $250 per person for a family of five--$1250—and at that time we were charging $75! Ø [Immigration and Refugee Services Attorney] The vast overwhelming majority, easily 97 percent, would want to become documented. Some of them fall prey to people who will sell them documents because they believe this will help them become documented. They believe they are buying green cards and employment authorization cards and Social Security cards. What happens very often is that someone tells them they will help them get them a legal card if they pay them so much money and because in most places there is a fee associated with getting documents. They pay it thinking this is the proper way to do it. These are mostly

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scams. Many of these are Latino-on-Latino crimes. There are travel agencies and other kinds of businesses who promise undocumented people that they can help them. They take their money and often can't help them and in some situations get them in trouble with the law because they themselves don't know the law. Once you file documents without any basis you come to the attention of the immigration service. East Windsor/Hightstown Ø We have children who are citizens but have undocumented parents. There are people selling false documents and gouging people. There were some persons that would do the taxes for these immigrants and have the refund checks sent to themselves and they would keep the money. There are stores/businesses that offered to cash checks and wire money back home. In some cases they have handed over thousands to be wired and then are told that they didn't give money to be wired. There was one case that was referred to the police because one women took $5000 to a place that was supposed to wire the money to her mother and when she went back the next day the person there said that the woman had not given her any money to wire. These people trust—especially other Latinos. Ø There was some talk about setting up some kind of cooperative and I thought that would be a very good thing to do. Some people in town were very interested in that but then I never heard anything back again. It would be like a bank. Like a savings and loan cooperative. Because as it is right now I think people…there’s a concern as to whether people get ripped off when they cash their checks or get loans. In Dover [in Morris County, NJ] is one of the best examples of a co-op having been established. They just did extremely well and that’s primarily the Latino population who did that themselves. So I do think that something like that could be done here—checking, savings and loans. One of the things here is you know a lot of people here send money home and that’s tremendously expensive. But if there was some way by which they could work that out, I’m not sure how they could do it, but anything they could do to save money for people there would be amazing.

SERVICES Trenton and Mercer County Ø I think what happens in Mercer County with agencies dealing with Latinos is that we react in a crisis mode. We focus on emergency assistance—one-time emergency assistance for rent, utilities, water, gas, for electric—and very little was asked as to how they got to that point. No one is being proactive, but reactive in my opinion. You deal with the problem today: you need housing—let me place you in a hotel; you need food—let me give you a food voucher. But no one is providing case management in detail, nor can we afford it because people are not really giving us funds for that. When we write grants we get very little for operational expenses and administration expenses and salaries. Everything has to be direct service and it’s difficult to get a bilingual person who is knowledgeable when you can only pay them entry-level or just minimal salaries. Latino organizations get bombarded. We’re overextended, overwhelmed, underpaid and we’re getting all the entry-level college kids like myself when I graduated, eager to jump in there work in non-profit, so exciting, but after 3 or 4 years you’re burnt. No training, no support for teaching, this is how you do it professionally; this is how you separate the cultural out from those that are working the system. In order for us to improve we really have to have quality training—which is not happening. I’m talking beyond a college education or high school but clinical supervision, consistent training. Look at MECHA that for the last 5, 6 years has been struggling because of management issues, funding issues, staffing issues… some of them are related to management inside the agency but some of them are not, [there are] external factors, I think, that prevent them from doing a good job. Ø In Trenton they are scattered, they want to do everything. In Princeton-East Windsor-Hightstown they’re more focused, not to say they’re getting any further ahead. You look at the Latino Task Force or Latino Women’s Council, of course the Hightstown Community Action Service Center, when you look at the work they do, they have chosen a specific target area and not only are trying to provide services for that group but advocating on behalf of that group. If you tell me your goal… the Latino Women’s Council… is to provide mentoring for high school Latino women… [that] this is your mission… then I don’t expect you to do great on affordable housing or shelters. What I expect you to be doing is that [mentoring]. So even if there are minimal steps forward I consider that to be significant progress because there’s a need there and that’s your concentration. You look at Catholic Charities and you look at MECHA. If there’s money out there they’re jumping on it. It doesn’t matter if they have the skills or the staff or if it’s part of their bylaws. I think that every time funding becomes available it’s a very quick decision. “Okay there’s twenty thousand dollars to provide child care education… who on the staff can we turn into a child developer person to provide the service?” I think these agencies should do something and do it well and only when they feel comfortable

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enough that they’re great at whatever it is, then you move on to something else. This is why these agencies are constantly struggling. Ø When you become a board member you have a responsibility not only to the agency but also to yourself and the target group you’re supposed to be serving. It’s a voluntary board but it should be an active board. They should have a finance committee, you have certain responsibilities, if you have a PR committee you have certain responsibilities, and I don’t think that people who joined the board, and I’m speaking to the ones that I’ve dealt with, the Latino community in general, I don’t think that they understand the importance of it. Nobody’s given them that knowledge or training. You can’t rely on charismatic leaders just because they’ve traditionally done this or that in the community. There are certain skills you have to develop. A lot of these organizations don’t provide board training and don’t have clear policy manuals. Ø We need to develop more collaborative efforts among all our agencies. Major issues include domestic violence, substance abuse, and homelessness. There are enough clients for everybody so organizations must collaborate too—but the organization must be client focused. Client confidentiality is critical—it has been an issue with agencies in the past. Ø Puerto Ricans are not utilizing the Spanish-language services to the same degree for various reasons. They may be accessing mainstream services because they are more acculturated and English [language]dominant. The Puerto Rican population is more settled and there are not as many new arrivals. There's also the feeling that they are getting a higher quality of service by accessing mainstream services. There is some truth to the quality of services sometimes provided by the Latino-focused organizations [which are] under funded and understaffed. Ø The biggest issue is the overselling of services and creating unrealistic expectations. A lot of the agencies pretend to provide services that they don't, which is true of both mainstream and Latino agencies. Agencies say they can do it all because it's an issue of funding and that's the way they believe they can get funding. The Latino agencies put out brochures that promise more than they can deliver in terms of services. Among mainstream agencies this means saying that they can serve Spanish-speaking clients when they don't have anyone truly fluent in Spanish. There is a gap between what people say they can do and what they can do. For example—I put together a resource directory some years ago and as part of that directory I wanted to list the Spanish-speaking contact person at each agency—where there was one. There was a situation where I was told that a person was bilingual and could speak Spanish but this non-Latino person could basically say hello and the little beyond that. She certainly couldn't hold a conversation in Spanish. Yet they insisted that they want her name in the directory as the bilingual contact. This is not an isolated situation. Ø Part of what we haven't touched upon is community building and community development including being involved in helping the Latino community have a voice in a revitalization project taking place in the neighborhood around El Centro. We’re concerned that redevelopment might kick people out. They should be a part of that change so they could benefit from it. That is a big thing in that community—it's being developed big-time. The center is located in an area that is being targeted for development especially housing and the idea is to develop mixed housing and we’re involved at a community level. In that community there is almost no health care services directly in the community. They are dependent on outside sources. The health issue is really an important one. We brought in health screenings. We brought in this huge van that St. Francis has that comes in a couple of times a week and it is well utilized. Ø This year we are doing our fifth health fair. I started a health fair because I felt we should not be isolated and we needed to connect with other agencies and let the community know about services here because most of the people often don’t know where to go for social services or health or whatever. They need to be educated about services that are available. Most agencies are working towards that goal but typically they’re working alone. We started with about 13 agencies. Last year we had over 30 different agencies participating. We have over 500 people that attend. It is a real partnership where people from other agencies come and work all day. We have over 21 people on the committee. Clients also participate and help. Some clients help because they say they feel grateful for what the program has done for them and their families. Ø I went to a meeting at a mosque of Muslims that want to address AIDS in their community. They were trying to find a Latino organization to collaborate with on this issue and they have not had any success. Among the other key concerns for the Latino population are mental health issues, unemployment, and housing. Ø Unemployment and domestic violence are big issues for the Latino community. Ø Local communities must be served by local organizations located within or close to the community they serve.

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Ø Hamilton has the second highest population in actual numbers but no services are available in the local area for Latinos. They go to Trenton or Hightstown depending on where in Hamilton they live. Roberto is meeting with the Hamilton Mayor to address some of the concerns of Latinos in Hamilton. Ø There are an array of services that no one is really doing well or meeting the need such as immigration, domestic violence, creating safe environments for after school that will also help them progress academically. In some cases we need to develop the program and in others linkage to an organization that can provide the service but does not have the connection to the Latino community or their trust. Our current organizations need to reevaluate their purpose and set new goals for themselves—some are comfortable doing what they did 15 years ago. Another thing is that they need to be held accountable for what they are doing or not doing. Ø We need to develop services – El Centro can't do it all. Congreso Boricua left Trenton about three years ago. Government and other organizations use our numbers to get funding but then don't really provide the needed services. Princeton Ø Princeton Human Services is a joint agency between the township and borough and is primarily responsible for all the social services for the community. We provide youth services such as their summer employment program, an annual toy drive, senior services such as a transportation program for seniors in the township and borough, an annual health fair and they do civil rights. We have a newly created position for a Latino Community Liaison. Human Service. It’s been very hard to convince some of the powers-that-be that this is a needed position. It’s only part-time now but we have to prove to the elected officials that this position needs to be full-time. And from what I’ve heard and having spoken to people about the issues and the concerns, Mrs. Clark when she starts (position was filled and is active) will be overwhelmed and I’m hoping that she doesn’t run because of the needs that are here in the community. Ø There is a need. We’ve noticed in our Summer Employment Program [that] we’ve had to turn away young people who do not have social security numbers or a taxpayer ID numbers. They can’t participate and they are the ones truly in need of making this extra money because I found out last year [that] one young lady, the money she made was 25 percent of her family’s annual income. So you have people that are very poor here in Princeton, and that’s another issue, that people are living in poverty, overcrowding issues, the education, the access to services for people who are not legal. It’s a real issue that’s going to have to be addressed. The elected officials are going to have to face the issue that this population is growing and that there’s going to be a bigger demand for services. And that includes hiring people who can speak the language and are sensitive to their needs. Ø The social service, mental health, medical systems, alcohol and drug systems are at a critical point in that people are sometimes waiting four months for services and that’s dangerous. I think that really needs to be stated, that if people are waiting at least four months for services to get into any of our systems, they’re forced to show up at hospital emergency rooms to take care immediately and then they have to bounce back to our waiting list to get counseling or family and children services. That’s a real key issue because somebody’s going to get hurt.

MENTAL HEALTH Trenton and Mercer County Ø The whole mental health issue for the Latino community here is a disaster. That is definitely something that has to get addressed. There was one place that was opened up called Happy Hearts, which had a bilingual therapist (who wasn’t even a psychiatrist). It was run by an MD from Santo Domingo who couldn't get his license [here] so he started doing counseling. He ran an unethical shop both professionally and fiscally. The problem was that because they existed for a couple years they actually treated people and put them on medication. They put a whole bunch of Latinos on medication and then shut down. You had these people out they're asking "where am I going to get my medication". It was a very abrupt closure. The lack of bilingual mental health services must get addressed in this report. Ø Lack of therapeutic and mental health services— Those are the issues that we continue to raise at our office and like anything else because of the lack of funding involves either hiring the staff or those professionals in a position to work with these clients either gravitate more north or more south, such as to Philly or New York where they get paid better. We definitely need a Spanish-speaking psychiatrist, more therapists. This is a major issue, particularly since a few years ago one of the only places that did provide it closed down from one night to the other and left a lot of young children and young adults without medication. El Centro got a

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large amount of those clients. We saw as many as we could and then referred the others to the psychiatrist at St. Francis. We have a really good relationship with St. Francis hospital and we refer a lot of clients there to [see] their psychiatrist. He is not bilingual Princeton Ø Corner House Counseling Center in Princeton has been here about 30 years. We provide extensive services and since MECHA left we have become a main resource for the Latino community. The Latino client reflects 50%-60% undocumented and indigent. A very high percentage of the adult population does not speak English (estimated about 70%) but the children have a much higher percentage of English fluency. Key concerns are: Housing, alcohol abuse, and domestic abuse. Princeton has a Spanish-speaking psychiatrist. We need more bilingual/bicultural counselors. We have 2 AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] groups in Spanish but no Alanon for family members. We provide alcohol and drug treatment, alcohol especially for me and I see some marijuana users and other drug using adolescents. Right now the model we are using is group. We have a woman’s group which has been very successful for three years, and a couples group at night, couples that have been referred by the court because of alcohol and domestic violence. Currently we’re averaging an 8-12 week waiting list that now is probably closer to 20. We have 3 staff that are bilingual/bicultural—two counselors and a receptionist. We are by no means meeting the demand for services and they keep growing. We’ve had a tremendously difficult time trying to serve the Latino male community who have a lot of substance abuse and domestic violence issues. We also work with the Recreation Summer Camp. We probably spend about $20,000 a year on Summer Camp. A lot of the kids are into Summer Camp activities. The needs are getting so high we’re starting to get a lot of walk-in business. I would say that’s really increased tremendously where two or three people a week walk in needing services right then. We’re just unable to provide services at that level—and it’s all funding-related for the most part. Our uninsured population has jumped from 63% a year- and-a-half ago to now 91% Yes. It’s a tremendous increase because the Latino population is mostly uninsured and very low income and our numbers are at the low end of our sliding scale and most of the time they can barely afford to pay even the low end five dollars, two dollars per session. Ø There is a tremendous need for mental health for families. Latino parents coming into a new society, families broken because the parents immigrate first and then the kids come and then they struggle to work and take care of the family which results in a tremendous need for services. I’m a member of the Princeton Area Coalition of Mental Health Agencies. There’s five agencies in the community and they’re all experiencing very similar concerns for mental health needs in the Latino community—that none of us can meet the demand. East Windsor/Hightstown Ø Most of the counselors in the area cannot serve the Latino population because of the language barrier and a lack of cultural understanding. The stress on Latino families is really intense especially on the women trying to balance family and work in an unfamiliar environment. Family counseling and crisis intervention services are now really needed to serve these families. Most of these individuals are used to having a natural support that works within their families. When they come here and don't have the support systems they don't know where to go or what to do. The migration to the United States is overwhelming. The needs are immense. One organization addressing the needs of the Latino community is WomenSpace. WomanSpace has bilingual bicultural counselors and is serving the Latino community in an effective and intelligent way. Ø Agencies providing services need to hire persons who are "differently culturally able" and then be willing to listen to them and respect to their perspectives. Often, Latino professionals have a hard time getting the agency to adapt to what needs to be done. They are also not able to serve the African American population effectively. They are culturally incompetent. Doing the right thing is tied to economic gains or it has to be meaningful to them in some kind of way that benefits them. If agencies are not required to do something they often don't. Some outside force has to require that they attend some kind of training to provide them with what they need to know. Ø Agencies say they can’t find qualified Latinos for available positions but in agencies such as CASC the entire staff is Latino. They say it’s credentials. I believe there are qualified people available and, when they do find someone, they often can't keep them because of the way they are treated and the obstacles that Latino staff and professionals face. Even after locating qualified people we have to develop the cultural competence of the organization because the one Latino hired confronts serious obstacles from the management, supervisors and co-workers who do not accept or understand that things have to be done differently.

5–19 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

Drinking, Domestic Violence and the Police Ø Well the usual as with any incoming immigrant group, a fair amount of drinking, which I think is related to depression and to a sense of loss. So there is quite a bit of drinking. Iif you look at the local papers, at the police blotters you’ll see that a lot of people are pulled over for drinking. Very often it’s a Latino name, and there are certain pockets where the community lives where there’s a fair amount of drinking and also drug use that goes on. Again I associate that a lot with the sense of loss and depression and the trauma of being displaced and then the fact that, especially with the younger kids, they have no choice. They’re brought here by their parents, either by one or both parents and they don’t know the language, and so forth, they don’t know the customs and they need to survive, so I think as a result of that there’s this kind of acting out and some of this takes place under the influence of alcohol [and drugs]. That of course gets them into difficulties with the police. They run into a lot of difficulties when it comes to driving because they need to drive to work and if they’ve been drinking then they get into serious problems, their licenses are taken away from them, higher insurance rates, all these things begin to accumulate and that puts them deeper into a hole and that leads, in some cases, to domestic violence, and so I think all these things are connected. And the police, I think, are pretty sensitive to that, there’s a difference also in the culture of the police. East Windsor is much more sensitive to the issues than Hightstown, although I think Hightstown is trying their best to come up to speed, but I think East Windsor at this point is much more sensitive to the cultural differences than the Hightstown Police Department. Then, the response of city government, township governments, has been pretty good I think, on the whole, but I think East Windsor, again, has been more sensitive than Hightstown is although they have a new… I guess the mayor of Hightstown has been getting a little bit better at this. Ø Domestic violence issue—there’s another concern I have that’s related to the drinking issue. A lot of the women when the come, they’re sometimes able to get work easier than the man, so they get a job and are working and the kids are going to school and are learning English and this man can’t get a job. I think that they feel very, very lost and that’s where some of that anger and domestic violence comes from. I’ve seen some of that happening where the men would lose their jobs. But because some of the women were involved in some kind of domestic work, or they’re involved in working at a restaurant and their job security sometimes is much better [than the man’s] and they can hold onto that job, [is] why I think some of this violence happens.

5–20 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

LATIN AMERICAN PRINCETON - PRINCETON LATINOAMERICANO The only written study of the Latino population in any area of Mercer County was a document entitled Latin American Princeton–Princeton Latinoamericano1 based on a research project by the Apoyo/Princeton Immigrant Rights League And The Students Of Sociology/Latin American Studies 338 of Princeton University in the Spring 1997 under the supervision of Miguel Angel Centeno, Associate Professor of Sociology. Students explored a wide range of topics regarding Latinos in the Princeton area, which were then compiled into a composite report. The following are excerpts from that document which provide some additional insight into the Latino population of Princeton and Mercer County.

Ø In the late 1980s, Mercer County experienced a large increase in its immigrant population. During the last three years of the decade, the rate of immigration for the county increased by about 60 percent. Princeton Borough absorbed a hugely disproportionate amount of these new immigrants. In the same time period, the Borough rate of immigration rose by approximately 400 percent. Ø In 1990, the vast majority of Hispanics in Princeton were ineligible to vote because they were not US citizens. Of all the "Foreign born" individuals in Princeton, only 25 percent had undergone the naturalization process to become citizens. (The actual number even lower when we take into account undercounting problems with the Census). When one considers the additional voter weeding mechanisms of age, language, education, and the procedural obstacles of registration, the number of Hispanic immigrants who have the possibility of attracting attention as a potential voting bloc is further limited. Ø As is the case with the national Latino population, there are significant differences in the national origins of this population. The US Census Bureau classification of "Hispanic" hides this heterogeneity. Though they speak a common language, suffer from similar stereotypes imposed upon them, and are subject to similar prejudices, each Hispanic sub-population has its own identity and agenda. Ø Segregation among the origin groups is evident. Mexicans split relatively evenly between the two census tracts, but the Guatemalans are concentrated in Tract 40 while the Puerto Ricans and other nationalities dominate in Tract 41. Such tendencies, regardless of their causes, make formation of a solid "Latino" political contingent difficult. Ø One of the research groups interviewed twenty-six Latinos residing in Princeton regarding their migration experiences. This group found that both push and pull effects had a significant role in the decision to migrate. Most of the people this group interviewed were of Mexican or Central American origin. Among the Mexican origin interviewees, the primary reason for migration was economic. Mexican-origin immigrants left their native lands because of an inadequate supply of jobs or because the jobs they did have were not able to provide basic necessities. For Guatemalan immigrants economic opportunities were also a factor; however political fears also played a major role. Considering the civil wars that devastated that country for the past three decades, it is not surprising to find that half of the Guatemalan interviewees identified the political situation of their country of origin as the most important reason for their migration to the US. Ø Family links also play an important role in inducing migration and helping to determine the ultimate destination. These networks help to bring individuals from the same region in their home countries to Princeton via similar routes. In terms of learning about Princeton, twenty-one of interviewees pointed to some form of familial ties which helped them or encouraged their migration to Princeton. The most common migration route was through the California corridor. The two most popular routes are the Tijuana, Baja California/San Diego, California border and the Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua/El Paso, Texas border. Nineteen of the respondents spent time in Los Angeles before coming to New Jersey. A respondent mentioned that most of the immigrants from eastern Guatemala follow the Texas route of entry whereas those in western Guatemala typically enter the United States through a California port. For both Guatemalan and Mexican immigrants in Princeton, students found common places of origin: Salcaja, Quetzaltenango, and Santa Rosa de Lima in Guatemala and Acapulco, Mesones and Putla in Mexico. Ø Many undocumented migrants used "coyotes" to assist them in crossing the US border despite the risks this entailed. A female respondent recalled that the group of immigrants she was with lost their money and nearly did not make it across the US border when hired "coyotes" abandoned them in Mexico after receiving

1 Latin American Princeton–Princeton Latinoamericano. Editors, Apoyo/Princeton Immigrant Rights League et al. Princeton, N.J.: Apoyo/Princeton Immigrant Rights League; Program in Latin American Studies, Princeton University, p. :ill.; cm.

5–21 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

payment. Coyotes appear to be used more frequently by Guatemalans who have to cross not one, but two borders. A Guatemalan respondent who was detained in Mexico told of being deported to Guatemala because of his "unwillingness to cooperate" with a bribe % thus delaying the long journey north. There are significant monetary (as well as emotional and physical) costs involved in migration. Once in the US, immigrants are often forced to pay off debts incurred in the process of migration. Ø What factors influence the immigrant’s decision to reside in Princeton? As noted, most interviewees had networks of family or friends in Princeton which facilitated the transition to New Jersey, though relatively few interviewees reported having directly traveled to Princeton. Respondents also mentioned financial and other attractions of the Princeton area. These include: (1) availability of jobs, (2) higher standards of living, and (3) upward mobility potential. Ø Student researchers found a great deal of variation in the employment patterns of Princeton Latinos ranging from fast-food cashiers to gardeners to pharmaceutical consultants. Ø For Latino immigrants in the Borough, the principal goal is to find work not matter how difficult or badly paid. Some immigrants in Princeton have experienced downward social mobility. As educated professionals with a career in their home country, a new beginning often means starting from scratch as foreign degrees are often not accepted in the US. Some of these professionals had to settle for jobs for which they were over- qualified and earn lower salaries than what they might have expected. Other Latinos have been able to move upward and hold jobs or make wages better than they might have expected back home. For the unskilled, however, the economic situation has been much more difficult. For lower skilled Latinos, especially more recent immigrants, the most common jobs were as cooks or house cleaners. A significant group have opted for further education as a means to advance to better jobs with better pay. Researchers found that as fluency in English increased, employment opportunities improved. Ø Interestingly (but possibly due to fears of reprisals) respondents did not report much overt discrimination. Yet, they recounted how employers will exploit the workers through such means as failing to pay time-and-a- half for overtime hours. One local politician with significant contacts in the community explained that many recent immigrants work seventy to eighty hours a week or twelve hours a day with their only holiday being Christmas. He reports being asked if employees have the right for a day off during a week. He also often needs to explain that employers should pay extra for overtime hours. According to him, Latino workers who have been exploited will almost never ask for money owed, but rather request a day off or some other minor concession, thus demonstrating not only a commitment to a strong work ethic, but also a lack of understanding of the protection that they, as workers, are entitled to from the government. Ø For many Catholic Latinos in Princeton and elsewhere, the Church has always been an important aspect in their lives. When the number of Latinos entering the surrounding Princeton community began to increase roughly ten years ago, St. Paul’s Catholic Church responded in turn with the introduction of a weekly Spanish Mass. This was a first attempt to fulfill the religious needs of the new community. But in 1997, the presence of an even larger and more diverse Latino population indicates that more must be done to accommodate them. Ø Education Ø Princeton High School (PHS) possesses numerous resources as the data below shows. Its students can choose among 160 courses (including 12 advanced placement courses) to choose from. More than 60 percent of students participate in advanced placement or accelerated classes with 80 percent of those enrolled in the advanced placement classes passing the exam in 1995. Three-quarters of its graduates go on to four-year colleges upon graduation. The average math SAT score for PHS students was 609, compared to the state average of 508; in the verbal portion, PHS students averaged 592, in comparison to 496 by students across the state. Despite its wealth of resources, in both monetary and human capital, there is concern as to whether the Latino students who attend PHS receive the same access to resources and faculty attention for academic pursuits as their non-Latino counterparts. In the early stages of the research inquiry, the group met with former PHS students currently attending Princeton University who consistently reported a dearth of minority students—Latino and African American—in their honors classes. While 21 percent of the student body speaks another language first at home, only one English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) course is offered before students are infused into standard English classes. Student researchers learned that the Latino students at PHS are failing classes at a rate 1.5 times greater than the overall student population. PHS would provide an interesting case study into the phenomenon of failing Latino students, since those at PHS apparently have an assortment of resources at their fingertips. 60.5 percent of Latino students attending PHS are failing one, if not more, classes.

5–22 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

Ø There are three commonly expressed observations regarding the experience of Latino students and their educators in the high school. First, it appears that the school has not provided an adequate transition, particularly for Limited English Proficiency students. Second, the level of commitment from teachers varied widely from open and eager to dismal if not alienating. Finally, student teachers felt that the task of understanding and bridging cultural gaps was quite daunting according to these reports. Ø The language barrier justifiably receives a great deal of attention as a limit to educational success. From the reports of student teachers, the groups found that if a student is weak in English at the elementary school level, it is more likely that s/he will receive the attention s/he needs to improve her/his proficiency in English, without falling dramatically behind. In addition, much of the instruction at the elementary level is basic and hands-on, so a student with less proficiency could still get by. Parents and elementary-aged kids were particularly enthusiastic about the ESL program in the elementary schools. In contrast, it is much more difficult for both the student and the school at the high school level to overcome a language barrier; the disparity in understanding at the upper level is much greater. In addition, the language barrier affecting students can also affect the degree of parental involvement. Such parental involvement has been proven to positively effect students’ achievement; the language barrier thus can hurt the student in multiple ways. Ø The role of cultural expectations and customs from both Latino students and their teachers used to "typical- American teens" also plays a role at the high school; this is more acute for recent immigrants. The American school system, based on participation and vocalization by students, is often foreign to Latinos, especially girls; a Latina’s silence or shyness or silence could be interpreted as a failure to respond due to a lack of knowledge or understanding. Teacher’s expectations similarly played a role in students’ success and self-perceptions. Several students acknowledged that teachers did not expect them to do as well as their counterparts. Ø The relationship between teacher and student in the United States is different from other countries. As a result, parents are often not able to advise their school-age children about school because the educational system is also foreign to them. Coupled with generally lower levels of educational attainment in their homelands, the Latino student’s find they cannot rely on their parents as much as their non-Latino peers. Ø Recent immigrants also face difficult psychological and emotional battles from the transition of moving into a new culture. In response to feelings of alienation, Latino students (particularly recent immigrants) flock to each other’s sides, forming a group of peers they can identify with. Problems with such group formation arise when teachers and other students see this group as self-segregating and trouble-making. As one interviewee indicated, several teachers in the high school are afraid of approaching groups of Latino students. Also important is the fact that the Latino community is itself segregated (not necessarily by choice) in the larger Princeton community. Most Latin American immigrants reside in easily-identifiable areas with clearly defined boundaries so that their daily interactions are with individuals much like themselves. Students at the schools, however, interact with a wider range of individuals. Ø Another dimension to the barriers for Latinos in their academic achievement is their socioeconomic status. The connection that between the poverty of families and the high school graduation rate has just as much relevance for those at the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder in Princeton as it does in Camden, for example. While the student researchers were unable to discover recent data on Latino income levels in Princeton, anecdotal and impressionistic accounts would place a significant number of the Latino students in PHS at the lower rungs of the ladder. These income differences, and accompanying gulfs in parental educational attainment, place the Latinos students in a structural disadvantage when competing with the children of University faculty or other members of the Princeton upper-middle class. Ø Despite a lack of cooperation within parts of the school system and the community, the elementary bilingual education coordinators and their supervisor work to make the program as effective as possible. Recognizing that education is fundamental to the aspirations that Latino immigrants have for their children, the researchers were struck by the commitment these educators exhibited. In the classrooms, away from all of the debates, these educators work to open opportunities for the Latino children through the bilingual education program. Ø The Police The Borough Police Department on a whole seems to be making efforts to respond to the needs of the Latino community. However, this situation demonstrates that the Department, regardless of its intentions, cannot control all individual prejudices that may exist. These prejudices can result in alienation of the Latino community. Ø The Township Police have similarly tried to respond to the increasing Latino community by hiring Hispanic officers. In a more in-depth study of the Township’s Police Department, a group project examined the

5–23 Latinos in Mercer County Key Informant Summaries

relationship between the Township police and the Latino population within the township by surveying and interviewing the police officers themselves. Ø Officers’ personal impressions about the Latino community varied. All respondents affirmatively responded that they were "aware that there is a growing Latino population in Princeton Township." Furthermore, a quarter of the officers added emphasis to their response with comments such as: "Most definitely" and "very aware." In citing specific problems specifically affecting the Latino community, many cited alcohol abuse that was "excessive" and the main cause of "all the problems we encounter (for the most part)" in the Latino community though some justified this by noting that Latinos "work very hard and I assume this is a way to ‘blow of steam.’" A quarter of the officers noted that the language barrier was problem with a few comments that Latinos "refuse" to speak English or only speak it "when they want to." A third cited family problems, claiming that domestic violence was prevalent, especially when one of the parties is intoxicated. A quarter of the officers demonstrated sympathy for the Latino community noting the cultural transition of the mostly immigrant community. One officer referred to the Latino population as a "hard working people" with well- mannered kids. Three-quarters of the officers thought that these specific problems they identified affected the types of crimes that Latinos commit. Alcohol, for example, was cited often as a cause of problems with the authorities. Ø Like African-Americans in Princeton, Latinos for the most part live fairly segregated lives. However, in Princeton, both minority communities interact with each other primarily because they live in the same or adjacent neighborhoods. As the Latino population has increased, African-Americans have grown weary of this population, especially as Latinos continue to move into the historically black John Witherspoon neighborhood. The resulting tensions between Latinos and African-Americans do not allow the groups to unite to address common barriers and overcome them. Rather, the interactions between both groups have heightened tensions. Ø Everyone from the Mayor of the Township to the police officers, to students at PHS is aware of the tensions in the community. According to the mayor, there is strife between the groups. But the mayor believes both groups tend to deny a problem when the issue is brought up in the public discourse. The local newspaper, The Princeton Packet, has reported assaults and altercations between groups of African American and Latinos in Princeton. These assaults, which were first reported in 1992 and continued to appear in stories through 1995, led to a series of meetings to that attempted to solve the problems. However, the racial problems are no closer to being solved now than they were when the first community meetings were organized. At the local high school, conflicts between Latino and African-American students also intensified. Fights between African- American and Latino students were reported recently in the local media, and caused concern at school board meetings. Ø Some possible reasons for the tensions between the two groups are the perceptions of each group of the other. For one, African-Americans feel that the influx of Latinos is changing their neighborhoods. Mayor Reed states: "the Black community remarks that the town is paying more attention to Hispanics than they have ever paid to us [and ask] ‘Why doesn’t the town make them behave the way that they have made us behave?’" in response to the incidents reported. Cultural misunderstandings also fuel some of the tension between the groups. Coupled with the language barrier between the two communities, it is difficult to get members of each minority group to talk to each other rather than allowing tensions to escalate. The socio-economic situation of both groups adds to the tensions. Ø It is widely known that many Princeton Latinos live in over-crowded conditions. Because of this they generate more garbage and noise than other families. The perception for non-Latino neighbors is then that Latinos are loud and do not take care of their trash. Rather than uniting to address the problems of a limited affordable and adequate housing stock in the community, a grudge against the new neighbors is fostered by African-Americans. Additionally, the job opportunities for Latinos do not often permit them to learn English as often language ability is not as important for their blue-collar jobs. For lower-income blacks, the very real threat of job loss because of increased competition for low-wage positions is a constant concern. Ø With antagonism within the major minority communities in Princeton, the possibility of finding common concerns to address similar problems is slim. Not only do Latinos have to address the other issues described in the series of reports, but an possible ally is also not uniting with this population. What the future for race relations holds for these minority communities and their greater interaction with other races holds is not clear at this point.

5–24 Mercer County Latino Population Study The Undocumented

The Undocumented of Mercer

The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service has identified New Jersey as one of the seven states that is home to 83% of undocumented persons in this country. California is home to 40 percent of all illegal immigrants; Texas, 14.1 percent; New York, 10.8 percent; Florida, 7 percent; Illinois, 5.8 percent; New Jersey, 2.7 percent and Arizona, 2.3 percent.1 An article in the Courier-Post, October 2, 2003, reported on the significant increase in the cases of the handful of lawyers in South Jersey that practice immigration law—“ a specialty few lawyers understand but most firms would like a piece of.” One lawyer stated that four years ago she was opening about three new cases a week and now it is more like eight to ten new cases a week. Nowhere is this increase more clearly illustrated than in Mercer County, which is among those areas with the highest concentrations of undocumented in the Northeast. While there is no objective hard data with accurate numbers on this population, the anecdotal data is overwhelming. We estimate that more than 40% of the Latino population is undocumented. Regardless of the exact numbers or percentages, we can assume that from the perspective of service needs it is a significant group. There are mixed feelings about the undocumented ranging from resentment to those that believe that they are important to the economy of the area and should be provided with basic human services. That the undocumented play a significant role in the economy of the region is of little doubt. They are the nannies that take care of our children, the housekeepers who clean our homes and hotels, and the landscapers who beautify our neighborhoods; they keep the food and service industry going. They are the migrants that assure that farmers survive and their crops get to market and our tables. They work long hours for little pay and pay taxes on the income they receive. “They” are America’s invisible workers—illegal immigrants in U.S. cities and in rural communities. Many work for no pay. Often, they labor under abusive conditions. And too often, their version of the American dream ends in a nightmare.2 Studies have shown that the undocumented contribute to our economy to a degree that clearly balances any drain on resources. The issue for our local human service system lies in what the federal government does with the many dollars contributed by immigrants. An analysis of tax dollars paid by immigrants showed that the federal government benefits from the tax dollars of undocumented yet they place the burden on local and state governments. According to a 1993 testimony by Charles Wheeler of the National Immigration Law Center before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Human Resources, about two-thirds of the tax dollars paid by immigrants—legal and undocumented—go to the federal treasury, while most of the health, education and social service costs that are incurred are paid for by state and local governments (Fein and Seebach). Thus, the federal government receives most of the taxes paid by immigrants and shifts most of the costs to state and local governments. While newcomers pay proportionally more in taxes than they receive in services, those taxes are primarily federal; state and local governments do not benefit as much from immigrants’ tax dollars3. Understanding the undocumented means understanding the circumstances that lead people to risk life and limb to escape their homeland often leaving family and friends behind—a homeland that is an integral part of them yet they are compelled to leave. No one has missed the stories of the terrible risks taken by vulnerable immigrants forced to migrate illegally, which in some cases have led to their deaths.

1 "America’s Invisible Workforce.” ABCNEWS.COM, 1997, http://archive.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/immigrationmain801/index.html (11/16/03) 2 "America’s Invisible Workforce.” ABCNEWS.COM 3 Lillian Kimä, “Higher Education of Undocumented Immigrants: The Student Adjustment Act. Part 2 0f 4” 7/21/2003, ILW.com, http://www.ilw.com/immigrants/life/articles/2003,0721-students2.pdf (11/15/03)

6–1 Mercer County Latino Population Study The Undocumented

The stories abound among the Mercer County undocumented of being abused, robbed, raped and risking their life in order to escape economic deprivation or political persecution and oppression. And once they get here they face the psychological impact on individuals and families caused by the separation of husbands and wives, parents and children, and the loss of the traditional extended family support system. Those that make it don’t forget those they left behind. Those who escaped dire poverty make tremendous sacrifices to send money home from whatever earnings they can get. They work long hours and sometimes 2 or 3 jobs, typically for low wages, without holidays or overtime pay. They live in crowded conditions in order to economize and be able to afford the high cost of housing and still have enough to send money home to relatives left behind or to save the money to pay the cost of bringing up other family members. In some cases where economic issues have forced them here, they come with a dream of staying a few years—long enough to pay for a plot of land, a home and furnishings and have enough to then live off the land. In other cases where returning home is not an option or solution, they work to save enough to bring other family member here, paying thousands of dollars to an underground system of “coyotes” who they can’t trust but they have little or no alternative. In Mercer the undocumented make significant contributions to the economy primarily by being a source of cheap labor. They are a significant portion of the working poor in the County. They are also a population vulnerable to abuse by employers. The employer abuses of immigrants, and especially the undocumented, in Mercer has been a matter of public record, the result of a number of news articles in local newspapers over the past decade. The experiences of undocumented who have migrated to Mercer are comparable to the experiences of those in other parts of the United States. Some immigrants are smuggled in to the United States and exploited by the people who brought them... Many other immigrants come of their own will, and face abuse while working illegally in more traditional sectors of the American economy. They are largely unprotected by U.S. laws governing workers’ safety, health, and wage... The majority don’t complain. They face the threat, real or implied, that complaints could prompt an employer to call the INS and have them deported. As a result, many Americans are surprised when an investigation reveals a sweatshop, or a group of people enslaved by their employers or an orchard where fruits are plucked by children. Few of us know just how prevalent these problems are.4 At the very least undocumented workers are entitled to the provision of basic human services including decent housing, health and mental health services and educational services for their children. These are issues that, if not addressed, will have a negative impact on the community at large. According to the Urban Institute, legal and undocumented immigrants pay $70.3 billion a year in taxes, but receive only $42.9 billion in services such as education and public assistance. In addition, undocumented workers provide tax dollars to the United States. Undocumented workers are subject to payroll deductions and income taxes. They help support programs like Unemployment Insurance and Social Security, even though they themselves are ineligible for benefits from these programs. In 1990, undocumented immigrants paid $2.7 billion in Social Security, and $168 million in unemployment insurance. . . In a 1990 survey of economists by the American Immigration Institute, four out of five stated that immigrants had a favorable impact on economic growth. None said that immigrants had an adverse impact on economic growth.5 Local service providers throughout the county see the provision of mental health and family counseling as a critical need in helping families and individuals deal with the impact of displacement, acculturation and the development of survival skills. In addition, affordable housing, health services, and ESL are vital needs for this population.

4 “America’s Invisible Workforce” 5 ““The Facts about Immigration” Office of Migration & Refugee Services, June 03, 2003, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, http://www.nccbuscc.org/mrs/facts.htm#The%20Basics (11/15/03)

6–2 Mercer County Latino Population Study The Undocumented

Another critical area, which currently lies in the hands of our legislators and government, is resolving the issue that impacts the future of undocumented immigrant children who have grown up here. Some who have been here since infancy and have been educated in our public school systems, become acculturated to American life, and upon graduation from high school find themselves without a future because of their status. For some it comes as a total shock since their parents, who thought it was best considering their circumstances, did not tell them. Now they discover they are not eligible to enter institutions of higher learning and the brightest and most talented of them cannot accept scholarships. They find themselves now entering the workforce of the undocumented and facing deportation or being sent to a detention facility with no certainty as to how long they will remain confined. They become young people without a country, told they don’t belong here and yet the land of their birth is foreign to them. There is no doubt that the choice is to give them the opportunity to become a contributing member of our society and community or to marginalize them. According to the American Federation of Teachers: There's no question that adults who are undocumented aliens should be held accountable. But is it fair to make their children pay? They did not choose to break the law, and they can't go back home on their own. As the 1982 Supreme Court decision put it, punishing the children of illegal aliens for the wrongdoing of their parents is grossly unfair--it "does not comport with the fundamental conceptions of justice." It is also unlikely to be effective. . . These parents don't come here to take advantage of U.S. schools; they come to get jobs. Refusing to educate the kids will not make a dent in the number of illegal aliens entering the country, and it won't make the ones who are here pack up and go home. As a deterrent, it is worthless. . .they say that the biggest problem is the cost of educating the children of illegal aliens. However, the cost of not educating these children is even greater. Even if they never become citizens, they are likely to remain in this country--probably in the states and cities where they now live.6 The need for a system that effectively provides orientation, information and referral services to help guide immigrants has been identified as an important issue. This is a population vulnerable to being victimized by crime and who are being taken advantage of due to their ignorance of our systems, of services available to them, of their rights, of the law and their fear of the INS. The incidence of abuses, scams and crimes are all too common. One of the most common abuses is the individual who promises assistance with documentation for a fee and takes their money to file papers. While some have good intentions, many are simply cashing in. In most cases these individuals have little to no understanding of immigration law which is complex even for those specializing in this field: Immigration law has been one of those see-saw specialties that always seem to be on the verge of this great boon, with lots of lawyers entering the field in one year. A year later, though, many of those new lawyers have abandoned the specialty, leaving a core half-dozen once again. The problem has been one of complexity and one of experience, said…some of the other half- dozen lawyers in the region. The complexity has everything to do with the federal rules that govern the specialty, rules that seem to shift continually. Lawyers need lots of experience to understand what's going on and the nuance of each rule; new lawyers often succumb to the learning curve.7 Among the profile of the undocumented coming to Mercer County is a population of single men who come for the work having left families behind. Some are husbands and fathers others are single men or younger males, in some cases teens, coming as part of the migrant stream population or coming to the area in search of work. Some come alone while others are groups of men from the same families. Many of these men live together in crowded conditions paying for a room or bed space— sharing a room with others. A number of them find places in the impromptu boarding houses or

6 Shanker, Albert. “A False Economy”, American Federation of Teachers, AFL•CIO, June 30, 1996. AFT.org (11/15/03) 7 Robinson, Sue “Immigration law fickle, Few South Jersey lawyers survive its ups and downs.” CourierPost Online, October 2, 2003 http://www.southjerseynews.com/issues/october/b100203a.htm (11/22/03)

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apartments where the person or couple renting the place, in turn, rents to these men. For the most part they are working and saving or sending money home. One of the issues that emerged regarding this population is the need for access to recreational and social facilities especially in the Princeton-East Windsor-Hightstown area. The mainstream community has complained of the Latino population “hanging out” or “loitering” and sometimes view these men gathering in groups in the neighborhoods as threats. There is general agreement that there is a real cultural divide in the socialization of these Latinos who come with a “plaza mentality” and who are not used to staying inside watching TV or participating in other indoor activities compared to many communities here where socializing in the street is not viewed favorably. In addition, having people living in crowded conditions where they have little personal space exacerbates the situation. There have been issues with their use of the parks and complaints about littering and public drinking. In some cases this has led to some entrepreneurial homeowners creatively developing mini- recreational centers in their homes where these men can participate in gambling, card games, dominoes and other activities for a fee. There is little doubt the general population cannot ignore the undocumented in its community planning efforts despite a lack of hard data on the real numbers. The arguments that they are a drain on the economy or services must be balanced by promoting an understanding of the vital role they play in these communities and the contributions they make to the tax base and to Social Security. This understanding is critical in the determination of how dollars for community services are allocated.

6–4 Latinos in Mercer County Summary & Recommendations

Summary and Recommendations

In determining the focus of the recommendations, I considered one question at the core of the study: What has to happen for the Latino community to progress and move forward in Mercer County? While this study provides a wealth of information on the population, its issues and service needs, the recommendations below have a narrower focus. They relate to the need for the development of an infrastructure within the Latino community that has the ability to work with the mainstream to devise an ongoing effort to advocate and develop the services needed by this population. There is also a need to promote a proactive agenda to better integrate representation of Latinos within those systems—social, economic, educational, political, and community— that affect the lives of Latinos in the county. The future socioeconomic status of the Latino population in Mercer lies in its ability to become self-empowered and to guide its own direction. It is hoped that, in addition to these recommendations, those individuals, systems and organizations that wish to address specific areas of need for this population will utilize the wealth of data contained in this document. Other entities may utilize the information contained within this report to develop other sets of recommendations related to their areas of interest or expertise.

1. Development of Local Latino-focused Multiservice Community Based Organizations The rapid growth of a diverse Latino population with unique linguistic and cultural challenges requires the one or more community-based organizations (CBOs) with the linguistic and cultural expertise to develop and coordinate services that address this population. Such organizations can play a critical role in developing services to attend to unmet needs and can develop mutually beneficial partnerships with mainstream organizations to help them effectively address this population without a duplication of services and avoiding the development of secondary services that may be under funded, understaffed and lacking in specific professional expertise. These offices and programs of these organizations must be locally based and seen as part of the community. 1.1. MECHA and El Centro de Recursos para Familias In Mercer County two organizations are recognized as being Latino-focused multiservice community based organizations—El Centro and MECHA. MECHA is a Latino CBO with an 18 year history and, at one time, was seen as the key Latino organization in Trenton that was developing programmatically and fiscally to help address the needs of the growing Latino population. Its mission is “to establish and ensure that adequate representation and services are provided to the Latino population of Mercer County” and “to empower Latinos by providing them with the skills and services necessary to promote self-sufficiency.” MECHA's services have included: a Housing Resource Center that offers technical assistance, counseling, education, and training for tenants and homeowners; Job Readiness, Search, and Placement Center to provide education and training to assist clients in obtaining better employment opportunities; Multi-Services Family Center that aims to strengthen families through counseling and parenting skills development offers general information, translation services, technical assistance, and referrals to other social service providers; Women's Resource Center focusing on women's health and violence and abuse issues that in collaboration with Womanspace, Inc. provides domestic violence prevention and education, court advocacy and legal assistance, psycho-educational support groups, and community forums; and Youth Services providing a range of youth-related services including after-school educational and recreational programs, Bilingual Employment Skills Training (BEST), Latino mentoring and leadership development, and teen peer support. In 1991 MECHA had expanded its services to include a satellite office in Princeton to serve the Latino population in that area.

7–1 Latinos in Mercer County Summary & Recommendations

Unfortunately in the late 90s MECHA experience an organizational and fiscal crisis from which they haven’t recovered and resulted in the closing of their satellite office in Princeton after almost a decade of service. MECHA experienced a downturn, losing funding and programs and was forced to cut back on services at a time when this population and its service needs were growing. As a result, MECHA, no longer able to meet the growing needs and demands of the community, lost much of its credibility and standing. When asked about MECHA most of the key informants indicated that at one time MECHA was the organization everyone looked to regarding issues and the service needs of the Latino community. However, their ability to serve the Latino population had diminished in quality and quantity. They were familiar with what MECHA had done at one time but most were not really sure what MECHA was doing now. The downturn in the ability of MECHA to serve the needs of the Latino population and its loss of credibility left a vacuum that needed to be filled and community members needed a place to turn to for services. As a result El Centro de Recursos para Familias under the umbrella of Catholic Charities emerged. El Centro is now overwhelmingly viewed as the agency to turn to when it comes to issues related to the Latino community. It was the agency most identified by survey respondents as perceived as doing a good job serving the needs of Latinos (El Centro 35% vs. MECHA 15%). El Centro is a program whose goal is to take a holistic approach to serving the Latino community. It has a strong mental health focus regarding families and for providing family and individual counseling. It also partners with other organizations to provide computer classes, GED classes, ESL classes, health services, legal services, immigration services, recreation services, prenatal classes, AA group, a men's anger management group, ladies support group, and mentoring program. With only a handful of staff, the center director promotes an ambitious agenda for which he is under-funded and understaffed. Much of the positive view of El Centro is directly related to how the director is viewed including his commitment, energy and interaction with clients, other agencies, community member and leaders. Despite MECHA’s loss of stature as the key agency within the Latino community, most of the Latino key informants indicated that an organization like MECHA was important to the community and they would like to see it developed in terms of its ability to serve the community, to improve the quality of its programs and services, and to recover and deepen its funding base. While they see El Centro as a key organization—they also believe it is under-funded and understaffed and therefore cannot always deliver all it promises. They believe that the fact that it is part of Catholic Charities and not an independent Latino agency makes it different from MECHA and the role MECHA can play in the community. The overwhelming view of key informants was that both organizations were needed and should be maintained and nurtured. Among the issues that need to be addressed are Ø Each of these organizations needs to build an organizational infrastructure that can survive a change in leadership and will assure continued development and growth by strategically developing programs based on need rather than “chasing the dollars” of available funding. Currently, due lack of adequate resources, these organizations are just surviving by taking a patchwork approach pursuing whatever funding is available. Ø These organizations are often unable to provide competitive salaries, which makes it very difficult to hire and retain well-qualified and experienced professionals. Being under funded and understaffed, directors are often in the unenviable position of undertaking multiple functions, from providing direct client service to being agency administrator, to being program and staff supervisor, or public relations person, fundraiser and crisis manager. Ø The collaboration of these two agencies could be very beneficial for both organizations in helping to build them up fiscally, administratively and programmatically. These organizations should assess how they are currently functioning, and determine their individual strengths and weakness.

7–2 Latinos in Mercer County Summary & Recommendations

They need to do strategic planning, individually and jointly, to set an agenda and a focus that would not only benefit their organizations but the community they serve. Ø They each need to develop a clear mission and be specific as to their programmatic directions. For example the provision of mental health related services could be the focus of one organization while the other may specialize in employment and housing. Instead of each agency trying to be all things to all people, they should develop a strategic approach to addressing critical needs in a collaborative manner—and not only with each other but also with key mainstream organizations— as the basis for the development of proposals to bring in the resources needed. It is well known that collaboratives are what many funding sources are looking for today. It is likely that if one organization takes a proactive approach to strategically moving forward and the other organization does not, the likely scenario is that one of the organizations may not survive and the other will have to broaden its scope. Part of this process of strategic planning, and three and five year plans are suggested, should include consideration of the evolution of these organizations to eventually provide services in other areas of Mercer County with a need for services from a Latino CBO. There is no doubt that MECHA at one time served an important purpose in Princeton and the services they provided were missed when they had to close their Princeton office. 1.2. Princeton Princeton has numerous issues and concerns that must be addressed in relation to the significant and growing Latino population in that area. Unfortunately, the only Latino focused organization that had served this community, a small satellite office established by MECHA in October 1991, closed its doors in 2001. Although MECHA served the Latino community in Princeton for a decade it primarily operated with in-kind donations and by collaborating with local entities on small initiatives but as one key informant indicated, “MECHA never received any funding from Princeton township or borough. There were lots of promises but they never made good on promises of funding.” When MECHA suffered a loss of some programs and funding, they were no longer able to maintain and support this satellite office. Other organizations such as Princeton Human Services, Corner House, Princeton Medical Center, the YWCA, Latin American Task Force and others have attempted to do what they can to meet the needs this population but local service providers will readily admit that they are overwhelmed by the demands due to the lack funding and of the staff needed to develop the services to serve this population. The most direct step towards service provision was taken by Princeton Human Services who advocated for the funding of a Latino Community Liaison to help bridge some of the cultural divide, advocate and assist with local efforts to meet the needs of this population. While there is acknowledgement that this is just a band-aid and that this liaison will undoubtedly be overwhelmed, it is also acknowledged that even to get this one position funded was a struggle. The need for a local Latino multi-service agency that will help to fill gaps in service and be a resource to other mainstream organizations is common knowledge. The determination to be made is whether it can be done in collaboration with a Latino-based program such as MECHA or El Centro or as an independent local entity. If a collaborative can be done with the establishment of a satellite office, the office should be staffed fulltime and be viewed as an integral part of the local human service community. It should also have some local funding that will help to assure that it is a locally supported Princeton program. 1.3. Community Action Service Center (CASC)—Hightstown/East Windsor The Community Action Service Center is the primary social service agency serving the Hightstown and East Windsor area. According to their mission it is: “dedicated to helping residents of Eastern Mercer County become self-sufficient in meeting their basic educational, financial and medical needs. We empower clients to resolve immediate crises and achieve long-term growth.”

7–3 Latinos in Mercer County Summary & Recommendations

It is one of four CASC agencies in Mercer County and serves the entire community but it is primarily used by the Latino community and as a result has become the de facto Latino-focused multiservice organization serving the multiple needs of Latinos in the area. CASC provides essential services which include crisis management, advocacy, a food pantry, domestic-abuse, job counseling, youth services, a summer program for kids, tutoring and mentoring for school children (K-12), and health initiatives. With a Latina director and a predominantly Latino staff with the cultural competence to work effectively with this population, this agency can fulfill a role in their service area comparable to MECHA and El Centro in Trenton. This CASC also finds itself attempting to do a lot with few resources. Rather than grow with the demand, this organization is losing ground in its ability to grow to meet the need. The increasing demand and diminishing funding base led to appeals in the local paper in December 2002 and again in April 2003. According to the December 12, 2002 Princeton Packet article, “the people coming. . .for help (with the rent, with clothes, with putting food on the table) are becoming more frequent and more varied. . . this increase in traffic coincides with a decrease in the help the center can offer. . . the real problem CASC faces is lack of money. Without money to carry the center through the leaner post- holiday months. . . those in most need of a hand would have little more than hope on which to survive. . . the center needs donations chiefly to help families stave off homelessness.” On April 25, 2003 the Princeton Packet reported: “Steadily over the past year, CASC has been losing ground. First. . .monetary donations to CASC got smaller and smaller. Now…a down-market economy [is] creating more traffic than the center can comfortably handle.” The organizational and fiscal development of this CASC can help it become an agency equipped to address some of the key concerns in this area. This organization like MECHA and El Centro needs to strategically plan to develop their infrastructure and resources to be a viable organization able to meet community needs. In the case of CASC, there is a great need for a new facility that will provide the space needed to address the service needs of the community and provide a space for social interaction that will begin to address the issues of loitering and lack of recreational activities in the local area that impact community and neighborhood relations. 1.4. Comparable Latino CBO Model In building capacity, developing and strengthening Latino CBOs in Mercer, it would be best to examine a successful model of a comparable organization in a comparable community such as the Hispanic Center of Reading and Berks in Reading, Pennsylvania. Established in 1976, the Reading Hispanic Center was a Latino community based organization with a 28-year history that was about to close its doors due to a history of poor organizational and fiscal management. An article that appeared in the Reading Eagle on March 3, 2003 best conveys the impressive transformation that took place over a period of less than five years: Just five years ago, the center teetered on the brink of closure. Funding was jeopardized when the organization was placed on probation by its main sponsor, the United Way of Berks County. When Jonathan D. Encarnacion was hired in 1998 as executive director, the center had four programs, four employees and an operating deficit of $120,000. The board considered giving up on serving the Latino community and allowing other social service agencies to do that job. Instead, the crisis sparked change. To reinvent the center, its board removed inactive members, cut failing programs, abandoned efforts to be everything to everyone and started anew. . .The Hispanic Center board crafted a new vision — providing the services within its resources and partnering with other organizations for everything else. In a recent interview, Encarnacion looked over a list of critical needs defined by the Hispanic Center leadership in January 1998. They included improving public relations, restoring financial stability and relocating the office. He ticked off each point with his finger. All the goals have been accomplished, he said. Encarnacion used his business background, from his former job in community-development lending at CoreStates Bank, to stabilize the Hispanic Center.

7–4 Latinos in Mercer County Summary & Recommendations

The turning point was a five-year $1.2 million grant from the Wyomissing Foundation in July 2001. The grant allowed the center to grow its staff and infrastructure. . .Encarnacion recruited a management team to lead the Hispanic Center to a renewed level of service, and the center’s programs, both old and new, have flourished. The In-Home Services Program is the center’s biggest. Established in 1999, it provides case management to families referred by the Berks County Children and Youth Services. The program’s budget this year of about $360,000 is more than the center spent on all its programs in 1998. . . the Hispanic Center has moved up from its basement quarters to occupy most of the first two floors in the Berkshire Towers at Fifth and Washington streets. The center has 33 employees, and it expects to spend about $1.3 million this year to operate 13 social-service programs. . . Two representatives from Allfirst Bank, which donates to the center , toured the office last fall. Jane L. Keating, the bank’s regional president, said she had not expected the professionalism she encountered there. "The facility itself is impressive," Keating said. "I think the staff is just top-notch, and they’ve just taken if from what was a good organization to something everyone in the city and the county can be proud of." A visit to this facility and a dialogue with the director and other key individuals from the Reading area would be a first step to exploring the possibilities. The next step is a critical assessment of these organizations as a basis for the development of a strategic plan to help them move forward and, in some cases, even survive.

2. Establish a Centralized Mercer County Latino Resume Bank Survey respondents identified language and cultural barriers as the top most serious problem affecting the Latino population. One of the most critical concerns was the need for bilingual professionals and staffing. Areas identified included: agencies, social services, federal offices, home health care workers, schools, bilingual teachers, local government offices, businesses, reliable translators in police departments and courts, job training and placement, and bilingual support groups. Cultural barriers were identified as going hand in hand with the language barrier issue including: culturally competent staff and culturally appropriate social service resources. There appeared to be a question regarding the availability of qualified professionals to meet the need. Some key informants indicated that they believed that there were qualified Latinos that could be accessed, while other key informants indicated that they were having a hard time locating Latinos to fill positions when available. This issue could be addressed by the development of a centralized Latino resume bank for Latino professionals, paraprofessionals and support staff. One logical approach would be to have an agency or program focused on employment undertake this initiative. There is little doubt that if this effort is undertaken by a volunteer organization it is less likely to succeed because of the time and effort required to do the outreach, maintenance and employer-employee matching. A centralized Latino resume bank over time can be promoted to the degree that all Latinos in the market would know this is a place where their resume will be made available to all local organizations for relevant positions and all local organizations would know that this is where to go when seeking bilingual bicultural workers. This initiative should include the development of website where local positions are posted. This initiative would help resolve the issue of the availability of qualified Latino professionals and would then allow for the examination of other alternatives in the case where the available pool of professionals and paraprofessionals cannot meet the demand.

3. Development of paraprofessionals to serve in professional positions One of the most critical issues identified is the need for mental health services and bilingual staffing and resources was identified by the majority of responding Agencies as one of the most critical service needs. A major concern in this area is the need for qualified bilingual and bicultural mental health professionals. Indications are that the available pool of professionals is limited and cannot meet the

7–5 Latinos in Mercer County Summary & Recommendations

need. The lack of bilingual/bicultural mental health professionals is not just a Mercer County issue; it is also a national dilemma. On March 20-21, 2000, more than one hundred key Hispanic stakeholders convened in Washington, D.C. for the first National Congress for Hispanic Mental Health for the purpose of developing a National Agenda for Hispanic Mental Health. They stressed the need for recruiting Hispanics to the mental health professions and stated that the “shortage of workers is tantamount to a national crisis. In fact, SAMHSA/CMHS1 has allocated $1.3 million to train minorities in the upper tiers of mental health.” Local organizations can help open doors of opportunities to many talented Latinos by bringing those who may lack the degree or credentials traditionally required, and provide training opportunities to develop case managers, counselors and therapists. Some individuals can also be working on their educational degrees, so that in a few years you have a well-trained and degreed professional. It is important to note the difference between the incorporation and development of paraprofessionals and the use of interpreters. Unless they are highly trained interpreters within the field, interpreters are not a recommended way to effectively provide mental health services nor should they be used in other areas such as the medical and legal fields. Ideally, bilingual mental health professionals will be available to engage and provide treatment to people whose primary language is other than English. However, the need for academically trained, multilingual and multicultural mental health professionals far exceeds the number now available. While increasing the numbers of these professionals is essential, other models of services are also in use, including: Bilingual Paraprofessionals. While they may not have formal clinical training, bilingual workers serve many valuable functions, including translator, paraprofessional counselor, culture broker, outreach worker, community educator, community advocate and trainer of service providers about the refugee’s culture.15 Ultimately, the goal may be to encourage bilingual workers to obtain further academic training in mental health to increase the supply of bilingual and bicultural psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other mental health professionals. Interpreters. Using interpreters for assessments and treatment is a less desirable route, but one that many systems rely upon given the shortage of bilingual mental health professionals. As Adkins noted, “A facility with language does not make a person an effective interpreter unless there has been adequate training, agreement on interpretation system, and building of rapport between the mental health professional and interpreter.”16 Thus, relying on family members to serve as interpreters is considered inadequate and inappropriate.2 We recognize that mental health workers overall are overwhelmed and for many agencies the added responsibility of training and developing paraprofessionals is beyond their current resources. Therefore, it is critical that we explore ways to fund this initiative. As a funded project, the recruitment and training of these mental health workers becomes primary and we avoid the pitfall of using them simply as interpreters or keeping them at a level where they don’t progress professionally.

4. Leadership Development Program Among the key informants providing feedback regarding issues in the city of Trenton there was overwhelming agreement that relations among community groups and Latino inter-group tensions needed to be dealt with if the issues affecting Latinos were to be addressed. Despite an impressive group of Latino individuals who had accomplished much individually, there was agreement across the board that the leadership was fragmented and had not been successful in working effectively as a group to address major concerns. There have been various attempts to start groups to organize around issues and

1 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) and its Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 2 Elaine Viccora, L.C.S.W. Creating Culturally Competent Mental Health Systems for Latinos: Perspectives from an Expert Panel December 2001 The National Technical Assistance Center for State Mental Health Planning (NTAC) http://www.nasmhpd.org/ntac/reports/LatinoWeb.pdf 7–6 Latinos in Mercer County Summary & Recommendations

political agendas—for the most part the groups that had been formed have become inactive or did not last. There were both individual and group divisions. Survey respondents gave the following feedback: Latino survey respondents identified Latino leadership issues as one of the top five most serious problems impacting the status of the Latino population in Mercer. Among the concerns identified were: lack of political representation and power; lack of progressive, efficient or productive political leadership; lack of visible leadership and advocates; limited pool of Latinos with extra time to devote to worthwhile projects or to provide leadership and mentoring, and who can only serve on so many boards or projects; a divided community and a lack of communication among Latinos; conflicts and internal struggles among different Latino groups, i.e. Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans—this challenges/discourages participation; lack of a proactive agenda for Latinos in Mercer County; lack of organizations that can voice concerns on behalf of Latinos; and lack of an organized constituency. There was a high degree of consistency by Latino key informants interviewees regarding the lack of cohesiveness among Latino leaders in Trenton. The comments in this area were numerous. The following highlight some of the issues presented: “ We have a scattered and divisive leadership and no vehicle by which people can come together effectively.” “There is so much talent and we have so much to offer—but it’s frustrating that we can’t get it together. There are a lot of people out there that don’t get involved because of the same frustration.” “Latinos aren’t really coming together at a county level or even at a city level. ‘One of our weaknesses is that we are growing in numbers but not in leadership.’” “Just within the last few years, I have seen 7 different organizations started to address Latino issues and they never get off the ground.” “The development of leadership is a very important issue—most don't have developed skills. We are mostly self-taught and OJT.” “One of the problems that we’re having with certain leadership in Trenton is they do not have the mentality of cultivating leadership.” “We need to forget regional, geographic, national differences to be able to work together and as "Latinos" for common goals. There’s a lot of dissension between the Puerto Ricans, Guatemalans and Mexicans and other Latinos.” “In the Latino community there are divisions even within the Latino subgroups. There divisions pending of what city they came from in their country of origin. There is a great need to bring the Latino community together because despite the differences many of the basic needs are the same.” Among the Latino key informants interviewed, there was overwhelming agreement on the need for a Leadership Development Program that could develop leadership at all community levels (current and future leadership) and that would bring current leadership to the table to resolve differences and look at the development of a common agenda. If the Latino community of Mercer is to move forward, its crisis of leadership must be addressed. The need to build skills and build cohesion is critical. For the community to progress, leadership must be defined in its broadest terms—from the block level, to the community, city and county levels. These may include building the leadership skills of parents to be better advocates within the educational system, local community people who want to address issues such as crime and trash, merchants who want to organize, to persons who want to serve on boards, commissions and even run for political office. While many communities have leadership programs such as Leadership Trenton, the kind of Leadership program needed for the ongoing development of Latino leadership is very different in content and curriculum. 4.1. A Latino Leadership Development Model Todos nos equivocamos pero solo los sabios lo reconocen. Everyone makes mistakes but only the wise learn from them. Three years ago in Reading, PA, a study of the Latino population described it in terms very similar to those that describe Trenton today. Survey respondents indicated that Reading Latinos “generally lacked an understanding of the political process, lacked awareness of their power, did not have visible leaders and role models. The current leadership is seen as fragmented, with Latino groups and leaders seen as lacking unity and cohesion.” The study found that “Throughout the history of Latinos in Reading and Berks, Latino leaders and leadership efforts have come and gone. While some 7–7 Latinos in Mercer County Summary & Recommendations

progress has been made there exists no community infrastructure that maintains and builds on past efforts of Latinos. The individuals who have emerged as community leaders over the years were a combination of grassroots and professional individuals who, for the most part, had little organizational, leadership and political experience or training.”3 In response to this need the Hispanic Center of Reading and Berks joined with the Center for Community Leadership and established the Berks Hispanic Leadership Institute. The curriculum design took into consideration the specific needs and cultural perspectives of the population. This first class brought together many local Latino leaders and other grassroots and professional individuals. The group was diverse in terms of educational background, age and Latino subgroups. The program developed skills relating to becoming a more effective community, organizational and project leaders and dealt with community divisions and cultural barriers that affected their success as leaders. It helped create a level of understanding among the various Latino subgroups. In addition, each participant was required to develop and implement a project addressing an issue of concern in the community. Beginning in Fall 2001, the group met one Saturday a month for eight hours. In May 2003 the institute’s first graduating class received certificates at the Hispanic Center’s annual banquet. Among the graduates were people of Puerto Rican, Dominican, Colombian, Mexican descent, and an African-American woman interested in working with the Latino population. The projects implemented by program participants included: Ø Domingo Jimenez and Ricardo Saad — Worked with local schools to get children involved in sports to improve their academics. Ø Rev. Virgenmina Ortiz and Rev. Edgardo Rivera — Encouraged Latino clergy to get involved in community issues. Ø Isamac Torres-Figueroa — Directed a voter registration drive in Reading. Ø Jose Serrano Ayala — Founded American Legion Post 872, "The Borrinqueneers." Ø Mary L. Rivera — Working to form local partnership with La Raza, a national Latino advocacy organization. Ø Josephine Torres-Boykins — Founded a business, A Small Business World. Ø Juanita Morales-Kremer — Participated in a youth outreach program. Ø Sunilda D. Tejada — Ran a class to help immigrants deal with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Ø Norma I. Montanez — Started a Parent Teacher Organization at Thomas Ford Elementary School. Ø Swithen Ortiz — Served as a consultant on local political campaigns. Ø Yvette Santiago — Conducted a comprehensive study on why more Latinos do not vote. In addition, a group of students worked together to form the Organization for Latino Advocacy to promote Latino issues in Berks County: Raquel Lopez, Miguel Lopez, Logan S. Smith Jr., Maria E. Candelaria, Eliana J. Serrano, Yvonne L. Stroman, Luz M. Tassone, Margarita M. Caicedo, Guadalupe Rivera Rosalind Rodriguez. The outcome of the Berks Hispanic Leadership Institute with a program consisting of 8 hours a month and a major community project include: Ø Graduated 23 participants in May of 2003 Ø Matriculated 34 for the 2005 graduating class Ø 99% of graduates are involved in community projects (75% involved as board members of organizations) Ø School board director Ø Creation and organization of a PTO group at Thomas Ford Elementary School

3 Lillian Escobar-Haskins, Reading And Berks Hispanic Center and Latino Community Study, Wyomissing Foundation http://alegreadvertising.com/research/ReadingRpt2.pdf

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Ø Athletic youth programs Ø Creation of an adult softball league Ø Creation of an advocacy organization (OLA) Ø Creation of the Columbian Civic Association Ø Creation of the Hispanic Cultural Association Ø Organization for voter registration Ø Participant elected as committee member for a political party Ø Participant elected as judge of elections Ø Creation on a naturalization program for new immigrants Ø Participant selected as a member of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs Ø Renaming of the Park 3rd & Spruce Ø The renaming of the Hispanic Center to Centro Hispano Daniel Torres

The creation of a Mercer County Leadership Development Institute would seek to impact the social, economic, educational and political status of Latinos in Mercer from a long-term perspective by addressing the local crisis of leadership. Several key informants expressed the need for a neutral location for this Institute, which can bring the various elements of the community together. One logical place to undertake this project would be the John S. Watson Institute at Edison State College, which currently runs the Leadership Trenton program. The mission of this Institute and the fact that the Latina who heads this leadership initiative was formerly with the State Office of Hispanic Affairs, and brings both a level of expertise in leadership development and Latino populations, makes this organization a viable entity for the development of such a project.

5. Latino Advocacy Group 5.1. Preparing to Come Together La fuerza del árbol no está en sus ramas, sino en sus raíces. The strength of a tree lies not in its branches, but deep in its roots. There is little doubt that a Latino Advocacy Group that brings together representatives of the diverse elements of Latino communities in Mercer is needed to develop a common agenda and take a unified and proactive approach to addressing the concerns of Mercer’s Latino populations. There has to be a distinction between a non-profit organization that helps with community development and provides services, and an independent advocacy group whose actions are not tied to funding. Although there have been several attempts to create such an entity, the results have been a history of failure in past attempts to create and sustain it. Addressing the frustrations that many community leaders have experienced must precede this effort. An advocacy group should be the vehicle by which the community can come together and address concerns such as: “ We have a scattered and divisive leadership and no vehicle by which people can come together effectively.” Therefore, it is recommended that this effort be undertaken only after we are able to successfully address some of the issues that caused this to fail in the past. Ideally, as occurred in the Reading model, this project should be undertaken possibly as a project under the Hispanic Leadership Institute in which its development can be carefully developed and guided. 5.2. Coming Together Develop a “Mercer County Latinos in Action” [the name is only a suggestion] advocacy group for the development of countywide and local agendas to address Latino issues of concern, including the development of relations between Latino groups to promote unity and to utilize the value and impact of Latinos working as a unified force. The issues of empowerment and self-determination are critical for the development of Latino leadership in Mercer County communities. The formation of a countywide

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group helps increase the human resource and knowledge base that can assist in developing efforts targeting specific communities. Some of the advocacy issues that can be undertaken are: “The Lost Children” Undocumented children and higher education. Having school districts meet the educational needs of Latino children. Working to change immigration law. The need for recreational activities for the population especially in the East Windsor, Hightstown, Princeton areas. Latino on Latino crime—Scams targeting newcomers. The issue of collaboration and addressing issues such as housing, immigration and employment through regional collaborative efforts can translate into accessing and redirecting funding toward Latino concerns. Ultimately, the design and focus will be determined by those who come together.

6. Latino Human Services Coalitions The impact of this changing population on the service community means that adjustments have to be made to be able to serve this population. There needs to be local vehicles for human service administrators and providers and Latino professionals to come together on a regular basis to share concerns and find solutions. One of the questions to be addressed is: What can we do to help existing organizations better serve this population? This is distinct to try to provide the services directly. These coalitions bring together service providers seeking to serve this population to develop strategies to educate the service community about how to serve this population in a culturally appropriate manner and how to develop services that can really address their needs. For example, a more coordinated method of providing information and referral and doing outreach. The need for better outreach and communication about services to this population emerged as a need in both the survey and the interviews. One strategy is the development of an annual workshop where specific strategies and skills are taught to persons working with this population. Another would be a mini-survey on how they can help agencies better serve Latinos. It is also important that development of skills and strategies is important for both non-Latino and Latino workers. We cannot assume that all Latino workers have this knowledge or skill. Too often in attempting to serve the changing population, a mainstream organization will hire one or two Latino workers and the expectations and demands on these workers becomes overwhelming. It is often assumed that they can provide Latino cultural training to other workers, which, unless they have received training or educations on Latino cultural dynamics, are unable to do effectively. In addition these workers are sometimes pulled away from their own work to interpret. Often they are asked to translate written documents which is a specialized skill that goes beyond simply being fluent in both languages. In many cases, Latino workers feel pressured to meet all these expectations and as a result may be set up for failure. For example, by putting out a poorly translated document that reflects poorly on the agency or being unable to meet the demands of doing multiple jobs—often for no additional compensation. Some entities already exist that play this role or can undertake to play this role such as the Princeton Latino Task Force and the Latino Vision Council.

7. United Way and The Latino Vision Council The United Way and the Latino Vision Council can serve as catalysts for the development of a strategic plan for the development and implementation of these recommendations. Critical entities can be brought together to develop the action steps necessary and the commitment of those willing to participate in the implementation. Regional subgroups can determine the approaches to be taken in their regions. Identify foundations and sources of funding that will invest in the future of the city and the county. Partnerships can be established that can develop proposals for submission to identified funding sources including foundations, corporate and government.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In 2002, the United Way of Greater Mercer County wanted to begin to remove barriers to services for the county’s diverse and growing Latino community. To accomplish this, the agency sought to identify opportunities for the development of culturally sensitive systems and practices by connecting with others who have experienced some success serving the needs of Mercer’s Latino populations.

Toward this end the United Way established an ad-hoc committee called the “Latino Vision Council” charged with the task of creating criteria for hiring a consultant who would conduct an assessment of the Latino community in Mercer County and determine its needs.

With the participation of Mercer County’s community leadership, the Latino Vision Council established a small steering committee to develop the project criteria, interview consultants, and work with the hired consultant to ensure the completion of the study and to assure that the key aspects of the project were fulfilled.

Key Aspects of the Project:

1) Undertake empirical data/information gathering from key community informants and surveys. 2) Establish a facilitated process to unite all stakeholders in one purpose: to examine the findings of the study and create a consensus on critical issues. 3) Develop a strategic plan to implement the recommendations of the study.

The Latino Vision Council sees the completed study and report as the first phrase of this project that aims to identify the critical issues affecting the quality of life for Latinos in Mercer County. The second phrase is to convene the stakeholders to build cohesiveness among the leadership and examine the findings of the report. The third is to develop a strategic plan with the United Way to address the recommendations of the report.

The United Way and the members of the steering committee are proud of the process initiated and the caliber of work that researcher Lillian Escobar-Haskins brought to the study and to the final report.

Steering Committee Members

Bill Coleman Kitty Krieder Jasper Reeves Paula Figueroa-Vega Roberto Hernandez Mary Jane Barretta Alta Rex Mary Rivera Ana I. Berdecia

8-1 Lillian Escobar-Haskins, M.H.S.

A researcher specializing in community and human service issues, she has conducted various targeted community research and analyses, making recommendations based on findings. She has published comprehensive reports and provided consulting and training services with an emphasis on community relations and diversity issues. Her specialties include organizational development, program design, needs analysis, community relations, non-profit board training, cultural competency and diversity, and Latino community outreach. She has served as a trainer/instructor to numerous organizations, government agencies and universities on cultural and human service issues including: Diversity, Multiculturalism and Cultural Competence; Social Status and Cultural Factors Affecting Achievement Among Minority Groups; Promoting Educational Excellence for Children of Color; Latino Traditional Cultural Values and Second Generation Perspectives; Latino Health and Mental Health Issues; The Culture of Poverty; Institutional Racism; Train the Trainer for Diversity Training; Train the Trainer for Latino Professionals on Cultural and Community Issues; Counseling Across Cultures; Acculturation and Current Social Realities in Relation to the Traditional Cultural Context.

Research project publications include: Latinos in Erie, PA: Myths and Realities: Growing Beyond the Stereotypes; Reading, PA Hispanic Center and Latino Community Study; and The AIDS Crisis in Pennsylvania: The Hidden Epidemic Among African American and Latina Women.

She was an advisor to the Governor of Pennsylvania during the Casey administration, to his cabinet and state government agencies on social, educational, political and economic issues affecting local Latino communities. Worked directly with professionals, organizations and communities on cultural and community issues including: education, health, mental health, economic development, and civil rights. Provided technical assistance to community based organizations. Collaborated with the governor's cabinet to enable citizens and communities to access state resources.

Served for six years as executive director of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs. While there she designed and established an annual statewide conference focused on Latino concerns. The conference received broad acclaim for its content and quality, growing from an attendance of 270 in 1991 to 950 in 1994, and which lead to the creation in 1996 of the Pennsylvania Statewide Latino Coalition and its annual statewide conference.

A founding member of the Pennsylvania Statewide Latino Coalition, it is an independent statewide coalition of Latino leaders organized to address the economic, educational, social, political and health needs of Pennsylvania’s Latino communities. She designed, developed and managed the annual PSLC conference through its first five years as it became the largest statewide Latino conference on the East Coast. She currently serves on the Coalition’s board of directors.

Founding partner of Alegre Advertising and Research specializing in graphic design, film production, marketing and community research. The agency also assists clients in reaching diverse audiences in a culturally relevant manner.

She currently serves on the Wachovia Regional Foundation Board of Directors and the Wyomissing Foundation Hispanic Initiative Steering Committee.

SELECT LIST OF AWARDS AND SPECIAL RECOGNITION RECEIVED Ø PA Department of Commerce Recognition for Successful Entrepreneurship Ø PA State House of Representatives Citation for Distinguished and Dedicated Service as Executive Director of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs Ø PA State Department of Community Affairs Certificate of Appreciation Commitment and Professionalism in the Advancement of Social Justice and Equity Ø Mt. Pleasant Hispanic Center Recognition for Outstanding Service to Harrisburg’s Latino Community Ø Commonwealth of PA Diversity Planning Committee’s Diversity Award Ø USPS Affirmative Action Women's Program “Outstanding Contributions in Professional Field” Ø Women’s International Coalition Unsung Heroine Award Ø HOGAR CREA International Outstanding Service Award Ø Spanish American Civic Association Outstanding Achievement Award Ø Lancaster Hispanic Human Services Committee Leadership Award and Outstanding Service Award Ø Senate of Pennsylvania Citation Commending work with Displaced Homemakers/Single Parents Ø HOGAR CREA of PA Outstanding Service Award

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