The Importance of Being Latino in Minnesota

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1 The Importance of Being Latino in Minnesota Rodolfo Gutiérrez HACER Executive Director Hispanic Advocacy and community empowerment throguh research HACER Presentation

2 What about Latinos in Minnesota? How much do we know about the Immigrant community in Minnesota? What comes to your mind when you hear the words LATINO, SOMALI, HMONG, NORWEGIAN, ITALIAN? Where do they live in Minnesota? Do their kids go to school? Where do they work? Are all Latinos coming from Mexico? HACER Presentation

3 Immigrants are more important in our lives than what we think They are bus and taxi drivers, waitresses and waiters, cleaners, lawyers, school teachers We interact with immigrants on daily basis: The orange we eat, was likely picked by immigrant hands The clothes we are wearing were sewed by immigrant workers (if made in the USA) The cook who makes possible our lunch might be also an immigrant Our neighbors are possible immigrants or immigrants children HACER Presentation

4 Many different types of immigrants, many different interpretations Most noticeable: undocumented immigrants How many? How much do they cost? How much do they generate to the economy? Who are they? How healthy are they? What are their needs, and how the entire community could answer to them? HACER Presentation

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8 During the 1890s, 40% of the population in Minnesota was foreign born Almost 90% of immigrants were undocumented Less than 1% of them non white Then, they were not a problem to the system Quite the opposite: they were welcomed as workers and even more, as new settlers in a state scarce of people and in construction HACER Presentation

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10 Latinos have been living in Minnesota for generations the first record of Latino residents dates back to 1860 Since the 1990 Census, the state s Latino population has more than quadrupled, increasing from about 54,000 to an estimated of 250,258 people in 2010 (Census Bureau, 2010 Census Data) However, Latinos must be more, while undocumented could bring the number up to 295,000 (CLAC, Minnesota, estimation adjusted with the new census data, 2011) HACER Presentation

11 By 1860, two years after the creation of Minnesota, 2 Mexicans were recorded living in the State In 1865 it was reported a 200% increment in Mexican population in Minnesota (6) In 1886, for the Minneapolis Industrial Exposition, the Orchestra Aires Nacionales de Mexico, came, with Luis Garzon, an oboist He, with his brother Gabriel, wrote The Fair Minneapolitan dedicated to the lovely ladies of Minneapolis HACER Presentation

12 Garzon married Clara Wagner, a young German- American from Iowa; they had three children, and moved to Colfax Avenue, in South Minneapolis, in 1910 During the 1920s, Luis Garzon founded an orchestra; the first known Mexican-American group to play in the state He was known as the Mexican Major, after opening a grocery store in St. Paul, while directing his orchestra This, of course, is a unique story HACER Presentation

13 A large amount of Mexicans came by the 1920s Most of them were migrant agricultural workers The Immigration Act of 1917 imposed several restrictions to immigrants, including quotas and taxes Mexicans were exempted because they represented closer and cheaper labor force First area to receive most of Latino immigrants was the sugar beet exploitation (Betabeleros) HACER Presentation

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17 Originally, the betabeleros worked and lived in rural Minnesota Once they were not needed anymore, many decided to move on to the urban areas, mostly to Saint Paul In 1927, a survey recorded 125 Mexican residing in Minneapolis The Saint Paul Flats were inhabited mostly by Mexican people Grocery stores and other manifestations of Mexican culture appeared They replaced former inhabitants from Ireland, Italy and Eastern Europe HACER Presentation

18 Cheap housing and proximity to the rail were attractive to immigrants Mexicans became part of the neighborhood some working the whole year, other going to the farms seasonally The Mexican Colonia, created in 1918, was consolidated before the WWII and became a point of reference Mass in Spanish was now common in the area and at the Guadalupe church HACER Presentation

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21 The Latino/Mexican community survived the Great Depression and the period in between wars Population grew steadily thanks to fertility, but new immigrants, now from Texas or New Mexico, arrived By 1940, Latino community in Minnesota was visible (West side St. Paul, and a small Area in South Mpls.) They were Mexican-American and Mexican together Now, American citizens most of them, they began to participate in the Army, with over 700 Mexican soldiers from MN during the WWII HACER Presentation

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24 Between 1942 and 1956, a new wave of Latino arrivals took place (Bracero Program) However, many were coming from the Southern border as result of larger influx of immigrants New expressions of Latino culture appeared, including radio stations and newspapers in Spanish and English The Pan American Festival, celebrated yearly, competed in popularity with St. Patrick s Day More and more assimilated, Mexican American Minnesotans showed a new face HACER Presentation

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26 Some facts: Immigrant communities do not perform at the optimum in the schools Latino students are few in college and universities Insurance among them is always low, but particularly among undocumented Immigrants are growing faster than whites HACER Presentation

27 Some facts: Labor force will be more diverse with large number of white retirees who will need them Interdependence among groups Need for more reliable research reports Need for better quality in data available HACER Presentation

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32 Latinos in Minnesota by place of origin, Mexican Puerto Rican Cuban Dominican (Dominican Republic) 70.3 Central American (excludes Mexican) South American Other Hispanic or Latino HACER Presentation

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