News (Noticias) for Mississippi

The face of DeSoto County is ever-changing as people continue to make it their home. But one group of newcomers is making more of an impact than others.

The number of Hispanics, as well as businesses and programs for them, has continually risen in recent years throughout the county.

From April 2000 to July 2006, the county saw its overall population grow by 35 percent to nearly 145,000, with the number of Hispanic residents more than doubling, according to U.S. Census statistics.”*

The Mississippi bill, SB 2988, requires employers to use an electronic system to verify immigration status, called E-Verify. It will become a felony for an undocumented worker to hold a job. David Bacon is the author of “The Children of NAFTA” (University of California Press, 2004). He sits on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Committee of the Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition.”*

Over the last few years, a quiet but powerful alliance in Mississippi of African-American lawmakers, immigrant rights advocates and labor unions had successfully defeated a series of punitive bills aimed at the state’s fast-growing Latino and new immigrant population.

But last month, that string of victories came to an end. Gov. Haley Barbour signed into law a bill with the most far-reaching employer sanctions in the United States. “*

More than 20 immigrants rights advocates urged Gov. Haley Barbour to veto a bill that would require companies to use a federal Internet-based database to make sure all of their employees meet citizenship or work visa regulations.”*

*From: http://www.clarionledger.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

A new ministry is helping South Mississippi’s Hispanic immigrants with the challenge of adapting to laws and customs of this country. Earlier this month, El Pueblo opened its doors in East Biloxi. The director says El Pueblo, which in Spanish means “the village,” is committed to teaching immigrants their rights.

Margarita Rodriguez and Maria Avila tell horrifying stories of years of domestic abuse. Both say as Mexican immigrants, they felt they no choice but to stay with their husbands.”*

*From: http://www.wlox.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Ramos is just one of many Spanish speaking students who now go to class in the Pascagoula School District. The numbers have grown dramatically since Katrina.

“We started with 196 in 2005, and we are up to 484 now,” school official Dr. Susan McLaurin said.

Dr. McLaurin says the tremendous Hispanic growth has lead to special training tools, computers games, and hiring more bilingual teachers to help the students jump over the educational hurdles.”*

*From: http://www.wlox.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Passing the Senate with only five dissenting votes, Senate Bill 2037 requires businesses under contract with the state of Mississippi to use only U.S. citizens or legal immigrants…or at least make an effort to verify their workers’ eligibility.

An agreement couldn’t be met last year in Congress on what to do with the possible twelve million illegal immigrants in the United States. Saying they’ve heard from constituents concerned about the illegal immigration problem, the Mississippi Senate took matters into their own hands.”*

*From: http://www.wlbt.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

The number of students in the Pascagoula School District who primarily speak a language other than English has more than doubled since Hurricane Katrina, school officials said. The influx of mostly Spanish-speaking students has pushed the district to hire additional English-language staff.

The number of Spanish-speaking students inside the Jackson County and Moss Point school districts has also risen since the storm, which increased the Gulf Coast’s Hispanic population as laborers moved here looking for work.”*

Robert Dreading of Ellisville was arrested at his home Tuesday afternoon by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. Dreading is accused of misusing his authority by pulling over Hispanic drivers, handcuffing them, and taking their money and other personal property.”*

“The Hokey-Pokey in Spanish is just one way Holmes Community College Instructor Jana Rodriguez is teaching Ridgeland firefighters to help Spanish-speakers when they are involved in car accidents, fires, or abusive situations. The song helps firefighters learn Spanish terms for different body parts.

\”If we get into a situation where we don\’t understand what a person is saying, then there\’s no way we could possibly help them,\” James Stokes, a Ridgeland firefighter said.”

“”I think we have to re-educate ourselves, whites have to educate on black history and black history has to educate on white and Latino history,” Leos said.

That’s the goal of a two-day conference in Canton this weekend. Around 30 people gathered at the United Auto Workers Justice Center for the ‘Black-Brown Unity Conference.’

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference teamed up with the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance to discuss ways to unite both races on issues like labor, immigration reform, and education.”

“”The Hispanic population has grown tremendously in this area,” Kubiak said. “We’re dealing with them more and more.”

The U.S. Census, in data released this week, indicates that the Hispanic population in the Pine Belt has grown significantly. The 2006 data show the number of Hispanics in Forrest County grew from 916 in 2000 to 1,250 last year.

The increase was even more dramatic in Jones County, which saw the Hispanic population grow from 1,272 in 2000 to 2,678 in 2006.”

“They rebuilt casinos, poured concrete, repaired roofs, installed wallboard and took on jobs when the battered Mississippi Gulf Coast had no solid work force of its own.

Now, two years after the storm, with much of the recovery work done, some of those immigrants - those who have put down roots with homes, schools and businesses - say they’re stared at in public, singled out by law enforcement and targeted by politicians on the campaign trail.

Gratitude, they say, has turned into spite.”

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“A Small Business Administration report released in April showed about 9.6 percent of all Hispanic-owned businesses were in retail trade. This sector followed construction 13.5 percent, administrative support services 13.2 percent and health care 11.2 percent nationally.

Hispanic-owned restaurants and bars in Mississippi increased roughly from 44 in 1997 to 101 in 2002, said Lee Wentela, chief of the Economic Census Branch. Sales at those firms went from $8.6 million to $32.4 million – a 277 percent increase – in the same period. Nationally, Hispanic-owned establishments grew 38 percent.
The $32.4 million is about 15 percent of the $213 million in reported earnings for Hispanic-owned businesses in Mississippi in 2002, the latest figures available.”

“Business is good for Christian Cruz.

All day long, customers come into his Pass Road grocery in Gulfport to pick up the flavors of home. A long rack of red and brown dried peppers sits across from Mexican chocolate drinks and jars of nopalitos, tender prickly pear cactus pads added to salads, soups and other recipes.

The owner of Latino market Costa Latina said his business skyrocketed after Katrina by up to 500 percent with the influx of Latin American workers. That spasm in demand spurred the establishment of nine or 10 other Latin groceries.”

“Ynes Taylor heads a new summer program at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Biloxi. The classes help Hispanic children, ages four to 12, who are struggling with the English language.

“I have quite a few that dont speak any English at all,” Taylor said.”

“With a growing Hispanic population throughout North Mississippi, law enforcement agencies are becoming increasingly dependent on the language skills of officers.

In fact, David Lindley, Starkvilles police chief and president of the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police, said increasing officers ability to communicate with Spanish speakers is one of the associations top priorities in 2007.”

“If an officer pulled you over and asked, “Pudiera ver su licencia o identificacion por favor?” you might not know he was asking for your drivers license or identification.

- “Y si un oficial lo para y le dice?” Could I please see your drivers license or identification?

With Northeast Mississippis growing Hispanic population, police officers and Spanish speaking citizens are finding it harder to communicate with one another. However, law enforcement knows the skill is important.”