Bank Takes Mexican IDs, Joining Other Chains
This article was published on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 7:23 PM CDT in News

By Jon Gambrell
The Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK -- Twin City Bank only realized they had a language gap when the Mexican consulate in Little Rock opened in April.

Their ATM machines didn't offer services in Spanish and their brochures hadn't been translated. Perhaps worst, the company hadn't made any effort to reach Hispanic customers in Arkansas, a state with one of the fastest-growing Spanish-speaking communities in the nation.

"We do want to serve all of our community," said Donna Hardcastle, the bank chain's senior vice president of retail. "We need to recognize this group and they need a little different attention than some of our other markets."

Since, Twin City Bank began accepting the matricula consular, an identification card issued by consulates to Mexicans living abroard. Twin City's decision puts the Pulaski County banking chain in line with its counterparts in Arkansas that accept the cards as a means to open bank accounts and transfer money to family members still living in Mexico.

The matricula consular cards include a photograph of the individual, a government seal and holographic image. Any Mexican citizen can receive one at a consulate by showing a birth certificate and other identifying documents their residency.

Consul Andres Chao said the consulate has issued 4,000 matricula consular cards and passports since it opened -- a nearly overwhelming response for his 10-member staff.

Bank of America, which has a branch next to the consulate, also uses the cards as identification to open up checking accounts, as well as to send money orders to Mexico. Arvest Bank, Metropolitan National Bank and Regions Bank all accept the cards as well.

At Twin City Bank, owned by Conway-based Home BancShares, officials hired an employee to coordinate its efforts to reach Hispanics. Workers translated brochures on its checking accounts and technicians added a Spanish-language option at ATMs.

The bank also applied to join the Federal Reserve's Automated Clearing House, a system allowing its branches to send money from clients to approved banks in Mexico, Hardcastle said. That's a service that could draw more Mexican customers to the bank, as extra money often finds it way back to families still living there. Mexico estimates it received $23.1 billion in U.S. remittances in 2006.

The bank also provides tax identification numbers to customers that don't have Social Security cards. Customers can use that number on an account as long as it doesn't earn interest, Hardcastle said.

"Obviously, a lot of Hispanics in our market don't have a Social Security number," she said. "We're trying to figure out ways to make it easier for that part of our community to be able to do business with us."

Since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, some law enforcement officials criticized the matricula consular program as providing identification without adequately checking a person's identity. Those opposing illegal immigration, including last year's failed Republican attorney general candidate Gunner DeLay, have said the cards only benefit illegal immigrants.

Hardcastle said the bank, which quietly rolled out its new programs, has not received any criticism for reaching out to Mexican immigrants.

"I think that to a great extent, people in Arkansas and across the country realize that the Hispanic market is an increasing part of our population," Hardcastle said. "We need to be able to communicate. If we could all speak Spanish and they could all speak English, it would be a beautiful world."


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