Latino issues go beyond immigration, report says
Education tops agenda, with health care, housing also priorities

By Vanessa Bauzá

Tribune reporter

12:15 AM CDT, April 11, 2008

In an election year full of debate about Immigration enforcement, area Latino leaders say other issues affecting their communities are getting short shrift, from high school dropout rates to job training.

A new report, set for release Friday, highlights recommendations gathered during meetings with more than 600 Chicago-area civic leaders, religious representatives, elected officials and community activists over the last two years.

Nearly 70 percent of Latinos in the Chicago area are U.S. citizens, and 90 percent of Latino children were born here, according to "An American Agenda From a Latino Perspective," by the group Latinos United.

But the report's authors say hotly debated crackdowns on illegal immigrants have overshadowed a broader discussion of improvements needed to raise Latinos' living standards.

"Our agenda has been reduced to Immigration," said Maricela Garcia, executive director of Latinos United and the report's lead author. "We are not addressing those major issues that are impacting our community, which are education, access to health care, housing.

"Many feel the perception of society is that we are all immigrants and all immigrants are Latinos."

In meetings held across the Chicago area, education topped participants' concerns.

Only 53 percent of Latino high school students in the area graduate in four years, and only a third of those go on to earn a college degree within six years, the report said.

Participants were frustrated with overcrowded schools and waiting lists for early-childhood education programs in Latino neighborhoods.

The report also noted that parents who did not attend schools in the U.S. or don't speak English may be ill-equipped to help their children with homework or offer guidance to pursue a college education.

With Latinos expected to make up about a third of the area's population by 2030, the report argues that success in the region is tied to investments in education, along with access to health care and affordable housing.

In the suburbs, many participants worried that new powers sought by police in Carpentersville, Waukegan and the Lake County Sheriff's Department to initiate deportations could lead to racial profiling and discourage Latino residents from reporting crimes.

"People are definitely afraid," said Sylvia Puente, director of the Center for Metropolitan Chicago Initiatives for the University of Notre Dame's Institute for Latino Studies. "It's not a healthy environment. I heard people say, 'I don't drive through Waukegan anymore.' "

Authors say they will use the report to advocate for more partnerships between regional Latino organizations and public and private institutions that may provide funding for projects.

"It's a multiyear agenda—it's not something that's going to be achieved right away," Garcia said. "It will require increased leadership and civic participation in the community and alliance building with non-Latino groups."

vbauza@tribune.com


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