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SPANISH VERSION AFTER ORIGINAL ARTICLE A BIT DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE BELOW.

Evansville area gaining more immigrants, panel says
By JOHN MARTIN Courier & Press staff writer 464-7594 or jmartin@evansville.net
February 21, 2006

The Evansville region has become a popular place for Hispanics to locate, largely because of word of mouth, participants in a forum on illegal and legal immigration said Monday night.

It's an area that promises work opportunities and few crackdowns on illegal immigration, said Simon Leon, an activist for local Hispanics who serves as an interpreter for hospitals, police and the courts.

In fact, Leon suggested, someone from the Immigration Service could find numerous illegal workers at several local plants.

Participants in the forum sponsored by Southern Indiana Democracy for America agreed that immigrants, both legal and illegal, are here to stay.

Alfonso Vidal, president of Hospitality Outreach for Latin Americans (HOLA), said Hispanic and Latino population growth between 2000 and 2004 in Indiana exceeded 19.2 percent, while the U.S. figure was 12.7 percent.

The biggest impediments they face are a lack of English skills. Vidal said English instruction "is a must if we want integration," and Evansville "must end the underground Latino culture."

Fifty-three percent of students in the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corp. Limited English Proficient program are from Mexico, and it's the largest growing population in the program, according to EVSC statistics.

Leon said he opposes illegal immigration, "but not for the reasons others cite. I oppose it because of abusive pay scales, abusive hours people have to work. It's unreal."

There are cases, Leon said, where illegal immigrants leave their jobs when they are found to be in America illegally and are then not paid for the work they did.

HOLA members said that people in the Evansville region are, for the most part, kind to Hispanics. But there are Americans who "confuse terrorism with illegal immigration," said Arcea Zapata de Ashton, an assistant professor of Spanish at the University of Evansville.

Even so, Hispanics, both illegal and legal, are drawn to this country because they believe they can work hard and become successful, Vidal said. "There's still an enormous gap between conditions in Mexico and conditions in the U.S."

It's also important to note that children born to immigrants are U.S. citizens, regardless of whether their parents are legal or illegal, participants said.

Monday's town-hall style event at UE drew about 40 people. Southern Indiana Democracy for America has sponsored previous events on the media and school vouchers.


SPANISH VERSION TRANSLATED BY GOOGLE
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The area of Evansville that gains more immigrants, panel says By JUAN MARTIN the messenger and the press provides with personnel to writer 464-7594 or jmartin@evansville.net Of February the 21 of 2006 the region of Evansville has become a popular place so that the Hispanics locate, to a large extent due to the word of the mouth, participants in a forum in and legal night this illegal immigration of Monday. It is an area that promises to opportunities of the work and few energetic measures in illegal immigration, said to Simon Leon, activist for the Hispanic premises who serves like interpreter for the hospitals, police and the cuts. In the fact, suggested Leon, somebody of the service of immigration could find to numerous illegal workers in several local plants. The participants in the forum sponsored by the democracy Southern Indiana for America agreed that the immigrants, legal and illegal, are here remaining. Alfonso Vidal, president of the hospitality exceeds for the Latin Americans (HELLO), said that growth of the population the hispanico and Latin between 2000 and 2004 in Indiana exceeded 19.2 percents, whereas the United States calculates were 12.7 percents. The impedimientos greater than do in front are a deficiency of English abilities. The said English instruction of Vidal "is to must if we wished integration," and Evansville "must finish the underground culture of Latin." The percents of Fifty-three of students in the English skillful program limited Corp. of Evansville-Vanderburgh School they are of Mexico, and is the population in greater growth of the program, according to EVSC statistic. Leon said that it opposes illegal immigration, "but for the reasons others do not mention. I oppose it due to the abusive wage scales, abusive hours that people must work. He is unreal." There are cases, said Leon, where the illegal immigrants leave their works when they find them to be in illegal America and later they do not pay the work that did it. The members of HELLO said that people in the region of Evansville are, for most, good with the Hispanics. But there are the Americans whom "the terrorism with illegal immigration confuses," said to Arcea Zapata de Ashton, junior instructor of the Spanish in the university of Evansville. Even therefore, they draw to Hispanic, illegal and the legal ones, to this country because they think that they can work hardly and do guessed right, Vidal this. "still there is an enormous opening between the conditions in Mexico and the conditions in the E.E.U.U.." It is also important to observe that the children born to the immigrants are citizen of the United States, without mattering if their parents are legal or illegal, the participants this. The event of the style of the city-corridor of Monday in UE drew to near 40 people. The southern democracy of Indiana for America has sponsored previous events in means and the bonds of the school.