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Mexicans flocking to region
By Liz Mineo / Daily News Staff
Sunday, June 12, 2005

The Mexican community is growing rapidly across New England with many of its members drawn to what one researcher calls "the meccas" of Framingham and Waltham, as well as Marlborough and other parts of MetroWest.

The number of Mexicans has nearly tripled in Connecticut, more than doubled in Rhode Island, and almost doubled in Massachusetts over the last decade, according to a recent report.

Martha Montero-Sieburth, a professor of education at UMass-Boston, who helped prepare the report with the Mexican Consulate in Boston and the college's Mauricio Gaston Institute.

Across New England, Mexicans are moving to rural areas and suburban centers, where housing is more affordable.

In Massachusetts, MetroWest has experienced the Mexican influx, with Framingham, Marlborough, and Waltham drawing most of that population. Between 1990 and 2000, the Mexican community grew by nearly 70 percent in Framingham and by 170 percent in Waltham.

"Framingham and Waltham are the meccas for Mexicans," said Montero-Sieburth in an interview. "I wouldn't be surprised if, in a few more years from now, you will see more Mexican restaurants, churches, and organizations sprouting in those areas."

Other places in Massachusetts such as Lawrence, Lynn, New Bedford, and Haverhill have also seen their Mexican population grow exponentially. Yet, Mexicans make up only 5 percent of the Latino population in New England, falling behind Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Brazilians and Central and South Americans.

The growth could be even higher, said Montero-Sieburth, who has been researching Mexican immigration into the region over the past 25 years. Census figures undercount the Mexican population because many Mexicans don't fill out Census forms because they fear the information could be shared with immigration officials.

Mexicans are coming to New England to join relatives or friends, and in search of jobs, with many coming from other parts of the country, in what researchers call "secondary migration."

Mexicans flocking to region

Many go to Maine to work picking broccoli, blueberries, cucumbers and apples, and a large number work as housekeepers and maids, and for construction companies and restaurants, the researcher said.

Unlike in other parts of the country, the Mexican community here is highly diversified with more prosperity and higher levels of education than Mexicans in the rest of the United States, said Montero-Sieburth. Among New England's Mexicans are agricultural workers, mid-range professionals and managers, university students, and even a Nobel Prize winner.

"Mexicans have been making important contributions to the economy of New England for the past 15 years," she said. "Given how much they have grown, they need to be taken into account."

At the Mexican Consulate, Deputy Consul Rodrigo Marquez said he also has seen the influx. Two years ago, Mexican consular officials came to Framingham for the first time to help its nationals get passports, birth or marriage certificates and other documents.

"We're not as big or active as other (immigrant) communities," said Marquez. "But that is how it is in the beginning."

Mirroring the growth of the Mexican community across the region, Mexican restaurants are emerging, with two in Framingham and one in Marlborough.

"Mi Ranchito" on Marlborough's Main Street opened in 2001. Since then, owner Juana Telles has seen a 60 percent increase in the number of her Mexican customers.

"We're growing," she said.

At Immaculate Conception Church in Marlborough, the feeling is the same.

On Sunday, hundreds of parishioners fill up the church to attend the Mass in Spanish.

"On most Sundays, people can't get into the church," said the Rev. Jonathan Gaspar. "There is a lot of life and youth in the Hispanic community. Immigrants are a major part in the future of our society and the Church. We can't ignore them. We have to serve them."

Mexicans flocking to region

Immigrant advocates in Framingham, Marlborough and Waltham have also seen a growing number of Mexicans knocking on their doors. Gabriela Canepa directs Breaking Barriers, a Waltham program that teaches English as a Second Language and job and life skills to immigrants from Central and South America.

Between 1998 and 2001, Mexicans made up the majority of Canepa's students. This year, they represent the second largest group, after Guatemalans.

With the increase of the Mexican population in the region, advocates hope to see more organizations addressing its needs. There are six Mexican organizations in New England, but three of them are inactive.

"Despite their being a small part of the Latino population in this region, Mexicans are a powerful force," said Montero-Sieburth. "Come September 15, (Mexico's Independence Day), we all become Mexicans."