Thread: PA-The new Pennsylvanians: Hispanic and born elsewhere

From the Allentown Morning Call
The new Pennsylvanians: Hispanic and born elsewhere
Across region, Latino population rising, whites declining, survey shows.
By Genevieve Marshall and Christopher Schnaars | Of The Morning Call
August 15, 2006
Jacqueline Perez was looking for schools for her two children that weren't as crowded as the ones in Manhattan and an area where she could buy a house for a reasonable price. The Dominican-born Perez moved to South Whitehall Township just over a year ago and in March opened La Femina, a boutique on Hamilton Street in Allentown that sells shoes, bags and accessories.

''We really like it here,'' she said. ''The crime rates are low, the schools are good and parking is much better here than in New York. This is home.''

Perez and her family symbolize two population shifts that continue to change the face of the Lehigh Valley: a growing Hispanic population and an increase among those not born in Pennsylvania. At the same time, the percentage of the white, non-Hispanic population in the region is dropping, leading to an upward swing in diversity that outpaces the rest of Pennsylvania and the country.

These trends emerged from new data released today as part of the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, a yearly update that captures the dynamics of changing population in the United States before the next full census in 2010.



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---------- United States Pennsylvania Allentown Bethlehem Berks County Bucks County Lehigh County Monroe County Montgomery County Northampton County Schuylkill County Warren County Nowhere is the increase in diversity more apparent than Allentown. One in three residents is Hispanic compared to one in four in 2000, a 39 percent increase.

Since 2000 the number of white, non-Hispanic city residents dropped 13.5 percent, almost nine percentage points, from 64.4 percent to 55.7 percent. State figures saw a 1.4-point decline, and the national figures dropped 2.3 points.

Bethlehem also was above the state and national figures, going from 18 percent Hispanic to 23 percent in five years. Bethlehem's white, non-Hispanic population also was above state and national percentages, falling from 74 percent to 68 percent.

The numbers and percentages are important because they provide states, counties, cities and school districts a guide to help with planning and budget preparation. Instead of waiting 10 years for the decennial U.S. Census, the ACS, sometimes called the every-year Census, gives up-to-date numbers for 2005. For the first time, cities, counties and even school districts with populations as low as 65,000 were surveyed, including Allentown and Bethlehem.

''It doesn't really affect the services we provide but it may affect the way we communicate with people,'' Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski said of the ACS numbers. ''The statistics show that the majority of Allentown residents do speak English. In fact, while the percentage of those who speak Spanish rose 6 percent, the percent who do not speak English very well only rose 4 percent.

''Still, it is a significant number, and it is a concern. We are working to identify bilingual employees and to recruit more — especially in the emergency services and health bureau — to make sure we can communicate fully with these residents.

''Another way we are addressing this change is by working to coordinate our services with area hospitals to provide better public health care and reach our most vulnerable residents in a more equitable way.''

Five years ago, Lehigh Valley Hospital relied on Spanish-speaking employees to translate when there was a language barrier between the patient and medical staff. Within the past year, LVH has hired four Spanish interpreters for its Allentown campus and plans to hire four more interpreters for the Salisbury Township and Bethlehem campuses.

Last year, more than 45 percent of the patients visiting LVH's facility at 17th and Chew streets in Allentown were Hispanic.

''We have found the need to reduce barriers to care, whether that involves language, transportation or baby-sitting,'' said Jim Geiger, vice president for patient services at the Allentown location. ''This is especially true for folks with cultural differences who also have problems accessing affordable care.''

As of last Tuesday, nearly 5,000 LVH patients had requested help from an interpreter this year. Of those, 93 percent spoke only Spanish.

The Allentown campus also has a supervised play center with bilingual staff that offers free child care to patients who have medical appointments, Geiger said.

Hispanics, at 14.5 percent of the total population, are the largest ethnic group in the United States and growing. Asians, at 4.3 percent, also make up a larger percentage of the population nationally than they did five years ago. Blacks are slightly down, from 12.1 percent to 11.9.

Allentown and Bethlehem are not the only places to see increases in Hispanic populations. Every county in the region, except Schuylkill, saw an increase in its Hispanic population. In Monroe County, for example, the number of Hispanics grew from 6.6 percent in 2000 to 10.6 percent of the county population last year.

And it's having an effect.

Donna Asure, chairwoman of the Monroe commissioners, said the county has added more interpreters to its departments. Each of the district judges, for example, has a translator on call 24 hours a day, while the voter registration office has two bilingual employees.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/loc ... 5954.story

My husband says they keep bringing their drugs in from NY and elsewhere too.

Low housing costs and schools not be so overcrowded are NOT the reasons they are swarming on NEPA.

Try the thousands of druggies ...

And BTW our schools are far from overcrowded, just look at the Hazleton School District ...

while the voter registration office has two bilingual employees

Why do they need 2 bilingual employees in voter registration? Let me guess they are both spanish.

Originally Posted by SeaTurtle

My husband says they keep bringing their drugs in from NY and elsewhere too.

Low housing costs and schools not be so overcrowded are NOT the reasons they are swarming on NEPA.

Try the thousands of druggies ...

And BTW our schools are far from overcrowded, just look at the Hazleton School District ...

Wow, i was typing too fast there. That should read "Our schools are far from not being overcrowded." We're seating 35-40 kids per class, per teacher. That's crazy!

The new Pennsylvanians: Hispanic and born elsewhere

As long as they are here LEGALLY, I don't have a problem with that. They can live wherever they choose.

If they are ILLEGAL ALIENS, then I have a major problem with that and will report any I find out about!