Thread: TN: Majority of state's Hispanics immigrated

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... /1001/NEWS

Friday, 02/16/07

Majority of state's Hispanics immigrated
Construction boom brought many to Midstate

By LEE ANN O'NEAL
Staff Writer


More than half of Tennessee's Hispanics were born in a country other than the United States, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released Thursday.

The figure places the Volunteer State fifth in the country in percentage of the Hispanic population that is foreign-born. Tennessee also stands in contrast to the national picture, as most Hispanics living in the U.S. were born in this country.


In all, the number of foreign-born Hispanics in Tennessee grew from 59,098 in 2000 to 89,124 in 2004, census figures show.

"It doesn't surprise me," said Jose Gonzalez, executive director of Conexion Americas, a Nashville nonprofit that helps immigrants assimilate to life in the Midstate. "The Southeast (states) are the ones that have been recipients of the largest number of immigrant families — of the wave that started in the mid-90s."

Many Hispanic immigrants came to Tennessee for construction jobs, Gonzalez said. The state's rapid growth created job opportunities in building projects like the Titans stadium and new housing developments in suburban communities.

The workers helped fuel the area's economic growth and added "richness" to its cultural landscape, Gonzalez said.

Not everyone agrees that the arrival of so many foreign-born residents has been positive.

Neighborhoods change

"The area where I grew up looks like Tijuana," said Theresa Harmon, co-founder of Tennesseans for Responsible Immigration Policies, a group that seeks to stem the flow of illegal immigrants. "It more closely resembles a foreign country down around Murfreesboro Road, Thompson Lane, than it does anyplace in the United States."

Harmon said longtime businesses have been displaced by establishments catering to the immigrant community.

"We're talking businesses that have been there since the 1950s that are now either sitting empty or there has been some sort of cash-transfer, cell phone place go in with all the signage in Spanish," Harmon said.

"That is a big cultural divide. It's prompting a lot of the outrage that we're hearing from American citizens and legal immigrants."

Population share small

Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Maryland are the only states with higher percentages of foreign-born Hispanics. Fourteen states were not included because they have fewer than 100,000 Hispanic residents.

Though the number of Tennessee's Hispanics has grown significantly in recent years, the group makes up only about 3 percent of the state's population.

According to 2004 census figures, 165,155 Tennessee residents were Hispanic.

Still, the influx of Hispanics, particularly those in the country illegally, has prompted contentious debate — in the Midstate and throughout the country — over the strain on public resources and the need for tougher laws to curtail unlawful immigration.

This week, Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell fueled a controversy that drew national headlines by vetoing a Metro government measure calling for English to be the official language of the city.

Hispanics younger

The new census report also provided a snapshot of Hispanics nationwide. It found that throughout the country Hispanics are about 13 years younger than their white counterparts, that a smaller proportion of Hispanics than whites are divorced, and that Hispanic women have a higher fertility rate than white women. Almost 39 percent of Hispanics nationally speak English less than "very well," according to the report.

The new census report also provided a snapshot of Hispanics nationwide. It found that throughout the country Hispanics are about 13 years younger than their white counterparts, that a smaller proportion of Hispanics than whites are divorced, and that Hispanic women have a higher fertility rate than white women. Almost 39 percent of Hispanics nationally speak English less than "very well," according to the report.

Well, you brilliant people, that's because a high percentage DON'T GET MARRIED, however they sure do have a lot of babies by different dads.
and charge the cost to the American Taxpayers!

and added "richness" to its cultural landscape, Gonzalez said.

I guess this means the pink, yellow, green and red building that used to be a Waffle House.