Thread: Utah's residential Hispanic population surges 51 percent

Utah's residential Hispanic population surges 51 percent
The Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY -- New U.S. Census figures show that Utah's Latino population surged by half to more than 300,000 in the past eight years.

In some counties the growth rate was more explosive. Washington County logged a 121 percent increase in Latino residents since 2000.

Salt Lake County contains more than half of Utah's minority populations, or nearly 237,000.

San Juan County, which holds part of the Navajo Nation, was Utah's most ethnically diverse county with more than 60 percent of the residents belonging to a minority group. In no other county did minorities make up a majority.

Officially, Latinos now make up nearly 12 percent of Utah's population, and experts agree the actual number is higher than documented by the Census Bureau.

California transplant Armando Porras said he felt welcomed in St. George when he arrived in 2001 seeking better schools for his 13 children and a fellowship with the Mormon community.

Porras opened El Tapatio Market and said other Latino business owners are following.

"We're making a great presence here," he told The Salt Lake Tribune. "You can see that more Latinos with better careers are coming here."

Manny Aguilar, a St. George Latino activist, had another take on what he calls "Wonderbread County."

"The growth of Latinos has not created any representation for us in Washington County," he said. Anti-immigration groups have made legal immigrants feel unwelcome, he said, and are protesting a planned visit by the Mexican consul this month.

Other immigrants said Utah's family culture was a draw.

Gloria Medina Grass immigrated to Park City from Mexico for what she thought would be a six-month housekeeping stint. She hoped her sons would learn English well enough to help them land jobs at U.S.-owned factories in Chihuahua.

Instead, she married Heber City resident Gregory Grass. They opened the Tarahumara restaurant in nearby Midway, using Gloria's recipes.

"I always said it's OK if I don't have a big house or a big car," she said. "I want to have a lot of food on the table for my boys. Now we can say we have a lot to eat."
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/276083/36/

you don't get representation if you are not allowed to vote but of course you have the flawed US Census Bureau method that gives illegals representation. Are we insane. Wake up America!