Hurricane evacuees fit in, say learning Spanish is a must
Hurricane evacuees fit in, say learning Spanish is a must
Ramon Bracamontes
El Paso Times
Two months ago, they were unexpectedly sent to El Paso.
They were wooed into calling this city home by the friendliest people they had ever met.
Now, some Hurricane Katrina evacuees are learning that if you don't speak Spanish in this city, you can't really settle in.
While the former New Orleans residents say that for the most part, their material and medical needs are being met, some find their ability to live comfortably in El Paso is hampered by the fact they don't speak Spanish.
The communication gap is worse for those who are older and living alone.
"I'm trying to learn Spanish as fast as I can," said JoAnn Lawrence, a New Orleans resident who now lives at the Chelsea Housing. "But there is no way you can get along if you don't speak Spanish. My neighbor desperately wants to talk to me, but she doesn't speak English. Even the bus drivers here don't speak English."
About 435 people were sent to El Paso from New Orleans on Sept. 4, soon after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. For 13 days, most of these evacuees lived at the Judson F. Williams Convention Center.
By day 13, the Salvation Army in El Paso had helped 692 New Orleans residents. Of those, 210 families decided to stay here, either by choice or because they had nowhere else to go. Today, 286 New Orleans families are living in El Paso.
"We have more because those here have called others who were displaced and told them El Paso is a good place to be," said Guadalupe Daley, Salvation Army development director.
The Salvation Army is continuing to do social casework on the families and evacuees who want help.
"Some have told us to leave them alone because they have jobs, kids are in school and they are doing very well," Daley said. "But for the most part, they are all adjusting well."
Lawrence, 68, said that she is settling in but that getting around and talking to people remains a problem. She got lost in the Downtown one day, and it took a while for her to find someone who could help her because everyone she approached spoke Spanish.
"It's scary," she said.
Lionel Johnson, 58, is another New Orleans resident now living in El Paso. He says he can't make a living in El Paso because he is a musician. In New Orleans, he played in the French Quarter, which thrived on the tourist business. And he can't find a job because he doesn't speak Spanish.
"Not to disparage El Paso, but this isn't a major tourist destination," he said. "And you have to play Mexican music here, not jazz, and I only play New Orleans-style music. I'm learning the Spanish music, but I still don't think I can make a living off it here."
University of Texas at El Paso anthropology Professor Josiah Heyman said that what the New Orleans residents are feeling is real, and that the language problem is a major barrier.
"If you don't understand the language and people around you are speaking it," he said, "the impression is that they are ignoring you or talking about you. They do feel that."
According to 2004 U.S. Census Bureau information, El Paso County is now 80.4 percent Hispanic. That is an increase from 77.9 percent Hispanic in 2000.
Heyman said the New Orleans evacuees with relatives or children in school should be able to adapt more easily to El Paso and its bilingual culture.
Those who are older, because they may be around older El Pasoans who don't speak English, will find it tougher to adapt.
"The other barrier is that the majority of the blue-collar positions in El Paso are disproportionately held by people who do not speak English," Heyman said. "If that is who you interact with, then it will be tough on you."
But Barbara Butts, the executive director of the McCall Neighborhood Center, which continues to work with and help New Orleans families, said that getting past the language difference is possible for everyone. The McCall Center helped about 20 evacuees get winter coats last week.
"Spanish is a major part of El Paso's culture," Butts said. "If you plan to stay in El Paso, language is a barrier you need to get past."
Butts said New Orleans residents must understand that just because someone is speaking Spanish doesn't mean the person doesn't speak English, and that it is OK to approach those speaking Spanish to ask for help.
"Finding people who speak English here is not a problem," she said.
Other evacuees living in El Paso, and those who are checking in on them, also said that most have adjusted well, but that most are trying to learn Spanish while trying to fit it.
Pastor Steve Alvarez, of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship, said that after Ursula Bernard's family moved into the home on the church's grounds in Northeast El Paso, his membership asked what's next.
"We make them a part of our family," Alvarez said.
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Re: Hurricane evacuees fit in, say learning Spanish is a mus
Quote:
Originally Posted by GFC
"Some have told us to leave them alone because they have jobs, kids are in school and they are doing very well," Daley said. "But for the most part, they are all adjusting well."
This is usually the case when people, rather than whining and moaning, take it upon themselves to adjust to their new environment and strive to succeed. Bravo! :)
