Region sees Hispanic growth
Most migrate here to prosper and be someone

The Journal Gazette
by Angela Mapes Turner
Published: October 16, 2011 3:00 a.m.

Saturday wrapped up Hispanic Heritage Month, a celebration that began Sept. 15, the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries.

In northeast Indiana, the Hispanic community has shown tremendous growth over the past decade, according to the 2010 census, and in Noble County, the pace of growth of Hispanics lured by manufacturing jobs has made the small city of Ligonier one of two majority-Hispanic cities in the state.

What does it mean to be Hispanic? The term refers to people who can trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

While the growth in Ligonier was driven by Mexican immigration, there’s no typical profile for a Hispanic citizen in the U.S. They’re born here and abroad; they trace their roots to at least 20 different countries.

Mary J. Montes, 20, moved to the U.S. from Peru at age 11 with her parents. She graduated from Northrop High School in 2009 and is studying criminal justice at Ivy Tech Community College, with a dream of eventually becoming an attorney.

Her father, who had dreams of becoming an attorney in Peru, juggled three jobs when he came to the U.S. His decision to come to America was motivated, in part, by the controversial presidency of Alberto Fujimori.

Their story, Montes said, is common to nearly all immigrants.

“We want to become someone,â€