While the Census has long been criticized for underestimating the number of poor, rural poor, and immigrant populations, using Census data helps establish a preliminary point of reference. Numbering more than 44.3 million, “Hispanics” constitute 15% of the U.S. population, making this population the largest ethnic or racial minority. It largely consists of Mexicans (64%), Puerto Ricans (9%), Cubans (3.5%), Salvadorans (3%) and Dominicans (2.7%).

One in 10 Virginians is foreign-born. The foreign-born population in the metropolitan area of Washington, Arlington and Alexandria is 20%. Harrisonburg has the second highest percentage, 9%. Following it are Charlottesville, Richmond, Virginia Beach and Winchester, at 6%. In 2006, the top five countries of birth for Virginia's foreign-born were El Salvador, Mexico, Korea, Philippines and India. (UVA Weldon Cooper Center, July 2008)

The Hispanic population in Virginia tripled between 1990 and 2006. (UVA Weldon Cooper Center, February 2008) Virginia’s largest Latino populations are Mexicans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Hondurans. More than half of Virginia’s 481,500 Latinos are U.S. born citizens, 13% are naturalized citizens, and the rest are living in the State with or without legal authorization. Around 85% of Virginia’s Latino children under 18 are U.S. born. (UVA Weldon Cooper Center, January 2008)

Adult Hispanic citizens surpass Virginians overall in both educational attainment and household income. The other 40 percent of Virginia’s Hispanic residents are non-citizen immigrants and are, in general, less educated, poorer and more likely to lack health insurance than the population overall. Among other data, both Hispanic citizens and immigrants are overrepresented in Virginia’s military. (UVA Weldon Cooper Center, January, February and July 2008)

Locally, the Census Quick Fact 2006 estimates provide the following:

Some 5,000 or more Latinos/Hispanics reside in the greater Charlottesville area. Among them, Mexicans, Salvadorans and Hondurans – according to observations of local service providers, educators, churches, and Latinos - are the most populous.

Latinos have been attracted to the Charlottesville/Albemarle area and keep coming because of the availability of employment in the service industry, construction, and agriculture. Many adults are U.S. citizens, legal residents or have permission to work; others are undocumented. Increasingly, Latino children are U.S. born and citizens. Most Latinos, especially adults, typically have Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and are thus:

uninformed about community resources, benefits and services, their legal rights and laws;

unaware of benefits they do receive and of processes to retain them and unable to ask questions about or follow up on them; and, as a result of these and other language barriers

are underserved and, in the eyes of the law, discriminated against.

The purpose of this webpage, Latinos in Our Area, is to recognize local Latino leaders and to provide sociological and economic data and other references about our local Latino population. The page also compiles references about Latinos in Virginia.

Please send suggestions and new references to peterl@piedmonthousing.org

Contents

Community Profile of the Month

Sociological and Economic References about Our Local Latino Population

Latinos in Virginia

COMMUNITY PROFILE OF THE MONTH

Every other month this section profiles a Latino/a - from Charlottesville, Albemarle County or a nearby locality - who is engaged in initiatives that benefit the Latino community and/or enhance awareness about it. Since its beginning in April 2006, the section has recognized personalities from the media, non-profits, small businesses, and a UVA administrator and student. To recommend a future profile please contact Peter Loach at peterl@piedmonthousing.org

SOCIOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC REFERENCES ABOUT
OUR LOCAL LATINO POPULATION

MEDIA REPORTS

Immigration raids impact local families.
This report addresses one Latino family who has been affected by immigration detentions and also includes coverage of the CJ October 2008 panel.
Source: Cville News, October 14, 2008
Location: http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=141404064431134&ShowArticle_ID=11801510084183702

Group Urges Latino Immigrants to Prepare
Ninety-eight attend a CJ panel urging service providers to help undocumented Latinos prepare for their possible deportation to ease the suffering of their children.
Source: NBC 29, October 9, 2008
Location: To watch the broadcast of this two minute report or read its transcript, visit:
http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=9153559&nav=menu496_2_3

Undocumented Immigrants
It's been over a year since Congress failed to pass an immigration reform bill, and the two presidential candidates seem to be staying away from the topic. But some say the Bush Administration is stepping up enforcement and creating big problems for employers and families at the local level. WVTF's Sandy Hausman has details challenges facing undocumented Latinos in Albemarle County, and interviews Charlottesville immigration attorney Tim Freilich and others about these problems.
Source: NPR WVTF, October 2, 2008
Location: Listen to the report at: http://www.wvtf.org/news_and_notes/audio/200810021908410.sh_cvilleimmigrants-10-02-08.mp3

Habla Espanol?
Coping with language deficits and worries about anti-Latino hostility, Charlottesville immigrants stay under the radar, but if you look closely, you’ll see how they prop up the city
Source: Cville News, September 22, 2008
Location: http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=121304062461064&ShowArticle_ID=11801509083652377

"Yo no soy de los Estados Unidos"
What one woman had to go through to get to the U.S.
Source: Cville News, September 22, 2008
Location: http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=121304062461064&z_Issue_ID=11801509082827477&ShowArticle_ID=11801509083677864

Dilcia Colindres, enlace latino en Shelter for Help in Emergency
Spanish language article describes the work of SHE and how Colindres is its new coordinator for the Latino community.
Nuevas Raíces, September 22, 2008
Location: http://www.nuevasraices.com/content/templates/articulosnr.asp?articleid=5330&zoneid=6

[CJ] Training offered for Latinos wishing to promote health
Source: Daily Progress, September 18, 2008
Location: Click here

Program [CJ] Focuses on Immigrant Outreach
Source: Daily Progress, September 6, 2008
Location: click here or http://www.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/article/program_focuses_on_immigrant_outreach/27397

Celebrando el Mes de la Herencia Hispana
Spanish language article addresses Latino demographic issues in Albemarle County
Source: Nuevas Raíces, September 13, 2008
Location: click here or http://www.nuevasraices.com/content/templates/articulosnr.asp?articleid=5298&zoneid=6

Feds review county DSS's translation services: Significant funding hinges on evaluation
Source: Cville Weekly, July 2, 2008
Location: Click Here

Bilingual Magazine Aimed to Unite New Citizens and Business
Source: NBC29, July 2, 2008
Location: Click Here

Panel on Latino Housing
Source: The News Virginian Staff & WCAV, WVAW, WAHU Charlottesville's Local CBS, ABC and FOX affiliates, June 11, 2008
Location: Click Here

Western State accused of violations
The hospital didn’t provide mental health treatment, medication information or translations of treatment plans in Spanish for a Latino patient who was subjected to seclusion and improper restraint
Source: Daily Progress, June 6, 2008
Location: Click here

Central Virginians Talk Immigration Reform
Source: NBC29, February 16, 2008
Location: Click Here

Immigrants unite for 'shelter' story
Las Posadas a modern allegory
Source: Daily Progress, December 16, 2007
Location: Click here

Emerging Housing Markets in Virginia
Peter Loach of the Piedmont Housing Alliance discusses the shifting demographics that will have an impact on all providers of affordable housing in the years to come: by 2010 it is expected that 12-15% of Virginia's population will be foreign-born.
Source: Virginia Housing Coalition, October 22, 2007
Location: http://www.vahousingcoalition.org/Newsletter/Summer%202007/Loach%20article.pdf

Local immigrants fear possible profiling
Latinos worried by other counties' measures
Source: The Daily Progress, July 31, 2007
Location: Click Here

Salvadoran woman hit and killed by police vehicle
Source: The Daily Progress, Nuevas Raíces, The Hook June 27 – September 1, 2007
Location: Click Here

Political Economy: Wintergreen Warns of Impact from Immigration Bill
Source: The Daily Progress, June 6, 2007
Location: Click here

From many, one: Latinos making Valley, Central Virginia their home
Source: The New Dominion, Winter 2007
Location: Click Here

UVA Students visit Southwood to advise them about their
legal right to an interpreter
Source: A Nuevas Raíces article, January 22, 2007
Location: Click here

English as a second language students:
Facing stigmas, standards in push for diplomas
Source: Daily Progress, December 18, 2006
Location: Click here

English in demand
2nd language classes growing rapidly
Source: Daily Progress, October 1, 2006
Location: Click here

Local immigrants join in national day of demonstrations
350 locals flex their political clout
Source: CVILLE, May 9 – 16, 2006
Location: http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=141404064431134&ShowArticle_ID=1330905064666662

Area Hispanic immigrants rally in Charlottesville
This Podcast by Sean Tubbs is an expansion of a report produced for WVTF Public Radio, and features some of the songs at the rally and comments from speaker Tim Freilich, the managing attorney of the Virginia Justice Center for Farm and Immigrant Workers.. The podcast also includes an interview with one of the people who participated in the rally.
Source: Cville Podcast, May 2, 2006
Location: http://www.cvillepodcast.com/2006/05/02/immigrant-rally

Hundreds attend rally at county building
Source: Daily Progress, May 1, 2006
Location: Click here or visit http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CDP/MGArticle/CDP_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137835713124&path=

Schools see rise in Hispanics:
New classes, services aid Spanish-speaking students, parents
Source: Daily Progress, August 20, 2006
Location: Click here

Spanish speakers grow in numbers
Source: Daily Progress, August 15, 2006
Location: Click here

Local Courts Unprepared For Hispanic Needs: Family and friends often translate in court
Source: Cville Weekly, February
Location: http://www.c-ville.com/www/archives/2006/02-14-2006/asp/3.asp

Hablas espanol? Jail tries to avoid getting lost in translation
Source: Cville Weekly, October 12, 2004
Location: http://www.c-ville.com/www/archives/2004/10-12-2004/asp/3.asp

Misinterpreting Justice?: Advocates of Virginia’s Growing Spanish-Speaking Population Say Its Needs Are Not Being Met in the Courts
Source: Liesel Nowak, Daily Progress, April 25, 2004
Location: Pending

New Faces in Town: Latinos form the fastest growing population Around.
Source: Mary Jane Gore, Cville Weekly, September 4, 2001
Location: http://scs.student.virginia.edu/~madison/migrantaid/newfaces.html

OTHER SOURCES

Southwood Trailer Park
The 100-acre Southwood Mobile Home Park is located off of 5th Street Extended, about a mile from the 120 Exit of Interstate 64. It was opened in the mid 1970s and contains some 360 trailers. The actual number of residents is unknown; many estimate 1,500. All of its residents are low income; over half are Spanish speaking Mexicans, Salvadorans and Hondurans. Creciendo Juntos (CJ) maintains a webpage about Southwood at http://www.cj-network.org/southwood.html

Churches with Spanish Language Services.
Local churches with Spanish language services include the following:

Palabra de Fe, at Hydraulic & Lambs Road, beside Albemarle High School, Phone: (434) 978-7984; Service: 1:00 Sunday Spanish service. Contact: Pastor Rich Hubbard, richhubbard@aol.com

Church of the Incarnation, behind Toys R Us, Phone: (434) 973-4381; Service: 1:30 Sunday Spanish mass. Contact: Rhonda Miska, Social Justice/Latino Minister, rmm@incarnationparish.org ; http://www.incarnationparish.org

Casa Del Padre, 1208 E Market St, Charlottesville, VA 22902, Pastors: Fernando & Hazael Garay, Phone (434) 989-2508, (434) 975-6167, Service: Thursday and Friday 7pm, Sunday 10:30 am, http://fernandogaray.com

Iglesia Cannan, 3045 Ivy Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22903, Pastor: Josue Hernandez
Phone: 434-295-5050, Service: Wed - 7 pm and Friday 7 pm and Sunday 6 p.m.
Email: iglesiacanaan@comcast.net ; www.ministerioscanaan.org

Charlottesville LEP Statistics (March 2008)
New Charlottesville Public School data indicates that its largest LEP populations are, from most to least populous: Spanish, MaiMai, Turkish, Burmese, Farsi, Swahili, Krahn, Arabic, Karen and Russian. Click here to view an overview of the city’s LEP situation. For more information contact Beverly Caitlin at beverly.catlin@ccs.k12.va.us

Albemarle County LEP Statistics – Where in the World Are We? 2007-2008 Report
Some 68 languages are spoken in county schools. The most popular are: Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Malayalam, French, Hindu, Vietnamese. Click here to view an overview of the county’s LEP situation. For more information contact Courtney Stewart at cstewart@k12albemarle.org

Latino Health Survey.
Between October 2007 and February 2008, a qualitative assessment was conducted through both semi-structured door-to-door interviews with eighty Southwood Latino residents and four focus groups with twenty-five Latinos recruited at the Bubbles Laundromat on Carlton Road.  Additionally, six service providers, five Latinas and one Spaniard married to a Mexican, were also surveyed.  The survey aimed to learn what the local Latino community considers as its most important health problems to assist the CJ Health Promoter Working Group design appropriate interventions to respond to them. To view the report of findings, published on March 1, 2008, visit http://www.cj-network.org/cjinitiatives/HealthSurvey.doc

Latino Heritage Month Proclamation
Albemarle County, September 2007
http://www.albemarle.org/upload/images/Forms_Center/Departments/Board_of_Supervisors/Forms/
Agenda/2007Files/20070905/ProclamationLatinoHeritage.htm

Latino Heritage Month Proclamation
Office of the Governor of Virginia, September 2007
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/citizenservices/constituentservices/Proclamations/2007/latinoHispanicHeritageMonth.cfm

Survey Results: Virginia Residents Sharply Divided on Immigration. The results of a George Mason study on Virginia attitudes towards immigrants was released on June 28, 2007. “Not surprisingly, the overall results suggest that Virginians oppose the extension of many human services to the undocumented. Most (58 percent) reject government funding for day-labor centers, and nearly two-thirds (64 percent) would deny undocumented students the right to pay in-state tuition at colleges and universities. Virginians also support tighter controls over the movements of immigrants: 54 percent of Virginians approve of the activities of Minuteman-like groups, and an even larger proportion (73 percent) would allow local police to conduct immigration checks during routine traffic stops. Yet Virginianis also have little sympathy with the most extreme positions that have been staked out in this debate. Nearly four-fifths of Virginians support measures that would provide legal status for the undocumented: 40 percent favor granting permanent residency status to illegals, while another 38 percent support a temporary worker program. Only one in five (20 percent) insist on returning the undocumented to their countries of origin. But the most important findings lie beneath the surface of the overall results. Here we find that Virginians are often sharply divided along racial and economic lines. While the great majority of Latinos view the undocumented in favorable terms, African-Americans express especially strong concerns about the economic consequences of illegal immigration. In fact, while 29 percent of non-Hispanic whites strongly agree that "undocumented immigrants lower the wages and salaries of American workers," nearly half (49 percent) of African-Americans express such concerns. Negative views of illegal immigrants and immigration are also most pronounced among the least privileged economic groups in the state. Among households with incomes between $25,000 and $50,000 a year, 44 percent of our respondents agree that the undocumented "take jobs away from American workers." Among the most affluent respondents in our study (those with incomes above $150,000), only half that proportion (21.8 percent) share this belief. And respondents who reside in counties that have higher rates of poverty or unemployment are especially likely to hold negative views of undocumented immigrants.” To read the study, a press release and editorial about it, visit: http://www.cssr.gmu.edu/immigration/Immigration%20survey/immigration%20survey.html

Immigrant Struggles to Provide for Family
Voices of Poverty is a series of podcasts — audio interviews broadcast online – with those living in poverty or working to help those living in poverty, in the greater Charlottesville area. The purpose of this new project is to draw attention to the fact that more than 25 percent of the population of Charlottesville lives at or below the Federal Poverty Level. Immigrant Struggles to Provide for Family is a “compelling interview with Martha, an immigrant to the Charlottesville area from Mexico, highlight[ing] the economic challenges our local immigrant population faces including language obstacles, housing issues and healthcare hurdles. Martha’s comments about work ethic and family are especially intuitive.” Listen to this English language interview of April 26, 2007, at http://www.voicesofpoverty.org

LEP Figures for Charlottesville and Albemarle County
This document containing LEP statistics was shared with the School Board in December 2006. On January 3, 2007, Beverly Catlin, Coordinator of Instruction, Charlottesville City Schools noted, “as of November 2006 [the City has] … 339 LEP students (with 48% being refugees and 60% at level 1 and 2 of English language proficiency); 7.6 FTE teachers (full time equivalent). We have 9 schools in the division with our ESL numbers ranging from 4 LEP students at one elementary school to 47 at another and 84 at the high school. … We do not break [statistics] down by the Latino population because that is not a significant subgroup for us at this time. Our LEP students with greatest need are our refugees who make up 48% of our ESL population." For more information, contact Beverly Catlin at: beverly.catlin@ccs.k12.va.us In response to information shared by Catlin, Courtney Stewart, International & ESOL Program Coordinator for the County, compared and contrasted some of the County’s statistics. The County’s enrollment information includes the Latino population. Data for the 2006-2007 school year is located at: http://www.cj-network.org/cjlatarea/DemographicsAugust252006.xls
Click here for Stewart’s comments.

Albemarle County Public School Enrollment Statistics
This Excel document provides enrollment statistics for Latino students during the school years 1999-2000, 2005-2006, and 2006-2007. Source: Gloria Maria Rockhold, Latino Career and Community Relations Coordinator, Office of Community Engagement (434) 296-5803; September 2006. Click here to view the document. In January 2008, Dennis Nissley, Albemarle Public Schools, advised Linda Hemby (Executive Committee, CJ) that among the county’s total 2007-2008 enrollment of 12,714, 670 are Latino.

Albemarle County in the American Community Survey
This document has selected statistics from the 2006 annual report that uses 2005 data and a link to the entire document. Click here to view the document issued by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Hispanic Population Growth in Albemarle County
A power point presentation by Peter Loach of Creciendo Juntos to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors. (September 6, 2006). Click here to open.

The Promised Land? The Lives and Voices of Hispanic Immigrants in the New South
Source: Patricia L. Goerman, UVA Alumni, is currently working as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the United States Census Bureau. This 160 page book was published by Routledge and available at the UVA Library. March 2006
Description: “Within the United States immigrants of different national origins have historically been clustered in very specific cities and states. In recent years, Latino immigrants have been fanning out to new regions of the country such as the Southeast and the Midwest. There has been little academic study that focuses on the voices and experiences of these new immigrants themselves. Through analysis of in-depth interviews with 73 Hispanic immigrants in Central Virginia, this book offers a rare in-depth look at the views and circumstances of immigrants in a new receiving area. It provides an examination of the new migration trend including an analysis of immigrants' living and working conditions, their family life, and their plans for the future. From the perspective of low-income Latino immigrants, Central Virginia appears to be something of a ‘Promised Land,’ particularly in comparison with many traditional Hispanic immigrant receiving areas in the U.S. However, despite the positive aspects of living in Virginia, Latino immigrants, particularly those who are undocumented, remain in an extremely vulnerable position with respect to the larger communities in which they reside. I argue that important policy changes are needed to benefit and protect both the new arrivals and their wider communities.”
See Table of Contents: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip064/2005032923.html

Creciendo Juntos – Growing Together
A power point presentation offering statistical data about the local and Virginia Latino population and information about the Creciendo Juntos – Growing Together network. February 2006
Location: http://www.cj-network.org/cjlatarea/cjpresfeb06.ppt

Chicharrones and Pork Rinds: Native Southerners and Hispanic Newcomers
in the Not So New South
Source: This UVA senior thesis by Kassia Omohundro was based largely on her research in Central Virginia. April 2005.
Location: http://www.cj-network.org/cjlatarea/Omohundro_-_Chicharrones_+_pork_rinds.pdf

Research Brief: Limited English Proficient Children and Their Families: Human Service Needs, Challenges and Resources.
Source: Charlottesville/Albemarle Commission on Children and Families. March 2005
Location: http://www.ccfinfo.org/PDFs/rb_feb_05_lep.pdf

From New Roots to My People: An Understanding of the New Latino Migration to Virginia and North Carolina Through the Lens of University Student Activism
Source: Kassia Omohundro, University of Virginia. May 2004
Location: http://scs.student.virginia.edu/~madison/migrantaid/stories.html

Summary of Statistics on the Local Hispanic Population (2004)
Source: From the Albemarle County Strategic Plan 2003-05
Statistics cited include: The largest percentage of growth is in the Hispanic population (Between 1990 and 2000, the Hispanic population grew from 867 persons to 2,061 – a 138% rate increase. (Source: U. S. Census of Population, 2000 Table P8). There has been an increase in residents who speak a language other than English in the home from 3.8% in 1980 to 8.6% in 2000. (Source: U. S. Census of Population). Population growth in Albemarle County due to migration has been greater than the increase due to natural population increase (In 2001, 67% increase due to migration and 33% increase due to natural increase). (Source: Virginia Department of Health) Seven percent of the County’s population is living in poverty. Hispanic persons had the highest percentage of persons living in poverty. (Source: U. S. Census of Population, 2000). Though they make up only 4% of all students in Albemarle County (a total of 459 in 2002-2003), Hispanic students are the fastest growing sub population in the County schools. (Source: Virginia Department of Education).
Location: http://albemarle.org/upload/images/Forms_Center/Departments/Board_of_Supervisors/Forms/Agenda/2004Files/20040407/Strategicplanningattach.htm

LATINOS IN VIRGINIA

Immigration Fact Sheet (October 2008)
Prepared by the Virginia Interfaith Public Policy Center, this document blends Virginia and National myth busting facts. Click here.

VACOLA Clipping Service
A daily clipping service on issues relating to the Virginia Latino population is provided by the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations (VACOLA), an alliance among organizations in Virginia that serve or support the interests of the Latino/Hispanic community to empower the community and secure equal treatment, equal opportunity, and equal representation for Latinos/Hispanics.
Location: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VACOLAO

Study: 1-in-10 Virginians foreign born
A UVA Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service study, published in July 2008, found that immigrants account for one-fourth of Virginia's population growth since 2000. In 2006, the top five countries of birth for Virginia's foreign-born were El Salvador, Mexico, Korea, the Philippines and India. With 9% of its population, Harrisonburg has the second highest percentage of foreign-born residents in Virginia, followed by Charlottesville , Richmond, Virginia Beach and Winchester, all of which have 6% percent of their population foreign-born.
Location: Click here

Stat Chat - Virginia's Foreign-Born Population (July 2008)
Published by the UVA Weldon Cooper Center.
http://www.coopercenter.org/demographics/sitefiles/documents/pdfs/statchat/foreign-born2.pdf
A UVA article on the data: http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=5638
Another article mentioning Harrisonburg’s immigrant population as the second highest in the state: http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=29703&CHID=1

Nearly 25 Percent of Children Younger Than 5 Are Latino, Census Says (May 1, 2008)
The Washington Post article refers to recent Census figures, stating “Hispanics, the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority group, now account for about one in four children younger than 5 in the United States.  … In Virginia … Hispanics account for 11 percent of children younger than 5.”
Location of article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/30/AR2008043003397.html?hpid=moreheadlines
Census Press Release/English: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011910.html
Census Press Release/Spanish: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011917.html

The Latinization of the Central Shenandoah Valley (March 2008)
Published in International Migration by Laura Zarrugh, the abstract reads: “ Virginia is among a number of southern states in the United States, such as North Carolina, Arkansas and Georgia, which have experienced a sudden growth in Latino immigration during the past decade. Not only is the volume of growth unprecedented, but many of the destinations are new and located in rural areas. Places that have not hosted immigrant populations for generations are quickly becoming multicultural. The small city of Harrisonburg (population 43,500 according to the 2005 estimate), which is located in the rural Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, is perhaps the premier example of this new pattern of change. While local advertising once promoted Harrisonburg for its “99.2% American-born and 93.7% white” population, the area today holds the distinction of hosting the most diverse public school enrollment in the state (in 2006-2007), with students from 64 countries who speak 44 languages. Among them are Spanish speakers from at least 14 different countries. Drawing on social network theory, the paper examines how social networks among Latino immigrants become activated in new settlement areas. It presents a case history of the historic process of “Latinization” involving the settlement of a number of diverse Latino populations (from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Cuba and Uruguay) in Harrisonburg and the surrounding Central Shenandoah Valley. The study demonstrates how a number of key institutions, including local agricultural industries (apples and poultry), a refugee resettlement office and churches recruited “pioneers” from these immigrant groups to the area and how “pioneers” subsequently engaged in further social network recruitment, thus creating multiple transnational “daughter communities” in the Harrisonburg area. The policy implications of this historical process are explored.”
Location: www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1468-2435.2008.00435.x

UVA Study Finds Hispanic Population Varied and Growing.
This is a UVA news release about the UVA Weldon Cooper Center study released on February 25, 2008. The article and an audio about the study can be found at http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=4308 The PDF report issued by the Center is at http://www.coopercenter.org/demographics/sitefiles/documents/pdfs/numberscount/2008hispanics.pdf

UVA Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service Presentation before the Virginia Commission on Immigration. (January 2008)
The presentation noted that Virginia’s largest Latino populations are Mexicans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Hondurans. It also reported that more than half of Virginia’s 481,500 Latinos are U.S. born citizens, 13% are naturalized citizens, and the rest are living in the State with or without legal authorization. Around 85% of Latino children (less than 18) residing in Virginia are U.S. born. The presentation and a related power point are full of national data about years of residence in the U.S., family incomes, English proficiency, educational attainment, labor force participation, participation in Social Services programs, the uninsured, living arrangements, and transportation. There is also a map indicating where Latino populations are most concentrated in Virginia.
For the presentation, visit:
http://www.hhr.virginia.gov/Initiatives/ImmigrationCommission/01-04-08/VCIremarks.pdf
For the accompanying power point reference:
http://www.coopercenter.org/sitefiles/documents/immigration.pdf

Virginia Hispanics in the 2008 Election Fact Sheet , prepared by the Pew Hispanic Center, contains data on the size and social and economic characteristics of the Hispanic and non-Hispanic eligible voter populations. The fact sheet is based on the Center's tabulations of the Census Bureau's 2006 American Community Survey. Among data for Virginia, its Hispanic population is the 16th largest in the nation. More than 466,000 Hispanics reside in Virginia, 1% of all Hispanics in the United States. There are 149,000 eligible Hispanic voters in Virginia, less than 1% of all U.S. Hispanic eligible voters. To view or print out the fact sheet, visit: http://pewhispanic.org/files/factsheets/vote2008/Virginia.pdf

Undocumented Workers in Virginia Pay $300+ Million in Taxes. A new study by the Commonwealth Institute debunks one major myth of the anti-illegal-immigrant movement, that undocumented workers supposedly don't pay taxes. To the contrary the undocumented population – numbering between 250,000 and 300,000 - contributes to the Virginia economy in substantial ways. They provide critical labor to certain industries, including construction, manufacturing, and leisure and hospitality, and the $2.6 billion to $3.1 billion in income earned by this group is used to purchase goods and services in the Commonwealth. Furthermore, the taxes paid by the undocumented population total between $260 million and $311 million. When the payroll taxes of employers of undocumented immigrants working on the books are considered, these numbers increase to between $379 million and $453 million. To read the full report, visit “Fiscal Facts: Tax Contributions of Virginia's Undocumented Immigrants" at http://www.thecommonwealthinstitute.org/immtaxcontribution.pdf

From Workers to Owners: Latino Entrepreneurs in Harrisonburg, Virginia (Fall 2007)
Published in Human Organization by Laura Zarrugh, the abstract reads: “In the vast literature on immigrant and ethnic entrepreneurship in the United States, relatively little attention has been paid to Latino entrepreneurship, perhaps because Latinos (except Cubans) tend to be perceived as labor migrants. For the same reason, even less attention has been given to the Latino small businesses that have quickly become a ubiquitous part of new Latino settlements in the rural South over the past two decades. Based on structured interviews with over 30 Latino business owners, this paper describes the growth of Latino-owned businesses in Harrisonburg, Virginia (population 40,468 in 2000) that has occurred since 1990 in tandem with the ever-increasing size and complexity of the local Latino community. In particular, the paper examines both the "structure of opportunity" for Latino entrepreneurship outside traditional gateway cities and the social and cultural characteristics of the entrepreneurs and their businesses. The paper highlights the role of local poultry processing plants in the settlement process and entrepreneurs' work histories.”
Location: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3800/is_200710/ai_n21137680

Truths About Virginia's Immigrants (September 13, 2007)
This article by Qian Cai, the director of the demographics and work-force section of UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, highlights “essential facts about Virginia immigrants” that “should inform thoughtful and prudent public policy and programs.” Click here to read the article.

Survey Results: Virginia Residents Sharply Divided On Immigration (June 28, 2007).
According to the results of a George Mason study on Virginia attitudes towards Latinos: “Not surprisingly, the overall results suggest that Virginians oppose the extension of many human services to the undocumented. Most (58 percent) reject government funding for day-labor centers, and nearly two-thirds (64 percent) would deny undocumented students the right to pay in-state tuition at colleges and universities. Virginians also support tighter controls over the movements of immigrants: 54 percent of Virginians approve of the activities of Minuteman-like groups, and an even larger proportion (73 percent) would allow local police to conduct immigration checks during routine traffic stops. The most important findings lie beneath the surface of the overall results. Here we find that Virginians are often sharply divided along racial and economic lines. While the great majority of Latinos view the undocumented in favorable terms, African-Americans express especially strong concerns about the economic consequences of illegal immigration. In fact, while 29 percent of non-Hispanic whites strongly agree that "undocumented immigrants lower the wages and salaries of American workers," nearly half (49 percent) of African-Americans express such concerns. Negative views of illegal immigrants and immigration are also most pronounced among the least privileged economic groups in the state. Among households with incomes between $25,000 and $50,000 a year, 44 percent of our respondents agree that the undocumented "take jobs away from American workers." Among the most affluent respondents in our study (those with incomes above $150,000), only half that proportion (21.8 percent) share this belief. And respondents who reside in counties that have higher rates of poverty or unemployment are especially likely to hold negative views of undocumented immigrants.” To read the study, a press release and editorial about it, visit: http://www.cssr.gmu.edu/immigration/Immigration%20survey/immigration%20survey.html

Latinos & Teen Pregnancy (March 2007).
The United States has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and births in the western industrialized world. Teen pregnancy costs the United States at least $7 billion annually. Hispanics led the nation in teen births in 2004, with 82.6 children born per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The national rate in that age range was 41.1 births per thousand girls. The CDC data shows Mexican and Puerto Rican girls at an especially high risk, and both groups have settled in Virginia in significant numbers. The state had double-digit drops in births among black and white girls ages 15 to 19 from 1990 to 2003. But in that same age group, births rose 50 percent among Latinas, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Web resources include:
http://www.teenpregnancy.org/espanol/initiative.asp, http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/213151/

Virginia Hispanics Send Money To Homelands: $1 Billion A Year Leaves State. October 25, 2006
This year in Virginia, more than 280,000 Latin American and Caribbean immigrants will send $1.1 billion to relatives in their homelands, according to a study by the Washington, D.C.-based Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). That’s an 89 percent increase in the amount of money sent to the region in 2004
Click here to read article.

Hispanics in Virginia by County
A resource of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Click on region for statistics for individual counties.
Location: http://www.vahcc.com/statistics.html

Virginia
Click here to read this article - describing the Latino presence in Virginia - written by Pablo Davis and published in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos & Latinas in the US (Oxford University Press, 2005).

Southern Regional Education Board: Virginia (2005)
Contains statistics about the Hispanic population in Virginia.
Location: http://www.sreb.org/main/EdData/FactBook/2005StateReports/Virginia05.pdf

Virginia's Hispanics Part 1: "Who They Are" & "Growth"
Published by the Demographics and Workforce Section (DWS), an applied research group at UVA’s Cooper Center for Public Service, this 2005 presentation largely relies on 2000 Census statistics.
Location: http://www3.ccps.virginia.edu/demographics/magazine/DW%20pages/5_HispanicsPart1_DW/01_HispTitle.html

Bienvenidos a Virginia!
Source: Four hundred thousand Latinos now call Virginia home. While many are concentrated in Northern Virginia, Laura Zarrugh (JMU Anthropologist) and Pablo Davis (South Atlantic Humanities Center) say much of the recent growth has been in rural areas and small Virginia towns, where Latinos are changing the cultural landscape. This special edition of the weekly radio program WITH GOOD REASON, produced by the VFH, originally aired the week of Nov.12-18, 2005, and also included an interview with folklorist Debra Lattanzi Shutika (GMU).
Location: You can hear the program at: http://www.withgoodreasonradio.org/archives/2005/november05.htm You can also order a CD copy by phoning 924-6895 or emailing lydiawilson@virginia.edu

From Workers to Owners: Hispanic Entrepreneurs in the Shenandoah Valley
Source: This December 2004 research paper analyzing responses to questionnaires was prepared by Laura Zarrugh (zarruglh@jmu.edu), a JMU cultural anthropologist who studies Latino immigration in the Shenandoah Valley.
Location: http://www.lib.jmu.edu/special/services/burruss/ZarrughPaper.aspx

Mingo Rocks the Palace
Source: This Spring 2004 article about the Mexican master musician Mingo Saldívar and his tour of Virginia, including the Eastern Shore, has some useful information on VFH and on the Mexican and Latino presence in VA. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities Newsletter
Location/Spanish: http://www.cj-network.org/cjlatarea/Mingo_Saldivar_-_Sp._transl._of_Bearinger_art.doc
Location/English: http://www.virginia.edu/vfh/newsletters/news_spring_04.pdf

Cultural and Psychosocial Correlates of HIV Risk in Rural Latino Men in Virginia (2004)
Citation: Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. D12959)
Author: Bradford JB, Jarama SL; Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory, Richmond, VA
Conclusion: This population of Latino men in rural Virginia reported behaviors consistent with high HIV risk and transmission. Culturally-based attitudes and lack of HIV knowledge were principal barriers to prevention efforts. Systemic issues in the target area would have to be addressed for culturally-based interventions to be effective. See an abstract at:
http://www.aegis.com/conferences/iac/2004/D12959.html To obtain the full report, write Aids Education Global Information System at help@aegis.org

HIV Risks for Latino Men in Rural Virginia (2003)
Citation: Natl HIV Prev Conf 2003 July 27-30:abstract no. MP-116
Author: Bradford J, Jarama L; VCU Survey and Evaluation Research Lab, Richmond, VA
Conclusion: This population of Latino men, mostly migrant workers, in rural Virginia are at risk of HIV infection due to knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and cultural influences. There is a need for HIV prevention education programs to address their needs, tailored to match cultural and demographic characteristics, and in keeping with local structures and networks. See an abstract at: http://www.aegis.com/conferences/nhivpc/2003/MP-116.html To obtain the full report, write Aids Education Global Information System at help@aegis.org

Virginia Minority Health Report (2002)
The Virginia Center for Health Statistics’ Health of Minorities in Virginia represents a one-year snapshot of vital events data taken from the birth and death certificates of Virginia’s minority populations. These vital events include birth, natural fetal death, induced termination, teen pregnancy, infant death, leading causes of death, and selected cancer death. While not intended to be a comprehensive analysis, this report provides a valuable a summary of the health status of Virginia’s four minority groups, which now comprise more than two million persons.
http://www.vdh.state.va.us/primcare/minority/data/data.asp

What can service providers do?
This section of the CJ Web Site provides articles, reports and other references about Latinos in Virginia.
Location: http://www.cj-network.org/lep.html