Columbia Hispanic population deals with prejudice, integration
With the Hispanic population in Columbia increasing by 91.5 percent between 1990 and 2000, area residents deal with change.
Published Oct. 5, 2004
Six years ago, Jonathan Rocha decided to move from Los Angeles to Columbia in pursuit of job opportunities and an education. Although Rocha said Columbia was welcoming, he definitely noticed some prejudice in his new home.
"I've tried to change how I dress because before I used to mainly wear baggy jeans, tennis shoes and a jersey and a lot of people would look at me differently," said Rocha, who also goes by his work name, DJ Fussion. "I'd go to parties, and no one would want to talk to me and girls looked at me like I'd rape them and steal from them."
According to the Missouri Census Data Center, the Hispanic and Latino population in Columbia has increased by 828 people or 91.5 percent between 1990 and 2000. In 2000, Hispanics and Latinos made up 2 percent of the population in Columbia, up from 1.3 percent in 1990.
Domingo Martinez-Castillo, research associate for International Agricultural Programs and the coordinator for the Cambio Center, a research and outreach program on Latino integration, said the increased Spanish-speaking population is beneficial, citing an increase in bilingual signs and a general feeling of hospitality in Columbia.
However, he said he does think it means he is more likely to lose his identity within Columbia.
"People used to separate me and know me as Domingo, but now I've lost a bit of my individuality with the increased Hispanic group," he said.
While Rocha tries to keep his Mexican traditions, he said they sometimes are not compatible with the social expectations in Columbia.
"In Mexico, weddings are three-day events with a lot of celebration and music," Rocha said. "Here, I had to stop playing music at 10:30 at a wedding reception in the middle of a farm field because the neighbors, whose house you couldn't even see, might complain."
Martinez-Castillo said he does not feel much of his culture is lost because he still listens to Spanish music, reads Spanish literature and speaks Spanish at home.
"In a smaller community, I can keep my culture more because in larger cities people often blur a whole bunch of cultures into one," he said.
After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Rocha said he noticed a shift in how people treated Hispanics.
"I guess you could say that people take our customs as something hateful," Rocha said. "When I was 18, I had a Mexican flag in my car window but now I'm worried about being considered anti-American or a terrorist if I support any other country than America."
While Martinez-Castillo said he has not been affected by profiling since Sept. 11, 2001, he knows other Hispanics and foreigners have.
"Profiling is definitely more widespread however, it is more in public places like airports, train stations and in large crowds," Martinez-Castillo said. "It does not happen as much here because people know they do not have to distrust their neighbors."
Subhed: A burgeoning population's need for education
While Martinez-Castillo's children have been bilingual since birth, some Hispanic children who don't know English might be the losers in an educational gap.
"The demographic change is faster than the response time of the school," Martinez-Castillo said. "We have to watch to make sure the gap does not create an underserved class."
When students originally enroll in the school district, they fill out a questionnaire about whether other languages are spoken at home, said Patty Wayland, Columbia Public Schools' English as a Second Language coordinator. After that, students are further screened and placed in programs that meet their needs.
Today, Columbia Public Schools' ESL program has 118 students. Last year, there were 83 students. Four years ago, 49.
"ESL is a great program because it speeds up their English language development, which allows students to have more equitable access to education," Wayland said. "All of these students have to keep up in their classes and the program also provides a safe place and a supportive peer group."
Centro Latino de Salud, Educación y Cultura, a Columbia organization that helps Latino community members navigate a sometimes confusing education system, started an after-school program three years ago to stress literacy with elementary school children and help middle school students with their homework.
Scott Cooper, a volunteer for Centro Latino, said about 30 to 35 elementary and middle school students currently participate in the after-school program and, since its creation, the program has had a waiting list for students.
With local schools stepping up to help educate a growing Hispanic population, Latino families said they feel more at home.
"In my case, I don't have any major problems in Columbia," Martinez-Castillo said. "This is the reason why I've chosen to stay in Columbia and not move anywhere else in the United States."