Hispanics have been in the national news a lot lately.
Frequently, we read about the power of the Hispanic consumer in the market. We read about the rapidly increasing population that exceeded 53 million last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. We also know how the Latino vote was key in the last presidential election.
But do we really know who comprises this group? Do we still think most are molded to the general stereotype? How much do we know about Hispanics living in the 417 area?
The following are some of the Hispanic community “characters” involved in a wide variety of fields in southwest Missouri.
• The student. This category is divided in two: in-transit and local students. In-transit students are typically Latin-American foreigners from a higher socioeconomic background, in a transitory path to obtain a degree that will earn them prestige in their country of origin. The local students represent the future and hope of the previous generation who were limited by lack of opportunities. They’re completely adapted to American culture, and most of them will be the first ones in their family to obtain a college degree.
• The professor. These educators have college degrees, some master’s and a few doctorates. The great majority of them teach Spanish classes, and it is a great asset for local academic institutions.
• The pastor. Primarily recruited by local religious institutions to lead their Hispanic church members, they promote Christian values tied to family oriented Latino traditions. They also organize traditional festivities to celebrate their heritage.
• The skilled worker. This is a jack-of-all-trades often considered a hard-working individual, who could quickly learn almost any trade. The preponderance falls in manual work, and they’re mainly employed by the recurrent need in the construction, restaurant and hospitality industries.
• The companion. Playing a key role in Hispanic families by raising children, some spouses dedicate their time exclusively to the home. Others might participate in some kind of microenterprise.
• The professionista. Specialized and highly educated professionals who contribute a multicultural perspective to business, they are employed in a wide variety of sectors, such as government, law enforcement, insurance, marketing, banking and health care.
• The businessperson. Natural entrepreneurs or former skilled workers, they learned a trade over the years and became independent, pursuing their goal of self-reliance and starting their own businesses.
In spite of these different categories, traditionally the general perception of Hispanics has been unidimensional. This is understandable but also underrepresented.
The lesser known is the new generation of Latinos that is well integrated, bilingual and bicultural. These are the ones who are slowly eradicating the stereotypes, the ones that prove we can find diversity within diversity.
Memo Latapi is publisher of Hispanic community newspaper El Mensajero, which is distributed across southwest Missouri. He can be reached at memo@mensajeromedia.com.[[In-content Ad]]
