Críticas Magazine

Bruce Jensen

Pennsylvania: Outreach begins where immigrants feel safe
June 9, 2008

From up in the Delaware Valley—where Ben Franklin flew his famous electric papalote—comes a story in Saturday's Bucks County Courier Times: "Services sought for growing Latino population."

It describes a meeting Friday in Bensalem Township, in the suburban Philadelphia metro area.  Bensalem is one of those places whose immigrant population has grown significantly since the last census:

The number of kids who primarily spoke Spanish, Russian or Indian [languages] has more than tripled [sic] — from about 80 eight years ago to 400 this school year — [the Superintendent of schools] estimated. In response, the district will begin a world language program next year with all students in the third grade learning Spanish.

Now, introducing gradeschoolers to another language might sound to me like a pretty good idea, but the vitriolic reader comments that follow the article suggest that not everyone thinks the same way I do.  Too bad for them, I suppose. 

This important meeting was called by the Latino Leadership Alliance of Bucks County, whose website notes it "was established in 1993 by a group of dedicated activists who recognized the language and cultural barriers encountered by Latinos when trying to obtain needed information, programs and educational services."

The article mentions the local public library's dissatisfaction with the number of Spanish-speaking users:

The new director of the Bensalem public library, Lisa Kern, also expressed frustration in being unable to reach out to the Latino community. Kern discussed plans to expand the libraries and foreign language books and even host an “international film festival” at the library.
 
“We would like to get more Latinos to come to the library,” Kern said. “We have bilingual materials. But they don't come out.”

Now, here comes today's Lesson for Librarians.  Pay close attention to this next part:

Local businesswoman Myriam Santiago said outreach efforts, particularly those for recent immigrants, would continue to struggle unless they came to places where Latinos felt “safe.”

“You have to begin your outreach in the church. The church is the only place where many of these people feel safe,” Santiago said. “Otherwise, people won't come out. They worry about immigration issues.”

Posted by Bruce Jensen on June 9, 2008 | Comments (0)