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4 Friday, March 24, 2000 HISPANIC From Page 3 Pleru, said language was the main obsta cle standing in the way of Hispanics. “The biggest thing I would stress to my community is the learning of English,” she said. “There is an attitude among a lot of Hispanics that says ‘I can’t learn it,’ but they have to get jobs to make money somehow. “However, the English courses avail able are few and not very good, so I can’t blame them completely.” Harper said difficulty in communica tion could be one reason most Hispanics could be found working in lower-class jobs. “I notice that they are mostly involved in blue collar jobs, stocking shelves at grocery stores, cleaning hotels or working as kitchen and wait staff at restaurants,” he said. “But the biggest field for Hispanics is definitely con struction.” Palmer said the high cost of living in Chapel Hill had forced many Hispanics to work several jobs, and some families even shared small apartments to ease PROFILE From Page 3 the hardest elements of her family’s tran sition to the United States. “We had no credit history,” she said. “We had been here as a tourist, but when it came to applying to a bank, they couldn’t provide us with loans because they didn’t know how good we’d be.” Fort said they were lucky enough to be put in contact with an agency for peo ple moving to the United States from other countries. Fort said another major challenge fac- v % r * , lU*^ cnT 200 W. FRANKLIN ST. CHAPEL HILL, NC 27516 919 960 9623 —- ; ,gy 41 the town’s notoriously high rent prices. “It’s not a poor life compared to what their life would be like in Latin America,” she said. “But compared to the Chapel Hill median income of $75,000 a year, most Hispanics are far, far below that.” Both Harper and Palmer said a gen eral misconception was that all Hispanics were in the United States ille gally. “Most of them come with green cards,” Harper said. “There is a stereo type out there that all Hispanics are ille gal, and that is just not true.” Palmer said those who were here ille gally faced amazing hardship. “If they don’t have papers, one of the biggest problems is exploitation in the workplace, since they have no defense,” she said. “There is injustice out there, and I see it every day.” Chapel Hill Town Council member Pat Evans said the council was very attentive to the concerns of the Hispanic community. “We try to have Hispanics on boards and committees to get them involved in town government,” she said. “It’s important to reach out to them, and I think we try to do that.” Evans said several issues came to ing new arrivals was trying to learn the everyday procedures American resi dents took for granted. “It was very hard to get along,” she said. “When you don’t know the procedures, you can’t get the information easily.” She said she found it frustrating to navigate the area after her husband left for work because she was not sure of her whereabouts. “Everyone feels lost at the beginning,” she said. “I didn’t know where to go to get information.” For many immigrants, language can also stand in the way of being informed in anew community. But the Fort family did not find that From Page Three mind regarding the Hispanic communi ty in Chapel Hill. “Housing is a very important issue,” she said. “Asa town, we’ve also started doing more printing of bilingual documents so that people can do what they need to do, whether it is getting a library card or a driver’s license. “We were even talking about having a story hour at the library in Spanish,” Evans said. “So, obviously, there are a lot of different issues.” She said Chapel Hill was lucky to have such a prominent Hispanic com munity because of their addition to the area’s work force and diversity. “We have a very low unemployment rate, and we are fortunate to have the people to fill the jobs we need to fill, no matter who they are,” she said. Harper said that though Hispanics could perform many jobs, they had not yet broken into at least one field. “There are only a few Hispanic owned businesses,” he said. “However, I expect that number to grow as we have more Hispanics move into the area. “We haven’t seen many Latino busi nesses because, a, there haven’t been that many Latinos until recently and, b, they haven’t stayed that long,” Harper a significant barrier. “My children were brought up in England, and my husband speaks English,” Fort said. “It has been difficult to communicate because of my family; 1 learned English at the oldest age. “Living in England, I couldn’t com municate and felt isolated, and I cried a lot. I kept thinking to myself, when will this be over, and instead of crying I went and learned (English) and that’s when I really started my life.” When Fort moved to America, she said she felt that even though she was able to communicate in the same lan guage as her neighbors, she did not Dilbert© f I KNOW EVERY J urOC I FORGET ) TRAGEDY THAT I f ( THE DAY I SPILLED ) WILL HAPPEN IN f tT /“AftES**' f < *OT COFFEE ON rAY>- ( YOUR FUTURE. J 1 ** J 1 (CROTCH ■", , , / ! THE Daily Crossword By Philip J. Anderson ACROSS -■ 1 Stimpy's pal 4 Steer clear of <* 9 Lesser Sundas island 14 Actor Wallach 15 "The Mutiny" 16 Distinctive smell 17 1972 Oscar winner and her film 20 Bomb blast, in headlines 21 Fish like a stick 22 Mature 23 1990 Oscar winner and his film 28 Talk baby talk 29 Morales of "Bad Boys" 30 Hardships 34 PAT value 36 Wristwatch part 40 1977 Oscar winner and her film 44 Ford flop 45 Bro's sib 46 Nervous 47 Landed 50 Mom-&-pop store grp. 52 1978 Oscar winner and her film 60 Brian of Roxy Music 61 Cockney's abode 62 Greek slave 63 1965 Oscar winner and his film 68 Played cha rades 69 Opera songs 70 Ky. neighbor 71 Muse of lyric poetry 72 Ridicule 73 Ogle DOWN 1 Revise charts 2 Select few 3 Baseball teams P l A l U l L ß U H s l T l E l n ß s l p l Y A C N eBBs ELEN EW E A S H A V E[p' O I N T sBIT E N T E P I ~dBBIT E E T H I N G e!s|t|e|e|m|sßßt|r|e|_a TIM ■_L_L JLJ2 ROPE Mg e l Life E E U__T E__R_ _R_ JD_D E_ OU N D P.R. A L E|S| S | E The Carolina Law School Welcomes the University community to hear Senator Paul Wellstone y UNC alumnus, speak about leadership, public service, and his experiences as a U.S. Senator, Friday, March 24, 6 p.m., Law School Rotunda. Reception to follow. StudioTwS| UNC-Oepartment of Dramatic Art m Presents the Premiere of Ring Fri March 24 - B:lspm Sat March 25 - B:lspm Sun March 26 - B:lspm Mon March 27 - 4:oopm B:lspm Tues March 28 - s:oopm Old Playmakers Theatre on Cameron Avenue said. “But as their command of English grows and they move into managerial positions, more Hispanic businesses are sure to be created.” Tony Sustaita, owner of Bandido’s Mexican Restaurant and the Hideaway, both on Franklin Street, said one of the reasons for the lack of Hispanic-owned businesses in the area was cost “It’s too expensive for most Latinos,” he said. “It costs a lot of money to open a business, and rent prices around here are outrageous. I pay more in rent in Chapel Hill than I did in Atlanta.” Sustaita said that although Chapel Hill was for the most part racially peace ful, some surrounding areas did not share the same harmony. “I have not faced any prejudice in Chapel Hill,” he said. “I have not expe rienced any particular problems. In places like Hillsborough, however, being of Mexican descent is not a plus.” As far as law enforcement is con cerned, the main problem with dealing with the new population of Hispanics is difficulty in communicating. “Lack of communication is the biggest problem, and we’re taking steps to fix it,” said Chapel Hill Police spokes always understand the society in which they had grown up. Fort said she had questions concern ing the unfamiliar American perspective surrounding women’s issues and inde pendence. She said it was the American culture’s acceptance of women that gave her the ability to enter the work force and gave her 8-year-old daughter Andrea the con fidence to dive into community pro grams. “My daughter was able to do soccer here,” Fort said. “She never thought of doing that before -a woman soccer player (in Latin America)? No way!” 4 Of vinegar 5 Actor Kilmer 6 OPEC product 7 Architect Jones 8 Ten years 9 Bar bill 10 Fury 11 Upright 12 Greek letter 13 Evaluates 18 Presidential advisory grp. 19 Pound sounds 24 Hired thug 25 Ms. Chaplin 26 Relaxation 27 Supple 30 Guy with an alibi? 31 Went first 32 Spanish article 33 Stand one in good 35 Skinny twins? 37 Way cool! 38 Math subj. 39 Double over 41 Spicy stew 42 Unless, in law 43 Publishing ID 48 God's image 49 Alley denizen 51 Appalled 2 3~5 6 7 8 MK 10 12 13 _ mb ~ It) MMjMTi 23 24 . ■■pg ~~~■■■■ihh 30 31 32 37 38 39 40 42 44 ■■■■4s ■■46 “““ ■■47 48 S^|HBIHIBIIBB 52 53 56 57 58 59 60 ’“’"“THHHMeT” ■BBBBep - "" ™ 64 66 67 68 ““■■69 ‘“■■■7o ““ “ - ISjl - |g| woman Jane Cousins. “We’ve recruited Hispanic officers and bilingual officers, and that helps. “We’ve also applied for a grant from the Governor’s Crime Commission to provide better services to Spanish-speak ing victims of domestic and sexual abuse, as well as more specialized train ing for our officers.” Cousins said some of the difficulties could result from some Latin Americans’ different views of law enforcement officers and their role in society. Most Latin American countries have endured military' dictatorships at some point in their history, and the image of police as an oppressive force continues in many of these countries. “Part of the communication problem is the preset image of police,” Cousins said. “In Latin America, there is a dif ferent relationship between the people and the police, and we try to educate (Hispanics) about what law enforcement is in the United States.” Carrboro Police Chief Carolyn Hutchinson echoed Cousin’s concerns about communication problems with minorities. “Obviously, the language barrier is the largest impediment,” When Fort moved to the area, she began working by volunteering in Andrea’s school, Mary Scroggs Elementary. “In the Carrboro school system, I could see children that were coming to the (United States) and help them get situated on a one-to-one basis and give them confidence,” she said. Fort volunteered with the Lincoln Center Offices, which houses several outreach programs for immigrants, and then started working for the Early Head Start program, where she helps educates immigrants about English and American culture. “They were open to me bringing my (C)2000 Tribune Media Services, Inc. All rights reserved. 65 Altar words 66 Germanic god of war 67 Interdiction 52 _ fatale 53 During a broad cast 54 Bellini opera 55 Stiller's partner 56 Daughter of Loki 57 Stan's partner 58 Goo-goo-eyed 59 Practice piece of music 64 Old pro B“Too Many Babies? Feminist Perspectives on the Population: Environment Debates" Come listen to Joni Seager. Associate Professor of Geography from University of Vermont, discuss Feminism, Geography, and the Environment. Friday, March 24 4:3opm Saunders 212 Supported by Supporting Women in Geography. B Miguel Algarin, poet ■ open poetry readin s ... * I Skylight Exchange C H I 4057, Bosemary Street an< * I Sunday, March 26 3-spm founder of the ■ Talk/book signing famous I Bingham Hall Room 103 Nuyorican B unc campus Poets B Monday, March 27 4pm CaK in NYC ■ Any questions, I call 962-4031 I Part of UNC Latina/o B Cultures Speakers' Series Chapel Hill. Sailg (Ear Hrel Hutchinson said. “Half of our officers have been taking a nine-week occupa tional Spanish course, and we’ll proba bly enroll the other half as well.” Hutchinson said her officers were doing their best to accommodate the new residents and serve them as well as possible. “I wouldn’t call it problematic, but it is something we deal with on a day-to day basis,” she said. “The best thingwe can do is increase our ability to get our point across, and I think we’re trying to do that.” Palmer said that though work and liv ing conditions could be worse than those found in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, some stereotypes and atti tudes still needed to be conquered for the Hispanic community to truly feel at home. “Some people have called me and told me that Americans were getting along fine before Hispanics came along,” she said. “This attitude, and the abuse of Hispanics in the community, is incredible.” The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu. experiences to them, and I learned from them,” she said. “I work with a team of professionals and go to them for help or if I have any questions or doubt.” Working with Early Head Start’s fam ily programs for mothers and children from newborn to 3-years-old, as well as visiting numerous families at home, Fort comes into contact with Hispanics struggling to adjust to their new homes. She might not have had the typical immigration experience, but Fort said she identified with those who could not adjust as easily to the area. “They come form Latin America,” she said. “They are different. People need to understand that they may speak the same language, but they are not all the same.” But Fort said the academic climate of the University helped promote interest in foreign cultures and opened the pos sibility of taking courses and learning more. Fort said seeing young people everywhere made a difference. “They are more willing to help with direc tions,” she said. “They are always laugh ing, smiling and there is a positive atmosphere.” Fort’s 20-year-old son, Prem, is a junior biology major at UNC, and she said he helped his family find out about Latin American events. Although the University provided a stimulating and diverse environment, working with these local groups prompted Fort’s realization that Chapel Hill still had a long way to go before becoming a totally accepting and under standing community for immigrants. “People (don’t) understand why we immigrate,” she said. “There are certain situations in peoples’ countries so that people want their children to have a better life.” Asa resident of Chapel Hill, Fort said her goal was to offer to the com munity what she could, and she said she hoped that others would not hesitate to approach her. “People need to know more about Hispanic heritage,” she said. “They don’t know much, and that’s why they don’t approach us to see how we aye, what we are and how we think.” Fort said that even with all of the challenges she had faced, she did not regret her move to Chapel Hill. “There always exists certain obsta cles, and a person has to go beyond them,” she said. “Challenges -1 like challenges, and I like to know the culture. It is like you bring something to me and I bring something to you.” The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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March 24, 2000, edition 1
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