Impact and effect of Hispanic growth on small business and entrepreneurial development.
Bradley, Don B., III ; Stuckey, Leta
ABSTRACT
Hispanic growth is recognized throughout the United States of
America, but nowhere is it as rapid as in the south. This report will
assess the population growth in the United States since 1990 and more
importantly the impact of that growth across America and Arkansas
specifically. Hispanics come to America seeking better lives and job
opportunities and they bring with them diverse cultures. The economic,
social and educational challenges of an increasing population of
immigrants must be met and dealt with on many levels. Issues, problems
and opportunities will be examined as they relate to the Hispanic
populous, the education arena and the business environment.
After analyzing the economic, social, and educational aspects of
the Hispanic community, society must have a better understanding of what
needs to be done to assimilate Hispanics into today's modern
business world. Before the business community can start the assimilation
into small business and entrepreneurship, one must first have an
understanding of the culture and pitfalls to be overcome in order to be
successful. By having this greater understanding, it will create better
workers for small to medium sized companies, as well as create
entrepreneurs.
POPULATION ASSESSMENT
According to the 2000 Census Report, the Hispanic growth rate in
the United States in the last decade hit an unprecedented 57.9 percent
compared to a total U.S. population increase of 13.2 percent. Absolute
numbers are recorded at 35,305,818 of the nations 281,421,906 residents
or a saturation of 12.5 percent (U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000).
Estimates now bring that number to over 38.8 million. Projections
predict the Hispanic saturation levels will rise to 18 percent in 2025
and 25 percent in 2050 and those projections appear conservative. A look
at the make-up of those 35.3 million residents reveals 31.1 million
Hispanics in the United States are foreign born including 16.1 million
from Latin America. One fourth of those foreign born are from Mexico,
the largest number of any country (Facts for Features). Hispanics
originate from nearly two-dozen different countries; they may be white
or African American, new to the country or born to U.S. citizens,
temporary residents or permanent residents. Some Hispanics in the United
States speak Spanish while others are monolingual English speakers.
Additional examination of the Hispanic population reveals a median
age of 25.8 years compared to the overall national median of 35.3 years
(U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000). Only five percent of Hispanic
residents are over 65 years of age. The obvious reason for this could be
an inability to obtain work visas upon initial immigration. The
remaining 95 percent of all Hispanic residents either minor children,
35.0 percent are under age 18, or they are of working age, 60.1 percent
are age 18-64 (Ramirez). The dispersion of Hispanics by age can be seen
in Chart 1.
A look at U.S. Hispanic population concentration identifies New
York City as the largest city in absolute numbers with 2.2 million, 37
percent of which are Puerto Rican. New Mexico has the highest saturation
level of any state with 42 percent of their total population
attributable to the Hispanic community. One-half of all Hispanics in the
United States live in two states; California with 11 million and Texas
with 6.7 million and additionally three out of four Hispanics live in
seven states--California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Arizona
and New Jersey (Facts for Features). Regionally Hispanics are more
likely to reside in the West (44.2 percent) and South (34.8 percent), as
seen in Chart 2 (Ramirez).
Hispanic growth in the last decade has been fastest in the South.
Seven states (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, South
Carolina and Tennessee) more than tripled their Hispanic populations in
the nineties; all but one of those states (Nevada) is in the south
(Facts for Features).
Arkansas experienced the fastest growth (337 percent) of any state
from 1990 to 2000. Total Hispanic reported on the 2000 census was
86,866. All 75 counties in the state had a positive Hispanic growth
rate, even where net population decreased. Four counties attributed 100
percent of their growth to the Hispanic increase (Cossman). The heaviest
Hispanic growth in Arkansas was in Washington (747 percent) and Benton
(891 percent) counties where one in four new residents is Hispanic. The
largest concentrations are in the Northwest, Western and Central
regions, which comprise more than 60 percent of the state's total
Hispanic population. Much of this is attributed to the job opportunities
provided by the Tyson Foods, Wal-Mart and J.B. Hunt Transportation
(Garcia).
The state's saturation is 3.2 percent with the highest levels
in the northwestern (6.7 percent) and western (4.7 percent) regions of
the state with the central region remaining below the state level at 2.1
percent. Within the central region Pulaski County has 2.4 percent
saturation and Faulkner County is 1.8 percent (Cossman).
What comprises Arkansas' Hispanic population and why do they
locate here? Some 70 percent of all Hispanics in Arkansas are from
Mexico and estimates are 10 percent are illegal aliens. Growth is tied
to two primary factors, fertility and migration. Birth rates among
Hispanics average 3.2 nationally and 4.8 in Arkansas compared to a
Non-Hispanic white birth rate of 1.5. Migration may be a result of
employment opportunities, lower cost of living and preference to settle
where other Hispanics live (Terry). They migrate to Arkansas after
spending time in other states. Chart 4 shows the twenty cities in
Arkansas with the highest numbers of Hispanics while Chart 5 shows the
top fifteen counties in terms of Hispanic population (U.S. Census
Bureau, American Fact Finder). Rapid growth in the Hispanic population
is causing rapid problems in both education and communication and that
growth provides numerous opportunities to those who are ready to exploit
them.
COMMUNICATION
Twenty eight million U.S. residents speak Spanish at home. Only
one-half of those also speak English (Facts for Features). Four percent
of all residents over the age of five speak a language other than
English, 70 percent of those speak Spanish. The key to integration of
Hispanics into American culture is communication. Assimilation of
Hispanic immigrants depends on their either learning English or having
vital information available to them in Spanish. Arkansas has various
Spanish publications available: Arkansas Times now publishes El Latino,
El Hispano has been published in Little Rock since 1995, many Wal-Mart
stores carry People magazine as well as numerous CD's in Spanish
(Terry).
The issue of Spanish in the public school system is still debated.
English as a Second Language (ESL) is now helping students learn the
skills necessary to function in classes taught only in English. In
Arkansas 80 percent of all ESL students speak Spanish (Arkansas
Advocates for Children & Families).
Communication and translation issues are not being faced as rapidly
in many of our health care institutions and health care businesses.
Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield has not yet even made their health
care applications available in Spanish; businesses must rely on their
own translators to communicate this information to their
Spanish-speaking employees. Many hospitals have limited if any bilingual
employees. According to Conway, Arkansas' Conway Regional Medical
Center personnel, their hospital has only three bilingual employees and
they all work day shifts. When a translation problem occurs at night
they rely on translators they use on a contractual basis who must be
called for that service. Imagine the problem in a life-threatening
situation!
Many businesses that employ large percentages of Hispanics do not
have on site translators available on a day-to-day basis. Brent &
Sam's Cookies, Inc., a cookie manufacturer located in North Little
Rock, Arkansas, has forty percent of their workforce made up of
Hispanics. They do not however have any of their supervisory, managerial
or office staff that is Hispanic or bi-lingual. Brent & Sam's
rely on translators from consultants and outside agencies. Imagine the
problems of communicating issues relating to payroll, benefits and
safety.
The opportunities available to those who are bilingual in English
and Spanish are virtually unlimited: business and health care
translators (employee or consultant based); staffing agencies
specializing in Hispanic placement; written translators for business,
health care, safety; legal aid; counseling. Once communication issues
are addressed other problems and opportunities can be more readily
handled.
HOUSING
Cultural differences should be examined when considering housing.
Many Hispanics live in units containing extended family members. While
the average household in Arkansas is 2.5, that of Hispanics in
particular is at least 3.5 and furthermore, 27 percent of all Hispanic
households contain five or more family members and that number increases
among Mexicans to 31 percent (Ramirez).
While Arkansas is known to remain below national income averages,
the disparity is even greater among Hispanic households. The United
States average income for a four family household is $63,278, Arkansas
is $47,838 and Hispanics within Arkansas average even less at $28,361
(American Community Survey Profile). The need for affordable housing for
the Hispanic community is obvious.
Arkansas residents surpass the national homeownership rate (66.2
percent) with a 69.4 percent rate. Nationwide Hispanics maintain a 46
percent homeownership rate (Facts for Features). The median price of
owner occupied dwelling in Arkansas is $79,043 with 30 percent of all
mortgages ranging from $700 to $999. Renters on the other hand pay a
median rent of $497 with 31.0 percent in the $300-$499 range and 30.8
percent in the $500-$749 range. People spending 30 percent or more of
their household income on housing ranges from 22 percent of owners with
mortgages to 42 percent of renters (U.S. Census Bureau, Profile of
Housing). The cost of ownership is obviously outside the reach of many
Hispanics living in Arkansas.
Brenda Free, an owner of local residential rental property (single
family dwellings) in central Arkansas, reports common problems from
renting to members of the Hispanic community. Many have been untruthful
in their reporting of the number that will reside in the dwelling at the
lease signing and eventually doubled and even tripled the number
reported. Mrs. Free's experience has been that most Hispanics she
has dealt with do not have bank accounts and often work at cash based
jobs without adequate references. This property owner reports the worst
incidences of damage to the dwellings and the most difficulty in
evicting Hispanic tenants when problems arise, largely due to disrespect
for law enforcement. Cultural differences, such as the custom of
extended families living within the same household, account for part of
the reason for many of these problems. Mrs. Free believes dishonesty in
general is to blame for most of the problems (Free).
With the poverty level at 27.6 percent of all Hispanic residents,
again the need for affordable housing for the Hispanic community is
blindingly obvious (U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000). Alternate housing
opportunities must be found; housing that will accommodate extended
family units should be at the forefront of the search. Lower income
levels shown here indicate the direct need for changes in the area of
education.
EDUCATION
Official estimates put the Hispanic community as the nation's
largest minority. International migration accounting for 53 percent of
recent growth and the remaining 47 percent attributed to the increase of
births over deaths. More than one in three Hispanics is less than 18
years of age, indicating a staggering number in the school systems.
Hispanic enrollment in the public school system has increased by 61
percent nationwide and by an astounding 309 percent in Arkansas (U.S.
Department of Commerce News).
Of the 22,643 Hispanic students enrolled in 2000 on Arkansas public
schools 14,241 speak a primary language other than English, of those 80
percent speak Spanish (Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families).
More recent statistics reveal 23,958 of the 452,037 or 5.3 percent
students enrolled in Arkansas public schools in the 2003-2004 school
year to be Hispanic. The number of dropout/withdrawals for Hispanic
students during 2002 was 1,480 out of a total of 34,083. The key to
improving these numbers is better communication between students,
parents and school personnel . The state only employs 94 Hispanics or
0.3 percent of their 36,880 personnel leaving an obvious need for
certified and non-certified Hispanic staff (Arkansas School Information
Site). A view of the educational attainment of Hispanics in Arkansas can
be seen in the chart below (American Community Survey Profile).
Conway School District is the seventh largest in Arkansas (American
Community Survey Profile). According to Phyllis Simon, Technology
Director of Conway Public Schools, Conway's current enrollment in
grades 1-12 as of April 1, 2004 is 7,529. Of those students 273 or 3.63
percent of the total enrollment are reported to be Hispanic, of these
139 are elementary students with the remaining 134 in the secondary
schools. Mrs. Simon also reported 106 ESL (English as a Second Language)
students enrolled. The growth of minority-language students in the
public school system will force Arkansas to act quickly to establish new
programs and add personnel that address bilingual education. A breakdown
of Conway's enrollment is shown in Chart 7 (Simon).
Hispanic members of Congress overwhelmingly voted for the "No
Child Left Behind" education reform plan enacted by President
George W. Bush. The law demands a quality education for all children and
is based on four principles: accountability for results, increased
flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an
emphasis on teaching methods that have already been proven to work.
Every state now has accountability plans in place (Hispanics Have Good
Reason to Embrace).
Hispanics have the highest dropout rate and some of the lowest test
scores. Only about 17 percent of Hispanic fourth graders read at their
grade level and the percentage is even higher in mathematics. The high
school graduation rate is only 57 percent. No Child Left Behind promises
to help remedy this by providing resources and flexibility necessary to
carry out this national priority (Hispanics Have Good Reason to
Embrace).
More public schools will need to hire bilingual personnel in order
to communicate with Spanish speaking parents as well as provide services
to ESL students. ESL programs are designed to help students improve
their language proficiency so they can attend all required classes,
which are taught in English.
Hispanic children are guaranteed the opportunity to receive the
same quality education as their peers. Hopefully they will not only
finish high school, but also be academically prepared for college and
technical schools.
President Bush has also proposed $96 million to maintain support
for colleges and universities that serve large percentages of Hispanic
students. Title III includes $39 million in grants in annual funding to
prepare teachers of English as a second language (Hispanics Have Good
Reason to Embrace.)
A survey was conducted for The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable
organization funded by Sallie Mae, the nation's largest provider of
student loans. The survey consisted of 1,200 Hispanic parents of
children ages 18-24 and a separate sample of 1,200 Hispanic adults ages
18-24. The results of the survey reveal the need to raise awareness
about financial aid in the Hispanic community. Three out of four young
Hispanic adults surveyed who were not in college said they had little
knowledge of the financial aid available. More than two-thirds of the
parents surveyed said they had not received information on financial aid
while their children were in grades K-12. Only an estimated ten percent
of Hispanics have a college degree compared to a national average of 30
percent. The Sallie Mae Fund is conducting a 20-city tour targeting
Latino population areas and is hosting 40 "Paying for College"
workshops in Spanish this year (CNN.com).
Even large corporations are joining the effort to better educate
the Hispanic community. PepsiCo recently made a donation through the
National Association of Hispanic Publications Inc. (NAHP). NAHP works to
improve the quality of education particularly for those of Hispanic
origin. NAHP Foundation Scholarship programs support students pursuing
careers in graphic design, journalism and publishing (Hispanic PR Wire).
The Hispanic Women's Organization of Arkansas was founded in
1999 to advance educational opportunities for Hispanic women and their
families, to celebrate and teach others about their culture and to
become active participants within their communities (lasCulturas.com).
These women are concerned about their children's future and
understand the need for education.
Recognizing the need to provide quality education will result in
better integration into American culture and better involvement in the
business environment.
BUSINESS--PURCHASING POWER
Nowhere is the increasing Hispanic population more obvious than in
the business environment. With disposable income of over $652 million in
2003, Hispanics need avenues to purchase food, clothing, automobiles and
entertainment. This amount of purchasing power cannot be overlooked.
Proctor and Gamble spent $90 million on advertising directed at
Latinos for 12 of their products. They maintain a 65 person bilingual
team to target Hispanic needs. Kroger spent $1.8 million to convert a
59,000 sq. ft. store in Houston, Texas to an all Hispanic Super Mercado.
Kroger also expanded its private label "Buena Comida" line to
105 different items. Merrill Lynch & Co. has a 350 person Hispanic
unit that generated $1 billion worth of new business last year. They
will be hiring and additional 100 bilingual advisers this year. The
world largest retailer, Wal-Mart tailors their messages to the different
Hispanic communities in an effort to better understand the marketplace.
Wal-Mart continues to add to their lines of Latino food products,
magazines and CD's (Brennan).
BUSINESS--LABOR
While Hispanics come to the United States in search of better job
opportunities, they in turn provide opportunities to Americans by their
presence in the workforce. Your Employment Service (YES), a
multi-location staffing agency in Pulaski County, has a client base
composed of approximately fifty percent Hispanics. While YES did not
originally search for this business word-of-mouth advertising has
increased this segment of their business and they now advertise in El
Latino, a local Latino publication. YES has twenty percent of their own
workforce that are Hispanic. YES provides temporary and permanent
placement to companies such as Brent & Sam's Cookies, Inc. in
North Little Rock.
Business Week Online reports the traditional perceived conception
of the often uneducated Latino who is willing to take low-wage jobs that
are often less desirable and may be easier to come by, preferring a
paycheck to education. Many of these are eager to send money back home
to family members. Because of this many Hispanics do not develop the
skills needed to acquire white-collar jobs and often found employed in
physical labor industries (Business Week Online).
On March 16, 2004, a grant of almost $1.9 million was issued
through the National Hispanic Worker Initiative by the Bush
Administration. The grant was awarded to the Hotel Employees and
Restaurant Employees (H.E.R.E.) International Union. It will help more
than 2000 Hispanic workers receive the needed training in language and
occupational skills in the hospitality industry in Las Vegas and
Atlantic City. The Bush Administration has plans for more grants in
connection with the Hispanic Worker Initiative (US Newswire).
The number of Hispanics who are union members has grown by 400,000
in the last decade from 1.2 million to 1.6 million (1992-2002). This is
largely due to 60-70 percent of the nation's hotel workers being
Latino in origin and the tradition of strong unions in Latin America
(Reno Gazette-Journal). The increasing number of Hispanics in the
American workforce gives rise to various concerns by employers.
BUSINESS--JOB SAFETY
Job injury rates are higher for Hispanics than Non-Hispanics. OSHA
reports 10.7 percent of the workforce to be Hispanic incurring 13.8
percent of all fatal injuries. While the construction industry reported
an overall decline of 9 percent in fatalities, Hispanic fatalities
increased by 11 percent. American standards may be stricter; safety is
somewhat of a new concept for Mexicans, hard hats are not their norm.
There is a dire need for Spanish safety manuals. Companies need to make
better use of diagrams, color-coding and videos to denote safety hazards
(Yantis). There appears to be a wonderful opportunity for specialization
in Hispanic friendly safety manuals, posters, signage, videos and
translations.
BUSINESS--OCCUPATIONAL
While 80 percent of all Hispanic males age 16 or over are in the
labor force, that number drops to 57 percent for females. Employment in
service occupations or as operators or laborers accounts for 41 percent
of the Hispanic workforce. Only 14 percent are employed in managerial or
professional occupations (Facts for Features).
Hispanics migrate to Arkansas in search of employment. Many of
those jobs are found in the poultry industry, located primarily in
northwest and western Arkansas. The construction industry in Arkansas is
also employing Hispanics in increasing numbers. Many Hispanics are
following the "American Dream" and are opening their own
businesses.
Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States numbered 1.2 million
in 1997. These businesses employed over 1.3 million people and generated
over $186 billion in revenues.
Those of Mexican descent owned 472,000 firms or thirty nine percent
of all Hispanic owned businesses (U.S. Census Bureau, US Businesses
Owned by Hispanics). Chart 8 shows the breakdown of Hispanic owned
businesses by industry.
The Center for Women's Business Research analysis of U.S.
Census data shows over 470,000 firms owned by Hispanic women in 2002.
These firms employed nearly 198,000 people and produced revenues of
$29.4 billion. Arkansas ranked third in the nation in growth rate of
Hispanic women-owned firms from 1997 to 2002 (Center for Women's
Business Research).
Hispanics equipped with proper tools and skills are achieving great
strides toward assimilation into American culture. Those who are not so
equipped continue to search for help.
POLITICAL IMPACT
The importance of Hispanic growth is demonstrated clearly in the
current Presidential campaign. President George W. Bush, a Spanish
speaking former Texas Governor, is trying to garner support through a
nationwide Hispanic grassroots mobilization effort that began this month
in Orlando. President Bush is relying heavily upon his brother, Florida
Governor Jeb Bush (whose wife is Mexican-American), in his effort to
gain support from the large number of Hispanic voters in Florida.
Recent polls show the president lagging behind Democratic
presidential nominee John Kerry. Kerry holds a 58 percent to 33 percent
lead over Bush among voters who identify themselves as Hispanic. Less
than half of Hispanic voters gave Bush a good or excellent
job-performance rating. Sixty-two percent thought it is time for someone
new (The Ledger Online).
The Hispanic voter base is traditionally Democratic from a national
perspective and President Bush is hitting on the issues that play well
with Hispanics, such as family values and religion. In contrast Kerry
appeals to Hispanics with his pro-choice stand on abortion. Kerry is
also garnering support through his attack on President Bush on the war
in Iraq, with more than half of Hispanic voters opposing the U.S. effort
there (Zogby International). The hurdle both candidates face is the need
to get in touch with the Hispanic community on a more personal level,
addressing their needs and concerns instead of offering lip service.
THE FUTURE
The underlying challenge hindering the acculturation of Hispanics
goes beyond communication and education. Many Hispanic immigrants
arriving in the United States speak little or no English, are uneducated
and have low literacy skills in their native language. There are several
government-funded programs directed toward family literacy in the United
States, but are these programs being directed primarily to English
literacy problems? The thousands of Hispanic immigrants coming to the
United States every year have ethnic and cultural beliefs and practices
that must be integrated into literacy programs if the cultures are to
ever blend. Hispanic parents must learn basic literacy skills, reading
and writing, in their native language before emphasis should be placed
on their English literacy. Family literacy must encompass adult
education as well as children's education and interactive training
with parents and children. Where will the resources for these programs
come from?
Toyota recently joined the National Center for Family Literacy
(NCFL) with a new initiative to help Hispanic families with low literacy
skills. Toyota's support of a $3.2 million grant to NCFL's new
Hispanic Family Literacy Institute will help design model family
literacy programs in five cities and materials to be used nationally.
According to Sharon Darling, "Toyota's ongoing and generous
support allows NCFL to reach those parents and their children who need
support in breaking the cycle of under-educated and poverty between
generations" (HispanicBusiness.com)
Winrock International conducted a Hispanic Conference in January of
2004 to address many of the issues and concerns facing the rapid growth
rate of the Hispanic population in the United States: workforce, small
business development, education, health care, social services,
women's leadership development and governance. According to Andy
Martinez of Winrock International their collective efforts will be
published later this spring and should prove helpful to Arkansas as well
as the rest of the nation to capture a better understanding of the
inevitable changes and challenges brought about by this rapid growth
rate in Hispanic population (Martinez).
With more knowledge of the challenges and less fear of the
differences Americans can lead the way to a blended culture in the
future. Through concentrated efforts of teaching literacy, providing
educational opportunities, and training for the workplace Hispanics can
become contributors to American society.
After analyzing the economic, social, and educational aspects of
the Hispanic community, society must have a better understanding of what
needs to be done to assimilate Hispanics into today's modern
business world. Before the business community can start the assimilation
into small business and entrepreneurship, one must first have an
understanding of the culture and pitfalls to be overcome in order to be
successful. By having this greater understanding, it will create better
workers for small to medium sized companies, as well as create
entrepreneurs.
REFERENCES
American Community Survey Profile
www.census.gov/acs/www/Products?profiles/Single/2002/ACS (March 12,
2004)
Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families. March 8, 2004,
Number increasing of Spanish-Speaking Students in State
www.aradvocates.org/newsroom/hispanicstudentrelease3.01.asp (March 12,
2004)
Arkansas School Information Site
www.as-is.org/search/search_enr.cgi? (April 5, 2004)
Brennan, Phil. March 15, 2004, www.newsmax.com/cgi-bin (March 22,
2004)
Business Week Online. Hispanics and the Bottom Rung.
www.businessweek.com:/print/bwdailey/dnflash/mar2004/nf20040321_3309_db079.htm (April 9, 2004)
Center for Women's Business Research. Hispanic Women-Owned
Businesses in the United States, 2002.
www.nfwbo.org/MinorityReports.html (April 8, 2004)
CNN.com. April 1, 2004. Latinos Lack Info on Tuition Assistance.
www.cnnfyi.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt? (April 9, 2004)
Cossman, Jeralynn S. And Edward L. Powers. Dynamics of Hispanic
Population Growth in Arkansas. Arkansas Business and Economic Review,
vol.32, No. 4, winter 2000 (March 12, 2004)
Facts for Features, U.S. Census Bureau
www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02ff15.html (March 12, 2004)
Free, Brenda. Personal Interview. March 29, 2004
Garcia, Guillermo X. Arkansas' Hispanic Population Jumps. USA
Today. March 12, 2001 www.ads.usatoday.com/news/census/ar.htm (March 12,
2004)
HispanicBusiness.com. National Center for Family Literacy and
Toyota Join Forces in Hispanic Literacy Initiative.
www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/news_print.asp?id=9613
Hispanic PR Wire. PepsiCo and NAHP Foundation Together to Support
Hispanic Higher Education.
www.hispanicprwire.com/print_in.php?id=2137&PHPESSID=71d4d671e06da1
559> (April 3, 2004)
Hispanics Have Good Reason to Embrace 'No Child Left
Behind.' www.hispanicprwire.com/print_in.php?id=2034 (April 3,
2004)
lasCulturas.com. Hispanic Women's Organization of Arkansas
www.lasculturas.com/pr/pr_Ark_wom.php (March 30, 2004)
Martinez, Andy. Winrock International. Telephone Interview. (March
30, 2004)
Ramirez, Roberto R. and G. Patricia de la Cruz. The Hispanic
Population in the United States: March 2002. U.S. Census Bureau (March
12, 2004)
Reno Gazette-Journal. Labor Tries to Reverse Old Way, Embrace
Hispanic Workers. www.rgj.com/news/printstory.php?id=62116 (April 3,
2004)
Simon, Phyllis. Technology Director Conway Public Schools.
Telephone Interview April 1, 2004
Terry, Michael; Justin Petrucelli; Josh Johnson; and Anna Embrey.
What are the Social, Cultural and Economic Effects of Hispanic Migration
into Arkansas? April 23, 2001 www.3sharks.com/atlas/82.html (March 30,
2004)
The Ledger Online. April 4, 2004. Kerry Leads Bush in National Poll
of Hispanic Voters. www.theleder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20040404&Category=APP&ArtNo=404 (April 9, 2004)
U.S. Census Bureau. American Fact Finder. Geographic Comparison.
www.factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsTable? (March 25, 2004)
U.S. Census Bureau. Census 2000. Current Population Reports,
p.20-545
U.S. Census Bureau. Profile of Selected Housing Characteristics.
www.factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsTable? (March 25, 2004)
U.S. Census Bureau. March 22, 2001. U.S. Businesses Owned by
Hispanics Top 1 Million.
www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-53.html (March 25, 2004)
U.S. Census Bureau. 1997 Surveys of Minority-and Women-Owned
Business Enterprises. www.census.gov/csd/mwb/Hispanicp.htm (March 12,
2004)
U.S. Department of Commerce News. June 18, 2003. Hispanic
Population Reaches All-Time High.
www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-100.html March 12, 2004)
U.S. Newswire. March 16, 2004. U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao
Announces National Hispanic Worker Initiative.
www.releases.usnewswire.com/printing.asp?id=136-03162004 (April 3, 2004)
Yantis, John. East Valley Tribune. Hispanic Workers Learning More
about Job Safety. www.aztrib.com/index.php?sty=19299 (April 3, 2004)
Zogby International. April 4, 2004. Kerry Leads in Poll of Latin Voters.
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=814 (April 9, 2004)
Don B. Bradley III, University of Central Arkansas
Leta Stuckey, University of Central Arkansas
Chart 1
U.S. Hispanic Population by Age
Less than 18 34.4%
18-64 60.5%
65 and Older 5.1%
Note: Table made from pie chart.
Chart 2
U.S. Hispanic Population Dispersion by Region
NorthEast 13.3%
MidWest 7.7%
South 34.8%
West 44.2%
Note: Table made from bar graph.
Chart 3
Arkansas Hispanic Population Dispersion by
Planning Development Region
Central 14.5%
East 8.2%
Northwest 34.9%
Southeast 5.3%
Southwest 9.4%
West 13.1%
West Central 11.1%
White River 3.5%
Note: Table made from bar graph.
Chart 4
2000 Arkansas Hispanic Population
Top 20 Cities
City Population
Springdale 9,005
Rogers 7,490
Ft. Smith 7,048
Little Rock 4,889
Fayetteville 2,821
DeQueen 2,225
Siloam Springs 1,518
North Little Rock 1,463
Hope 1,431
Hot Springs 1,358
Jonesboro 1,297
Forrest City 1,221
Jacksonville 1,012
Bentonville 1,198
Clarksville 1,178
Van Buren 1,147
Danville 1,040
Conway 983
Dardanelle 908
Greenland 902
Chart 5
2000 Arkansas Hispanic Population
Top 15 Counties
County Population
Benton 13,469
Washington 12,932
Pulaski 8,816
Sebastian 7,710
Sevier 3,107
Yell 2,691
Carroll 2,471
Garland 2,254
Hempstead 1,946
Crawford 1,743
Craighead 1,739
Johnson 1,527
Faulkner 1,509
St. Francis 1,431
White 1,264
Chart 6
Arkansas Hispanic Population Dispersion by
Planning Development Region
Central 14.5%
East 8.2%
Northwest 34.9%
Southeast 5.3%
Southwest 9.4%
West 13.1%
West Central 11.1%
White River 3.5%
Note: Table made from bar graph.
Chart 7
Conway Public School Enrollment
Grades 1-12 as of April 1,2004
Grade Total Enrollment Hispanic Students ESL Students
1 646 24 12
2 660 31 19
3 607 26 12
4 616 32 19
5 625 26 7
6 673 26 6
7 675 23 7
8 703 20 6
9 672 21 5
10 597 18 2
11 571 21 8
12 484 5 3
Totals 7,529 273 106
Chart 8
Percent Distribution of Hispanic-Owed
Firms by Industry Division: 1997
Agricultural services, forestry, fishing, and miring 3%
Construction 13%
Manufacturing 2%
Transportation, communications and public utilities 7%
Wholesale trade 3%
Retail trade 13%
Finance, insurance, and real estate 5%
Services 42%
Industries not classified 13%
Note: Table made from pie graph.
Chart 9
U.S. Hispanic Women-Owned Firms
Number of Firms Employment Sales ($M)
1997 337,708 234,591 27,319
2002 470,344 197,868 29,410