Homestead mailing list

[Marie McHarry <mmcharry AT gmail.com>]

On Mon, Apr 26, 2010 at 11:29 AM,  <Clansgian AT wmconnect.com> wrote:

> I've wondered what is happening in other parts of the country, but that
> tide here has receded conciderably.  At the neap we had a Hispanic radio
> station, Spanish language programs on several other stations, a large 
> number of
> 'tiendas' (stores specializing in Hispanic food and merchandise), two 
> Spanish
> language periodicals, large Hispanic sections in all the grocery stores, 'se
> habla' signs in most businesses, and it was a regular thing to be chatting
> with people in Spanish on almost every excursion from the farm.

The dearth of Spanish-speaking immigrants (of whatever nationality) is
nationwide according to everything I've read. Here in central Illinois
we have a permanent Spanish-speaking community in Beardstown, which
has a meat-processing plant. Chicago has had a large Hispanic
population as well (but then Chicago has a lot of things including the
largest concentrations of Poles outside Poland and thousands of
Russian Jews).
>
> Now all that is largely gone coinciding with the recession.  Too bad.  Of
> all the groups of people who have sojourned here among us in these remote
> mountains, I have definately preferred the Hispanics.

As much as you can generalize about any community, Hispanics tend to
be hardworking, family- and community-oriented people.

Marie