Cultural Diversity (Reno: landscaping, construction, elementary schools)

[spiritbear928]

I want to be as non-bigoted and politically correct as possible in asking this. Oregon has become a hotbed for mexican immigrants (documented and undocumented). It is almost to the point that in some towns being bilingual is expected. I have nothing against the mexican people but I do feel like a minority in many of the Willamette Valley towns. The influx is causing problems here. Not so much because of mexican heritage but overcrowding and too much change too fast.

Is Reno experiencing the same affect? Is the hispanic population growing at such a rate that one must be fluent in spanish?

I am trying hard not to offend anyone with the question. Anyone dare to shed some light on this?

Thanks

[jwaters943]

This is bound to get ugly, but I appreciate your careful phrasing. The answer to your question is yes. Washoe County has a hispanic population of 16%, and growing rapidly. Nevada as a whole has a 25% hispanic/latino population as of last year.

[scirocco22]

I agree with jwater's 25% figure.

And from several news articles in local papers, Nevada's Hispanic population is growing at nearly twice the pace of the overall population. It's mainly because they are drawn to the state because of the relative abundance of jobs mainly in construction, landscaping, gaming and agriculture and the Reno area is no exception to this pattern.

[redwhiteblue]

YES it is very much like that in Reno, I can't believe how many jobs want you to be bilingual.I lived in Northern CA (outside Sac) and think there is a higher percentage of Spanish speaking folk here and that's saying something coming from CA!

[oregonchickfan]

Originally Posted by spiritbear928

I want to be as non-bigoted and politically correct as possible in asking this. Oregon has become a hotbed for mexican immigrants (documented and undocumented). It is almost to the point that in some towns being bilingual is expected. I have nothing against the mexican people but I do feel like a minority in many of the Willamette Valley towns. The influx is causing problems here. Not so much because of mexican heritage but overcrowding and too much change too fast.

Is Reno experiencing the same affect? Is the hispanic population growing at such a rate that one must be fluent in spanish?

I am trying hard not to offend anyone with the question. Anyone dare to shed some light on this?

Thanks

Thats interesting. My Grandparents live in Springfield, and my Grandpa gripes about how it's been taken over. I live and work in the Reno North Valleys area. The company I work for employs approx. 80 people, of those 80, 50 are hispanic. Many of which cannot speak English, spanish is heard everywhere.

[LYF]

I just read in today's newspaper that the Hispanic community constitutes 30% of the Reno community in which 80% of this 30% speaks Spanish only. Based on my interactions with random people in the public, this seems to be true.

[verynicebecky]

It has gotten to the point to where I don't understand what is being said (due to accent) when I go into some fast food places and I find it somewhat intimidating. To the OP..this is a National concern. I moved from Nevada to NW OK/SW KS in 1989 and watched the population of Dodge City, KS explode rapidly, due to the number of Hispanic ppl joining it's ranks.

HispanicTips » » Hispanics make up the majority of USD 443’s students - Dodge City, Kansas - (elementary schools are 80% Hispanic)