Midday; Migrant Farm Workers

Station KSL like a Xcel tea serving central Minnesota and Rochester on UHF channel 41 and 47. This is Minnesota Public Radio a member supported service. This is K S J end 13:30 Minneapolis St. Paul and k n s r. FM eighty eight point nine Collegeville St. Cloud. It's 12:00 noon. We welcome you back to this portion of midday Danielson reporting in St. Paul with my guest Jose 3 hold the executive director of the Spanish speaking Council in Minnesota. And we'll be getting to a conversation with Mr. Trey hall in about 15 minutes because we will be talking about the history and present day circumstances of the Spanish speaking people in Minnesota. But before we get to that we have a report from John B one on migrant workers in the St. James area. And we should mention to all of you that Minnesota Public Radio's coverage of rural issues is made possible by a major grant from the bland and foundation. Every year thousands of

Hispanic migrant workers come north to Minnesota to work in farm fields weeding and picking crops. Most of them return home in the fall to Florida or Texas but a growing number are staying in Minnesota taking year round jobs buying homes. Settling down and slowly changing the faces of some small towns towns that until recently were virtually all white. One such town is St. shame's in southwestern Minnesota. John be one of our main street radio team visited St. James and prepared this report. Where do we going to paint it all. Well maybe fix inside in a painted painted inside because it will that. Javier Flores is putting a coat of dark brown paint on his family's house on the northwestern edge of St. James St. James is a town of forty five hundred people about two hours southwest of the Twin Cities. Javier Flores is in his early 30s. His wife Maria is 27. They got jobs last February at the Tony downs food processing plant in St. James. They and their five children

aged 2 to 13 decided to stay and they bought this house in June. The Flores's have lived in other southern Minnesota towns for four years. Before that they were migrant workers. We used to come every year over what done to work on the expired seals and then you know from there and then from the company. And then from there went to New wheels to go back to where we live what we did to the floor as our one of an estimated 70 Hispanic families who now live permanently in St. James making up between five and 10 percent of the town's population. John Dela Cruz is a human resource developer at the St. James office of the Minnesota Migrant Council a nonprofit group that helps migrants get schooling and permanent jobs. The Migrant Council has helped most of St. James Hispanics settle in the town Dela Cruz says about 20 Hispanic families have come to town in the last year because of the factor working a lot of them are getting tired of migrants tree and

they would like to get some permanent units there year round. And we haven't the job Saint James has for migrant workers are mostly at Tony downs and swift rich two companies that process meat and other foods and employ about 500 workers in St. James. Officials at both companies declined to be interviewed for this story but the migrant Council's Dela Cruz estimates that the two employ about 100 Hispanics at their plants in St. James and two nearby towns wages at Tony downs and swift decorates start in the four to five dollar range. And there's a shortage of workers in the area to fill such jobs. The unemployment rate in OUAT in one county is less than three percent but Dela Cruz says the Migrant Council has no trouble finding southern Hispanics willing to fill the jobs. Well in Texas right now there is nothing as far as work. A lot of them have come here they come from. I'll pass. The vibe is they call it which is down more southern part of Texas.

And every time they come here they do say there's taxes. It's worse. And they know that if they come down here they're going to find something. And for migrants willing to endure Minnesota winters year round jobs in a place like St. James offer a chance to settle down. We you know my husband I talked about him say well you know we're tired just working in the fields all the time you know waking up so early you know the weather and you always have to work clean it to muddy when it's cold winter you know. So Irma Cari own her husband Jose and their four children have lived in St. James for two and a half years. Irma and Jose worked at the Tony downs plant. Irma CARREON says before the Minnesota Migrant Council convinced them to settle in St. James the family lived the migrant life for 10 years traveling state by state with the fieldwork. She says the family had a home in Brownsville Texas but spent only a few months a year there.

My oldest kid is from Florida. Well said Eunice from Florida. Freddy is from Ohio Fremont Ohio and Tony is from Toledo Ohio everybody from Texas. I mean that's where they were. Yeah yeah. So now you know. We settle down here for a while. The current ones live in their own mobile home in a St. James trailer park on the inside the car EON's trailer looks like a typical Midwestern middle class home except for a couple of Mexican trinkets on a glass shelf. There's an entertainment center with a TV and VCR. The current ones watch the Spanish language channel on cable the local cable company included the channel in its offerings at the request of the Minnesota Migrant Council. If you don't get a few niceties yet on this Spanish language TV is especially important to Jose Carreon who doesn't speak much English. Erma says the family has been well accepted by white people in St. James but in a small town that's 95 percent white and English speaking she says each new

Hispanic arrival helps them feel a little more at home. You know we see more people coming in we don't always buy we always say hi to them we tell them when did you get here where you work in it and then they tell us and they give their phone number in this and then then we get to meet him more and more and more we get to mean more and more people you know. Not only here in St. James we have people we meet Frank fair and we've got a you know a lot of people on that we know that. There we go up there to their house and saying Jane where Saint James is just one of several small Minnesota towns with growing Hispanic communities among the others or Crookston Wilmer Glencoe and blooming prairie. While farming towns with field work to attract migrant workers in the summer and factory jobs to keep them year round. In 1980 there were 16000 Hispanics in rural Minnesota. More recent figures aren't available but it's generally assumed that figure has gone up substantially. Slowly Hispanics are changing the

flavor of small town Minnesota. Mexican dances are becoming common summer occurrences in southern Minnesota. This one complete with a Tex-Mex band was held at a ballroom in man Cato a half hour from St. James. About 150 Hispanics came from miles around. When you look at. The dancers promenade and spin around the dance floor sometimes entire families together including small children. They move in Mexican and Caribbean steps not ordinarily seen in these parts. Tom Garza and his wife Rosa made the 50 mile drive to the dance from blooming prairie. They say their families did summer migrant work in Minnesota for years but now they've settled here and work year round in an AU Aton a factory when I was you know it

just teenagers. Back then there was nothing like that you know. Oh I've just met migrants coming down to work and then I kind of you know but back then there were hardly any dance floor you know nothing like that and the only thing was going on with softball and all of that. But nowadays you know I have had a good common end and there have been a lot of dances just like this one here. That's. Got you know really pretty good. This dance was organized by Nino progresses. He slipped in man Cato for more than 10 years he directs minority enrollment at the man Cato area Vocational Technical Institute and also has a Spanish language radio show once a week on demand cable stations where there's a Hispanic people always their own are looking for. He called her all girls for the food but the you know the

entertainment kind of like the music. Tonight anything in other families other migrants. They would look for each other to have to get together and things like that. Of course it isn't just their shared language and culture that makes Hispanics in small farm belt towns tend to hang together. There's also the fact of being a small minority in otherwise white communities though in St. James by all accounts racial problems are minor. One hears of racially motivated fighting in town 15 or 20 years ago during an earlier Hispanic in-migration. But apparently those days are gone. Irma CARREON says the worst signs of prejudice she hears of involve name calling in school a lot of kids do the Mexican kids so that their wetback So the Mexican kids get mad because we know. Well they're not web bags but you know they you know they heard their freedom saying that their web back together that way back you know that there's some kids that I heard that you know that they've been

having problems that other kids call them that they're with in school or something like that but with my kids I haven't had problems you know about that with us or anything. Well John Della Cruz of the Minnesota Migrant Council downplays the race problems in St. James. He grew up and graduated from high school 15 miles away and made Delia his family was among the first migrants to settle in the area in the early 50s. He says the area's Hispanic population has fluctuated over the years with the ups and downs of the Texas economy and he says Considering that the current wave of Hispanic settlers is the largest in 20 years it's not surprising to hear of occasional name calling by young people. You know all of these centers is big massive Hispanic kids coming into this town and you know and everybody's wondering you know where they come from and you know why you come in. You know and it's a whole new generation of people who are seeing this and it's a whole new ball game for most of the Hispanic students in St. James or in the elementary grades. Jim Andrew Jack who's been an elementary principal in town for 20 years says he

doesn't consider race a problem in his school or in town. A few instances isolated instances over the years but no real problem least kids come in and they assimilate real fast. Our kids get used to them because we have so many of them here and they make friends just as fast and many else Erma CARREON says the whites that she had her husband work with at the food processing plant have been kind and helpful. Besides she says any problems associated with being a minority are far outweighed by the advantages of living in Minnesota. One of the main ones is the education her kids are getting in an all English speaking environment she says in Texas. The kids didn't learn much English because Spanish is spoken in school like we're treated. I just went in ninth grade. My husband just a third grade so I told my kids do you always want to be working in the fields like us. You know I always you know working when it's raining cold you go no well you've got to study and try to do something when you grow up in you know get a good job you know get something better.

So that's the good thing about here they've got good schools really good schools. OK. Is she eating. She beat us you know. Yes. OK. What is he washing. He's what he was he says he did a super job and now we have to go to the writing part. Patty Hoffman is the English as a second language instructor in the St. James schools. She's assessing second grader Javier Flores is in English proficiency. The boy by the way is the son of the Javier Flores we met earlier painting his house until three years ago St. James didn't have an ESL instructor. They were just a handful of Hispanics in the school and most of their families had been in town for years. But with the recent settling of former migrant workers in town this year there are about 30 Hispanic kids getting extra help with their English teacher Paddy Hoffman says

while Hispanic kids benefit from being in an English speaking school. Their presence is good for white kids too. To me this seems like a real cultural advantage to St. James students. I mean there are times when they have to they probably get a little less teacher time because sometimes the students require more help. But I think it's a marvelous opportunity for them to become at least somewhat acquainted with another. Another culture another way of looking at things. Spanish It turns out is one of the most popular electives among white students at St. James high school Spanish replace German three years ago as the only foreign language offered in the curriculum. The migrant Council's John Dela Cruz says he and others are proof that Hispanics can live permanently and happily in rural Minnesota. He expects that at least some of the migrants who settled in St. James in the last year or two will put down roots as he has Irma and Jose CARREON and their four children all say they want to stay in St. James. Jose JR plays on the eighth grade football basketball and

baseball teams and says he has lots of friends here now Irma and Jose Sr. are building seniority at the Tony downs plant and soon both will be making five fifty five an hour. You know we have this trailer and we're planning to buy a house too. So. So maybe you know let's see what the Wilcott is but for our planning want to stay here. I'm John B-1 in St. James. Fifteen minutes now past twelve o'clock you're listening to midday on Minnesota Public Radio Danielson with you in St. Paul with my guest Jose 300 the executive director of the Spanish speaking Affairs Council in Minnesota. Will say as we listen to that visit to the families in St. James you and I were listening to John B once report and you were commenting on a couple of things including the importance of the economy as you think it affects those families moving and why is that so important. First of all the economy works both ways in the school issue. The first part is that the economy in Texas is really bad and has been bad since the oil crisis

as the economy continues to deteriorate people are forced to find other jobs find other places. If you're the primary reason for migrants come in and settle in Minnesota is because of employment opportunities. And the second reason is education. The other thing that is happening is that while in Minnesota smaller towns are. Are being depopulated you know that people are moving into the urban areas. Migrants are coming in and providing a new economic base. This lady was saying she's going to buy a new house. As you know housing sales in small towns are really low and you must have people in order to maintain your economy. He's the he's manic migrants coming in are actually improving the economy of the small towns. I want to pursue that in just a moment as I give out the telephone number that listeners can call to join us in this conversation about factors affecting the lives of the Spanish speaking people in Minnesota these days and our guest is Jose trail. You can call us in the Twin Cities at two to seven six thousand two to

seven 6000. If you have a question for our guest listeners outside the twin cities within Minnesota can call us on our toll free line there's no charge for this telephone call at 1 800 6 5 to ninety seven hundred one eight hundred sixty five to ninety seven hundred. And in the Twin Cities two to seven 6000. That report from John B when Jose made it sound as though things are going fairly smoothly. No great indication that there is still a large rupture of relations between the Spanish speaking or the white community in a town such as St. James. Is it going as smoothly as that a report portrayed in any depends on the towns in St James in Albert Lea. Things are going pretty smooth simply because of the fact that he spends have been moving into the area for the last 20 or 30 years in the city of all believe he's planning to move into the city and become permanent residents all Early's in one thousand forties. However in other towns who are the Hispanics have not moved in large

numbers or have not moved in at all. We have some serious problems. One of the things that comes to mind is that the city of Wilmar whether or not he did not have his money population and is not he has fifteen hundred Hispanics. This is a very sizeable increase in a very short period of time. People are not accustomed to the dramatic change that this can bring about and therefore problems are bound to surface. Is it your impression that a lot of the Hispanics moving into these communities St. James Albert Lee Wilmer wherever will stay. Definitely I think that the Hispanics have been moving to Minnesota for the last. Almost a hundred years and more and many of them will stay resettlement is a very difficult process to come into a strange environment in medium language alien culture makes a very difficult hybrid the desire to improve your life desired to get a better education and it is sire to have steady work. That's over the way you overcome those fears and frustrations.

I can imagine the economic opportunities for a Hispanic family coming to St. James as you point out some housing prices in portions of greater Minnesota are relatively low. They could probably afford to buy a house on a $5 an hour wage in some portions of Minnesota. I can imagine the economic problems they face trying to move to a Minneapolis and St. Paul are quite different. Yes the are the far more difficult. However there is also on the other side of the coin it's also more support systems for the people moving to the Nablus Isabeau there is more social service agencies. There is greater opportunities for employment which is going to be somewhat higher. It is more difficult for a person in the music area to become homeowners for example. So put some numbers to the migration of the Hispanics coming to Minnesota what does it look like in terms of 10 or 20 years. There is three factors affecting the migration to Minnesota. The first one is the immigration that is immigration from the southwest from Central and South America from Mexico and other Latin American countries.

This immigration numbers are quite high they've been high for the last 10 or 15 years. The second factor that affects Minnesota's population is the fact that many communities median ages 19 years wages compared to 31 for the majority population. We have a far greater percentage of women in childbearing years and then deny he's been in population. And the third factor is that we have a larger than average average birth rates 3.6 compared to 1.9. You know if you take those factors together in look at the growth there's going to be a Baulch of Hispanics coming up that are presently in elementary schools as St. James to report indicates that our children a lot of them in elementary schools in some schools in St. Paul we have a 30 to 40 percent he's been to population rate already. Looking down the road we can see your population doubling in the next 10 or 15 years from what to from fifty two thousand one hundred ten thousand.

So this is clearly the largest bulge in Hispanic migration history in Minnesota at the present time it is yes we have had other ball just in the past but this one had been one for about 20 years but this one is the largest in the last 20 years. I recall meeting families as I said to you who I think moved to the shock area in the early 20s when there were jobs there so obviously the Hispanic migration has a rather long history in Minnesota. The first Hispanic to run in Minnesota came in 1986. And ever since then we have had waves of immigration coming depending on the economic conditions outside of Minnesota depending on political conditions. And in 1920 we had a large influx of people fleeing the Mexican Revolution. At the present time we have a large influx of people fleeing the problems in Central and South America. The time is about 20 minutes past 12 o'clock we're visiting with our guest in the studio Jose Trey hall the executive director of the Spanish speaking Affairs Council in Minnesota and we're inviting your questions the telephone number in the Twin Cities 6:58 6000

there are a couple of lines open 6:58 6000 listeners outside the twin cities within Minnesota. No charge for this call at 1 800 6 5 to ninety seven hundred and we'll go to our first caller Hello you're on the air. Yes and in clear back in the 40s when they stopped offering German and I scoffed after two years of Latin I took a year of Spanish and got a pen pal in Bogota Colombia. I'm wondering how widespread the acceptance is of Spanish as a foreign language in Minnesota. My other observation is that there are neighborhoods in same problem that seems to be where Spanish beeping speaking people sort of hang together and that's understandable but is there some kind of a ghetto effect in my final comment is hoppin ploy or be sure that Hispanic that they're thinking about employing is illegal

immigrant. Again Spanish is an answer to your question Spanish is becoming a very important in popular language in Minnesota. It is replacing German in many instances according to the World of Work Institute in order for a person to succeed in the future they must be trilingual he was able to speak Spanish English and computer. And we are contributing to at least this tiny chance of it. The answer to your second question about the money where the majority of the people live in the same Paul. While the ledgers concentration of Hispanics is in St. Paul's west side the majority in terms of numbers live outside of the west side most people most people believe that all Hispanics in the west side is not through the greatest concentration is the one thing about the concentration that it does is that it permits for the. Concentration of services concentration of. Grocery stores and so on and so the Westside becomes a magnet for the rest of the community.

We have individuals in the Twin Cities living all over the all over the cities and going into the Westside to purchase food items or to go to the Catholic Church or to go to other kind of service is very very important for always a sense of identity. It reduces getaways Setian to the degree that he's penny population has been mobile and has moved to other parts of the city. It is not concentrating just in that area and on that issue of the employer which is one of the questions I wanted to pose to you as well about how one can be assured whether an employee being hired is is has a legal status. No one can be can be assured 100 percent first of all it is it is incumbent upon the employer to ask the question whether or not the person is here legally and the person who provides the documentation. It's basically it's on that person if that person provides false documentation Runkle the documentation all the thing deploring has to do is ask is that going to be

provided. All right let's go back to the telephone for some other questions and it's your turn to go ahead please. I'm concerned that we spend a lot of time in Southwest Texas where the Hispanics. You know want to have Spanish as the main language. You know this problem of culture assimilation. And they also the other thing with the tight job market. They're going to be taking jobs away from you know Americans. So they're coming over the border. The other thing is the crime rate is the highest in the United States in the area they're coming from are they going to bring that to St. Paul Minnesota. This is a very interesting comments that we get quite often. First of all lend language the United States is the only industrialized country in the world that considers a person to be educated speaks only one language. No other country believes this. Most other countries speak more than one language into a series of educating to be monolingual is no longer

plausible in the to end it into the 21st century. Secondly English is the most important language there is as far as international trade and commerce it will be wrong for Hispanics to maintain only Spanish. However it will be greatly essential for them to be bilingual not only in Spanish but also in English. The question about people coming in and taking jobs. If this was true why are 200 Hispanics employed in Tony downs when the person in the case and says it that they they come in and provide a labor force. Welcome to local people are not working there because many nice local people are willing to perform this type of jobs. They have better jobs or they have they are not to work in those kind of conditions. The Hispanic community has provided a tremendous economic base to the state without migratory workers. We will not know agriculture will not exist the way this is now.

And then finally in your comment about crime we always believe that newcomers create crime or crime waves. I have read letters in the historical society when people complain about the Polish they complain about the Italians they complain about the Swedes they complain about some every other group. It's a very common factor. Every any time we have a new new group of individuals coming in that their new group is blamed for everything that happens in the community the $5 an hour wage. That is a starting wage in Minnesota that I presume is somewhat higher than Hispanic migrant workers might find in many other parts of the country. That's absolutely true. $5 a starting wage and in Minnesota the Magen which is three thirty five an hour at the present time so making $5 and I was hired as long as 20 years ago we were being told that migratory workers the migrant workers who come to hole and we didn't pick fruits and vegetables in Minnesota

would not be part of the scene 20 years later. But they're still here. Is that are their numbers diminishing. Is the trend clear that someday there will not be migrant workers. The numbers have diminished that we have had at one time very large numbers coming through recently because of mechanization and the use of herbicides. There has been a decrease in the actual number of migratory workers Hiver might go through as a loss of income to the verse of phi in the areas in which they work. Now they begin they're beginning to work in the backing food industry and they're beginning to work in other related areas that did not not work at one time. There is always going to be a need for some type of readily accessible labor whether the labor counts from southern Texas or it comes from rural Minnesota it is making a difference and it is always going to be there for a readily accessible source of labor that can be available in a moment's notice when you need to pick crops when you need to the seasonal type work. That is a reason migrants are here now

because they are needed. Let's go back to the telephone for another question for our guest Jose today hold the executive director of the Spanish speaking Affairs Council in Minnesota and it's your turn Go ahead please. Hello go ahead. You have great admiration for many for the Hispanic people and their culture in most ways but there is one aspect that I think many of us share. Some fear of and that is the hype birthrate to Latin America and Hispanic people generally have ended. If they do not as they come here if I feel if they do not lower their birth rate to match ours they will in time. Create the same problems in this country as it. Is in the countries they plan to actually go in for itself. This world is already bursting at the seams with people. Thank you. The Hispanic community has cancer Additionally had a higher than average birth rate in fact in the world white populations people of color in number the local white

population. This is a common fact and it will continue to be a factor into the next century. Trying to deal with birth rates of trying to bring about change is one of the best contribution to lowering the birth rate is going to be economic. If people are not able to afford to take care of their children they're going to be going to reduce their birth rate. It is when he's Benny's have come into United States and have looked at other things that they would like to have for example higher education housing all those other things those sort of expensive items to have. So the younger Hispanics are beginning to see the need to lower large family sizes large families as are very common in the Negra cultural society if you look at America's inner culture society back in the 1920s and 30s you will see the same high birth rates.

Back to the telephone for another guest and it's your turn Go ahead please. Thank you Mr. Trudeau. I'm wondering why people think that just because you speak Spanish that you're not a citizen of the United States. And one of the sad truths of people going to start changing a lot of the migrant workers that come to Minnesota. Citizens of this country even don't get it just at first language that the United States has had always a very myopic attitude towards languages and what is American speaking English does not necessarily translate into being patriotic. Many Hispanic individuals went to fight for this country without speaking a word of English we found we're in some Medal of Honor winners who fought and died for this country and never spoke a word of English so English and truth ism is not synonymous. Secondly it is critically important for people in this country to understand that the knowledge of language is essential for the growth of the United States. The more languages we know the more languages we can speak in this

country the better off economically we're going to be in the international world markets. Back to the telephone for another question and it's your turn. Go ahead please. Yes I had a two part question. I was wondering whether the different agencies that offer support services for the Hispanic community. And the second part would be how would anybody get involved with this agency. First of all there are some agencies in the Hispanic going to the provide services or provide education liberal programs or provide other things that he's Benny's need to become a more viable participant is in our society. The best way to contact or get ahold of is agencies either through the local or look at church contacting or office the Spanish speaking Affairs Council at irregular 6 1 2 2 9 6 9 5 8 7. We do have a directory of agencies providing services for the for the community that we can provide you with telephone numbers of agencies they

can provide particular services you may be interested in. Jose has just given out the telephone number for his office. The Spanish speaking Affairs Council and that area code was 6 1 2. The telephone number was 2 9 6 9 5 8 7 and will give that telephone number out once before the end of the program too. That's not our telephone number here for our calls that we're taking We do have the toll free line open momentarily. The other lines are busy at the moment. The toll free number for those of you outside the Twin Cities is 1 800 6 5 to ninety seven hundred. Back to the phone and your question please go ahead. Start off the top story. To North Dakota I worked with a young couple they had adopted a daughter from Colombia because they couldn't have any more children and she was trying to teach the child some Spanish and I worked on the farm so sit there at the table and the grandmother made a comment about

people in the country should learn to speak English but use it in Norwegian. Just a little different. The only cultural differences I think are in any way I'd like to ask question about now. I've lived in Mexico and also worked with migrant workers and I don't really find the languages and cultures always to be the same and maybe I could comment a little but on the differences among some of the between immigrants and people coming up you're from Texas. Now hang up here. This is true that there are cultural differences within Latin American countries also there is some variable variables in dialects and language differences. However the underlying process is that language is very very unifying factor. Many of the people that come from taxes in other parts of the United States speak Spanish. Some of them do not. People coming from Latin America may speak different Spanish dialects and may have slightly

different cultural traditions and cultural patterns. But the most important thing is that as individuals come into this country the majority of them learn quite early in life the importance of being fluent in English and the importance that this places in this country. So what the Hispanic community is doing in effect is contributing not only by bringing in the reinforcement of learning a foreign language or another language but at the same time by understanding the importance of speaking in English very well. Back to the telephone for another question and it's your turn to go ahead please. My question also is concerning language. I belong to U.S. English which is a. That is lobbying to have English become the official language of the United States in state and

federal Constitution. And the head of that organization is a Hispanic woman Linda Chavez. I don't I wouldn't say that I oppose people maintaining their native languages when they go anywhere but I have two concerns and one is that the people who come here and who are channeled into the second language programs in schools and some of them speak perfect English. But they will never really gain a good enough grasp of English in order to progress. And in our upwardly mobile society take advantage. Just those things and the other thing that concerns me is that with any language there's a certain tradition cultural legal and political tradition and that I think what makes the United States a desirable place to come is our legal and political

tradition which is English. I think it's important that that be maintained. All right let's give Jose a chance to respond to the two concerns you've raised. You know as the legal and political tradition has become English most people don't understand it at one time to Minnesota Constitution was also written French and French and German and other languages were spoken throughout Minnesota recently as in 100 50s and 60s we had German newspapers and other pollution region newspapers and so on. English has become a predominant language in the United States. Only in the last 20 or 30 years he has not been traditionally that way in the past. As a man I was indicating the mother the grandmother spoke in the region. The fact that we have English anonymous with the United States is kind of interest in is an interesting historical sidelight the most important

aspect of any culture it is language. If I want to become a viable contributing member of this is science it is incumbent upon me to learn his language and to learn its traditions and its culture at the same time if I want to be a viable participant in my own society and in my own culture then I must be able to maintain those things. The reason we or agency has opposed making English the official language is that he has a lot of other ramifications verifications that are very crucial and very critical to this country. First of all there's going to be a tendency to The emphasize the studying of foreign languages. Secondly in areas where there is a need for people to be informed and to so they can participate as equal citizens in this country information that is needed by them to be good citizens will be not provided by them like for example by legal ballots and the right to vote and other things that are very essential in a democratic process. And we are in effect denying this

individual simply because you don't speak the language. Full participation in the American political system the best way to encourage this participation is to allow them to participate in then at the same time and say to these individuals if you really want to get into it far better than what you are doing now you must learn the language. Would you think who would you favor. Even more stringent requirements that there be much less equivocation on the part of public schools in Minnesota about how they shall provide English as a second language or Spanish speaking programs that in fact they should require that on a more on a more regular and common basis that that there should be bilingual ballots that there should be other kinds of bilingual recognition in the state. I think it's very important to recognize the fact that there is more languages than just English. One of things that I find interesting is that we have been in St. Paul is a Spanish language immersion program in which not his many children go to the program and go to the program and learn everything in Spanish. At first it was a lot of opposition to it and

people felt that this was wrong. However Now if you talk to the children that are but not he says many children to participate in this program will find a tremendous amount of emphasis and liking of this type of program. As far as other services bilingual services if we're talking about equality and we believe there are countries based on equality then we must provide the kind of information that the individuals need in order to burst dissipate on an equal basis in the society whether it's bilingual ballots English sign each in the transportation systems or other things. We have a very simple process in our office that we recommend in which. For example if you have a notice of governmental notice that impacts on the person's education and economic status whatever that does notas have a short sentence printed in foreign languages says this information is very important to you. Please have someone translate it for you. Simple simple days later recognizes that not

everybody is fluent in English. All right we have about 15 minutes remaining in our conversation with Jose today hold the executive director of the Spanish speaking Affairs Council in Minnesota and we'll go to you next your question please. I don't miss you yet. I bet I have a great. Right. OK. I think getting that right. I'm glad you asked those questions because we are having some difficulties in the art area. He's Penney card has not been fully recognized and of in the West. Even so the United States here in Washington D.C. had to meet your art program last year on

Chicano art at the Corcoran Gallery in though was very well received and so on in the middle as it hasn't been any efforts by major arts groups dealing with art art and culture. The latest effort was at the Walker Art Center when they had a guy say they were not. And also Leo Leo and Lena. Those are the those of the very few examples of art in the Midwest. Secondly there is a group of artists in St. Paul and in Minneapolis and it has been conducting a series of lectures on arts and culture based that center called it on Chicano in Minneapolis and the Minnesota human ideas commission. And compas. He had provided some funding for this program so we are beginning to become more involved in the mainstream arts area. However the majority of major art institutions still do not look at his many cards as a viable

entity. Let's continue on with our next caller and it's your turn to ask a question go ahead please. I just wondered if there was any indication that with the establishment of this Stanek population that there is there any other professionals or skill systemic to. The as there is in fact that we have far more skilled professionals than ever before in Minnesota in the last few years. We have and have had a very large influx of people from Central and South America in many of these individuals who have come with high skills. There is a national There is a national association of Mexican professionals headquarter in Minnesota of all places. We have people that are lawyers doctors educators and so unfortunately the tendency for Minnesotans is to look only at the individual and at the migratory labor.

Is there some indication do you think that should peace break out in Guatemala El Salvador or wherever in Central America and for that matter if political conditions in some South American country should stabilize become more open. That in fact what we're seeing as a trend line upward in Minnesota for Spanish speaking some of those people will head back to countries where they where they are native to. There's no doubt that some people will head back but the majority will have established roots by that time one of the things that we find very interesting here is that the more individuals that come into this country from the educated segment so that there are societies it becomes easier to develop good relationships with those countries and in the future in this individuals become very good ambassadors to the United States and become excellent liaison between United States in their respective countries. From 52000 Currently you said Spanish speaking people in Minnesota to as many as

100000 by when in the next lighted turn of the century. We'll go back to the telephone and our next caller it's your turn. Go ahead please don't tell me I have a comment on a totally unrelated question. I really like that I'd say yeah why not the ballot to her wherever that someone Spanish and maybe others say that structures are very important. If you don't understand English Please get somebody to translate it for you rather than having 6 different languages all written up there. Such a camera or something. That's right question for stickers to come out us. Pardon my pronunciation. Can you tell me what they pleased. This is a very common phrase in Latin American cultures the means of many callers. Traditionally Hispanics are in many colors. The

Hispanic community can be acquired or a Caucasian blue eyes and blonde all the way to black. And so we have everybody in between. Not all hispanics are dark skinned and all Hispanics are light skin. We have a large variety when we mean by day we mean inclusion of all people of all races of all groups and of all nationalities ask what that means and is comes from a song that talks about although there's a children's song that talks about all the different corners of the rainbow and how we are so much like it. Back to the telephone for another caller and it's your turn for a question go ahead please. Yes good afternoon. Computer Support language for the Knicks. My question is if there are then I program for developing products and therefore to scope out the

portrait prepared and recording it. We don't have any specific organized program at the present time to deal with the computer language input it training. What I was referring to was a fact that the cord into the room and the world are working in New York City. They believe that the learning of three languages will make a person very viable in the future and then being computer being one of them. There is a program however that does provide with assistance for people who want to get into the computer field even though he doesn't teach computer languages Brissie. This program has the Hispanic education program and he's been a good education program provides scholarships counseling in other technical assistance for individuals who are interested in getting to the technical and professional fields. Back to the telephone another caller and it's your turn for a question go ahead. Okay. I was wondering with permits relocation on migrant community to feel that. Different programs become

obsolete. They may in the long run but not at the present time in the near future it is this different migrant programs will become very critical and very important because they are the first line or the first. Place of assistance for people they also are serving in an excellent way is between intermediaries and liaison between the migrant communities and in America and communities. The Minnesota Migrant Council for example has provided involvement in assistance in the areas where migrants have been settling in the past. This program will continue to be very viable programs. We don't expect to have resettlement and in the near future this is going to continue. You know I mean we can't expect to have all the Latin American peoples come in people from all the people from Texas come and move into Minnesota in the next 10 years I mean that's going to continue for a long long time to come. So I believe that this program is going to continue to be viable because there's always going to be a need for them back to the telephone and another

question it's your turn go ahead. Yes. It seems to me that. The Aztecs are already speaking one European language Spanish. Is your PM language and the European 16 here. They didn't adopt the indigenous language. Summations on the shores. And it seems like a dichotomy. It it seems that it's rather heavy handed. All right Jose you want to react to then. Well I think that it's not unusual for groups to adopt languages and the constants from other groups I'm sure that didn't originate Sikkim your adopted English deportee Sikkim here adopted English were they still maintain in the region and in full each languages in their native countries. There's not a new usual thing to happen. The other thing

that is very interesting here in world history. Head for example. The United States not been settled by the English we are probably speaking Dutch. Well we're probably speaking French or something else or we will also be speaking Spanish at one time. Minnesota portions of Minnesota belong to Spain so that all of you know the reason we speak in English is only a feat of history is not the God given right back to the telephone another caller with a question and it's your turn. Oh I have quite a few things that I'm interested in quickly. One would be out of context that's trying to get sufficient program. Another one of keys or a place where we can get the facts if you've been talking about you know reasons why Bush allow people to continue with Spanish as much as we do and then maybe at a personal level I'm a Spanish learner and make Cato wonder how I could get exposure. I could meet more Spanish people encourage them to practice. Okey I don't have all the phone numbers right at the bottom I think it is right now but if you will conduct your

office it recourses 1 2 2 9 6 9 5 8 7 we can provide you with that information you need is in relation to the Hispanic education program and some of the background information on learning English and English is a second language program. All right. Another caller with a question and it's your turn. Well I don't have a clarification on a bumper sticker. Congress calling recently there are some bumper stickers around town for that Chris. Unity which does mean of many colors but it is a Christian. But given that people don't want him there a little crying your heart. So there are two day Cloris version bumper stickers. How do we know which is which shows saying we don't do it. No we don't mean the same thing you know you have to take it on faith and instantly back to the telephone in a question yours please. But you know Mr. to hold up what I can do and what opportunities and rights to that American adopted children have a good country

and second how can I adopt it can help their children to keep going to go up to heaven. Thank you. In Minnesota we have developed we have passed a minority here at its preservation. This provides for the maintenance of culture and language by adopting children from Latin American countries. Black in American Indian children this datum and this data liches later felt the importance of the need to maintain this culture is and is traditions on adopted children. Particularly if they come from other countries or are Native American or black seconding that is here you know that our programs throughout the United States and also in Minnesota they will assist parents for example to his home society in St. Paul has a program there will as his parents in learning about how to maintain the culture the language and traditions so that adopted

children there is a parents group in Minnesota also that has adopted like American children. We have one time one color left for question for our guest was a tray hall and it's your turn go ahead. I'll take I want to commenting to think samey said that they are more opportunity for me and Michael for the people that want to be my friend and that my part and I wonder why the same opportunity and crying some more. Everyone to come in peace ever to pay for that because things are going to see that they were PSR became They have been there to being decent and we spent a week and continue to put so much emphasis thing expanding. And I want to comment on the Celeste thing safe. He sees us almost a century seems to be

a POS came up to see if this kind of time they let him any kind of concrete How is this fair word right now. Sorry say they said that they're not going to be. There were only seven I think they're Irish economy that they think people have to deal with in economy class or for that's placing part time they have to do what they want but maybe it would be letting them make them kind of sitting still and the other thing you see is that they many many how many counts a quarter after their retirement. To Mexico sourcing practice for them to learn to expand. Any reaction Jose to those points the first point is that there are more opportunities and primarily because economic base is greater and also the service the greater. There are programs in Morehead Minnesota where you're calling from that are very good programs the county and Minnesota Martin Council is to Minnesota to have programs there. What I'm referring to is

basically there are more opportunities in because they have a broader economic base and also we have a broader service provider programs. All right I guess we have time for still one more question and it's your turn go ahead. OK. I responded to speaker just as America I love and appreciate the question of character. Say to what Americans expect. I could very sorted per paper for the activists on the comp for the fact if they were born in this country I don't speak English very much but if I started at university How should I thought of people that are not there. A good point at which to end the discussion and thing. Well one of the things that is very very important is that the more languages person speaks the more viable they become to this country in the more concerned with the more we can see with this country Japan for example has become a world trader and one of the main reasons is that the Japanese are very good at picking up other languages. Let's give out some of these telephone numbers the telephone number for your office and maybe an address.

I think too in case people want to try to reach you first of all the telephone number that Jose today has given out where his office staff can be reached for the office of Spanish speaking affairs in Minnesota that area code is 6 1 2 2 9 6 9 5 8 7 you indicated you do have a directory of services and programs that you will send out about a mailing address for that office. Our mailing address is 5 0 6 Rye Street St. Paul Minnesota 5 5 1 0 3. 5 0 6 Wright Street St. Paul I missed the zip code 5 5 1 0 3 1 0 3. Very good. And we thank you for dropping by and taking all the calls and questions and also thanks to our telephone callers for their conversation and commentary to. Clean up the first city you think of. But there was a riot of sorts in St. Cloud over the weekend and today an NPR journal will have report on what happened. Also Blackie has finally met its Waterloo

and we'll have that story. We invite you to tune in five o'clock on mostly stations 5:30 on our news stations. A reminder that midday on Monday is made possible with the financial assistance of television station K x x l TS serving central Minnesota and Rochester on UHF channel 41 and Minnesota's Public Radio's coverage of rural issues is made possible by a major grant from the Blendon foundation tomorrow during the noon hour on Midday We'll hear live coverage of the National Press Club luncheon with NASA's administrator James Fletcher and certain to be the topic during that press club will be the ambitious space shuttle program that NASA's has embarked upon with their first successful launch here in quite a time. Time and also a bit of weather information for our region the shower activity that had been reported across portions of southern and eastern Minnesota apparently continues although the sky is expected to clear by tonight because a high pressure system is building into

Minnesota tonight. The sky will gradually clear from the west to the north. Temperatures under a partly cloudy sky tonight are expected to be into the 20s and 30s so it will be cool. That's mid-day for today thanks to technical director is Patty Rudolph and David Shipley. I'm Dan Olson. And a reminder that the rebroadcast of midday for our K.A. our listeners will not occur because there will be live coverage for Canis our listeners of a speech by ANNE KRUGER from St. John's University on the topic debt and poverty in developing nations. This is K.S. Jan 13 30 Minneapolis St. Paul and k n s r FM eighty eight point nine Collegeville St. Cloud at 1 o'clock. I'm that friend and this is taken up today meet the world's foremost spokesperson for jazz pianist and composer Billy Taylor. You'll also hear from an anthropologist and author

Jack Weatherford about his new book Indian Givers how the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World. So with jazz anthropology and Dr. culture and a lazy woman today on take out.