The Sanford Latino community, Lee County : a community diagnosis including secondary data analysis and qualitative data collection
Creators: name: Wenter, Dana
name: Choi, Sung
name: Rickard, Jessica
name: Clawson, Margaret
name: Merkle, Sarah
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 1999

description: North Carolina has experienced significant economic and demographic changes during the last decade. Large cities and small towns alike have witnessed positive changes such as improved economic status, ethnic diversity within communities, and increased employment and educational opportunities. Such changes have also lead to negative outcomes including unwanted new construction and growth in smaller communities, new or increased racial tension, and unmet needs from service agencies that have not adapted to the increase in population. The population increase can be partially attributed to the migration of people from Latin American backgrounds into North Carolina. Many service agencies are trying to meet the needs of this new population but find that they are unsure about how to better serve the Latino community. It is important for service organizations to gain a better understanding of the community’s Latino population when creating services. Similarly, various community leaders will be more effective in creating community programs or activities with an increased understanding of the lives of Latinos in the Sanford area. In order to effectively serve this population, community members and service providers need to learn about the cultural, economic, demographic, and social characteristics of the Latino community. The method and process of trying to understand a community could be called many things, but we refer to it as a community diagnosis. A community diagnosis is simply an assessment of the strengths and needs of a community. This document is just that - a written assessment of the lives of Latino community members of Lee County and Sanford. We completed this document at the request of The Lee County Health Department to enable them to provide services appropriate for the Sanford Latino community. From August 1998 to February 1999, five students from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health gathered the information presented in this document. The word ‘we’ is written through out this document, and refers to the five students that completed this community diagnosis. Definition of Latino Community Before assessing the strengths and needs of the Latino community, we had to define this community. We have loosely defined a Latino community member as any person with an ethnic background from a Spanish speaking country. The word Latino is preferred over Hispanic or Mexican because it includes people from all Latin American countries, Caribbean countries, and Spain. Although we have presented information about Latinos as a whole group, many cultural and ethnic subgroups are represented in this document. It is important to remember that not all Latinos will fit the characteristics or the statements that are made in this document. Data Collection This document is broken into two large sections. The first section is the written analysis of secondary data. Secondary data is information gathered from written and previously documented materials. Sources include various sites on the internet (such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1990 U.S. Census, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Office of Minority Health), published articles or studies, history books, local reports on businesses or economy, newspaper clippings, and various other sources. There are many things to consider when analyzing the secondary data presented in this document. Data does not always correspond and can vary from agency to agency for the following reasons: 1) definition and classification of people from Latino backgrounds vary among agencies 2) data about Latinos may be outdated due to the rapidly changing demographics of this population 3) not all Latinos are accounted for in statistical data because those that do not have legal status may not be represented in National, State, or local level statistics. The data presented in this community diagnosis is as accurate as possible and based on the most reliable and current sources. The data presented allows us to form a general idea about the lives and issues of Latinos living in Lee County. Primary data collection, the method of gathering data directly from individuals, helps us further understand the issues relevant to the lives of Latinos in the Sanford area. Primary data includes the perceptions, opinions, experiences, and feelings of Latino community members and service providers in the Sanford area. Primary data presented in this document are based on personal beliefs and experiences, and may not be representative of the entire Sanford area Latino community. Secondary Data Secondary data provides information about community demographics, the history and economy of Sanford, health issues, disease prevalence, and social issues among the Latino community in Sanford. Our initial focus in secondary data collection was to gather data on the demographics of the Latino community in Sanford. The growth of this community has been very rapid. The 1990 U.S. Census indicates that about 900 Latinos lived in Sanford in 1990. It is estimated that today about 10,000 Latinos reside in Sanford, making up 20 percent of Sanford's population (Johnson-Webb, 1996). The Latino community is made up of people from various ethnic groups, but the largest percentage (43 percent) of North Carolina's Latinos are from Mexico, and 17 percent are from Puerto Rico (Johnson-Webb, 1996). It has been estimated that among the Sanford Latinos, 90 to 95 percent are from Mexico (L. Hurley, personal communication, 1998). Many Latinos come to the United States for job opportunities, resulting in a high proportion of young males compared to other populations (Johnson-Webb, 1996). Many of the jobs held by Latinos are in the manufacturing and production industries in Lee County. Latinos make up at least 20 percent of the employees at four major industries in Lee County (United Way Assessment, 1997). Economic growth in Lee County has financially benefited the Latino population, but data is unavailable about income levels of Latinos in Sanford. Secondary data also provided us with information about the health of Latinos, both nationally and locally, although more information is available at the national level. Mortality and morbidity rates suggest that Latinos living in the United States experience many of the same health problems as other United States populations. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS are the most prevalent diseases within the Latino population. Data revealed that issues of health care among Latinos had less to do with disease and illnesses, and more to do with access and barriers to health care. Mueller, Ratil, and Boilesen (1998) report that Latinos make up the lowest percent of insured than any other ethnic group in the United States. The Department of Health and Human Services (1998) reports that 10 percent of Lee County's Medicaid recipients are Latino, yet a much larger percentage of the Latino community meet the financial requirements to receive Medicaid. Residency issues are the main reasons that low-income Latinos do not receive Medicaid. North Carolina offers Health Choice to provide health care coverage to all children whose families meet the financial requirements, regardless of legal status. Other barriers also prevent Latinos from receiving proper medical care. In a 1994 North Carolina Office of Minority Health survey of local health agencies, several counties listed culture and language barriers as their number one concern. Issues of crime, domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health are critical to understanding the lives of Latinos in Sanford. Data from the North Carolina Department of Justice (1997) suggests that Lee County has a slightly higher overall crime rate than North Carolina, with lower rates in violent crimes and high rates in property crimes. Secondary data is not available on domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health of the Latino community in Sanford. Primary Data We addressed issues such as health, language, legal status, and sense of community during interviews. The data presented is from the perspective of both Latino community members and service providers. The purpose of primary data collection is to gather information about the lives of Latinos in Sanford. Community members expressed many concerns, issues, ideas, experiences, and opinions during the primary data collection, all of which are summed up into six themes: community, health, language and culture, transportation, legal status, and discrimination. The Latinos interviewed provided their opinions about living in Sanford. Strengths of Sanford include the job opportunities, climate, tranquility, and the positive environment for raising children. There were also some needs identified by community members. Many mentioned the need for recreation and parks, a public transportation system, shopping malls, cinemas and social activities. Many community members also identified the need for more information in Spanish, including written materials at the Department of Motor Vehicles, health care agencies, banks, and the immigration office. Many people would also like Spanish newspapers and radio stations which provide local news and information. Primary data was also collected about health issues concerning Latinos. The flu, bronchitis, colds, and occupational injuries were the health problems that have affected the Latino community the most. Other issues of health were limited access to health care, language barriers, quality of health care, high costs, and lack of health care coverage. Almost every community member and service provider interviewed stated that language is a barrier for Latino community members. Language is an issue that affects many Latinos on a daily basis: in grocery stores, health care settings, schools, jobs, and restaurants. Some people stated it would be helpful if there were more Spanish speakers at service organizations and Spanish written materials at local businesses. Many people were ESL students, but still expressed frustrations during the long process and time commitment required to learn English. Transportation is a major concern among Latinos in Sanford because there is no public transportation system. Many Latinos do not have driver’s license because of their legal status. Also, the cost of cars and insurance are too high, and the local taxi company does not have Spanish speaking staff. Legal status affects many aspect of a Latino community member's life. Illegal residents face the fear of being discovered by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and expressed frustrations with the process of obtaining the proper paperwork to become legal residents. Legal status plays a factor in whether someone seeks medical attention, obtains medical insurance, reports illegal activity by an employer or landlord, or receives a driver's license. The final theme we identified during primary data analysis was discrimination. Many people feel that, “for the most part, Latinos are not welcomed or liked” and are judged and stereotyped (service provider, personal communication, 1998). Interviewees shared experiences of discrimination at work, school, the Department of Motor Vehicles, stores, hospitals, with police, and with landlords. While many issues were addressed during primary data collection, these six were most common and will provide the reader with an overall understanding of the lives of Sanford Latinos.