Recent studies bear out Flores' observation.
Ethnicity in the South is changing more rapidly than in any other region of the country. Learning a foreign language has become linked to community relations and making people feel comfortable in the community. A class like this helps break barriers and offers newcomers a perception that the community is not biased. Flores is impressed by these young people's willingness to sacrifice their Saturdays to improve themselves. They could be home sleeping or watching TV, but they've made a choice to better their lives.