New Outreach Efforts Underway to Reach Oregon’s Growing Latino Population

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The Latino population is growing across the country. They are currently the nation’s largest racial/ethnic minority group. Currently, 1 in 6 people today are of Latino ancestry; by 2035, that number is expected to be 1 in 4.

In the state of Oregon, a new report shows that Latinos make up 12% of the state’s population, up from 8% in 2000. In many communities, those numbers are even larger. In the Umatilla School District in eastern Oregon, the number of Latino students currently is set at 65%, up from 42% in 2001.

This rapid growth has accounted for some challenges for school district officials. This diverse and growing population calls for more updated methods of communication and outreach.

“What families need at 42 percent Hispanic is far different than what they need at 70 percent Hispanic,” said District Superintendent Heidi Sipe in an interview with the Hermiston Herald. “We’re always adjusting.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly half of Oregon’s Latino population is bilingual; 31% speak “only or mostly” English at home. This means that 19% speak only Spanish at home.

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A report recently released entitled “Latinos in Oregon” has determined that just over 40% of Oregon’s Latino population does not have a high school diploma and 24% have a high school diploma, but no college experience.

“Umatilla is working on programs that acknowledge that sometimes just providing a translator isn’t enough,” Sipe said. “When Umatilla families go on college visits through the Gear-Up program, for example, a translator is provided but the visits still seem primarily geared toward Caucasian families.”

As a result of this realization, the district is working with Washington State University on a college visit specifically tailored to Latino families.

There is also a serious recruitment underway to hire more Latino teachers.

“We see a lot who don’t finish because they need to help their families so they start working.” said Obdulia Munoz, who works for the Migrant Education Program in Eastern Oregon. “[Once] they start working they usually don’t come back to school.”