The Garden City Telegram
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County now majority-minority population
Published 5/20/2009 in Local News
By SHAJIA AHMAD
Finney County has added its name to a growing list of counties nationwide where minorities outnumber the majority — non-Hispanic whites — and the news is making national cable television.
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Members of Mariachi Nuevo Sonido perform from a flatbed trailer as part of a parade entry during the 2008 Community Fiesta celebration. Garden City is a majority-minority population, according to the U.S. Census.
A crew from CNN that rolled into town earlier this week is leaving today, after getting a glimpse of Garden City's diversity in a county where 50 percent — or 20,505 of 40,998 individuals — identify themselves as minorities, according to numbers released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
"Some of the folks (from CNN) were surprised at all our little faces," said Penny Cruz, an ESL instructor at Alta Brown Elementary School who was interviewed by the television crew about the young English-language learners that she has been working with for two years. "People in this part of the state are familiar with our diversity, but even folks from eastern Kansas are often surprised."
The U.S. Census Bureau announced last week that Finney County is one of five counties nationwide to have become minority-majority counties in 2008. The Bureau defines the category, which already represents about 10 percent of counties nationwide, as one where more than half of residents identify themselves as being of a group other than single-race, non-Hispanic whites.
At Alta Brown, where 55 percent of students are English-language learners according to the latest enrollment figures from USD 457, Cruz said she teaches a wide range of youngsters, including Southeast Asian, Hispanic and Burmese students.
Most of the southeast Asian and Hispanic ELL students are versed in "playground English," said Cruz, meaning they have enough English to get by and communicate with teachers, she said. Her young Burmese students, however, don't speak as much English; most all are the sons and daughters of recent refugees.
Of a student body of 411 students, 70 percent identify as Hispanic at Alta Brown, and the elementary school's demographic makeup is similar to many other USD 457 schools: At Victor Ornelas Elementary School, 84 percent of students are English-language learners and 87 percent of the 436 enrolled students are Hispanic.
At Buffalo Jones Elementary School, 92 percent of 359 students are Hispanic and 88 percent are English-language learners.
Five other counties along with Finney became majority-minority counties in 2008: Stanislaus, Calif.; Orange County, Fla.; Warren, Miss.; Edwards, Texas; and Schleicher, Texas. Nearly 10 percent of the nation's 3,142 counties were majority-minority as of 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The CNN story will air on its cable news channel between 5 and 8 a.m. Thursday. The video also will be available on cnn.com sometime Thursday, according to Sara Weisfeldt, a producer.
Learn more about immigration issues on Shajia Ahmad's Immigration Matters blog at SWKTalk.com.
Found 4 comment(s)!
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I love driving by the park on Mary and seeing the guys from Somalia, Myanmar, Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and some local residents all playing soccer. My generation is seeing through the many biases that many older people can't get over because that is just not how they grew up, which is understandable. I just don't get what the store comment is about, hmmm now I'm curious. I don't see why anybody would avoid any of the stores here in town. What does this comment mean? "And those of you that are probably thinking I am prejudice...I AM Kansas born and bred but I am HISPANIC." what does that have anything to do with you showing prejudice? The fact that you are Hispanic makes you immune to prejudice? Sorry but No. The bottom line is that GC rocks!!! and stands united (except for GC resident...ja ja Just kidding you too :) and leave the Mayor alone he has a right to his opinion, it might be different from yours but that is why it is HIS opinion. There is nothing wrong with feeling racial pride but we must be aware than it can be done without disrespecting others race, culture and way of life just because of the difference from ours. Let's not be ethnocentric.
Posted by: Me on 6/12/2009
CNN article
Penny Cruz says the town is getting more and more diverse, adding, "I think we all blend together and get along. There are ups and downs but for the most part I think we're all pretty accepting of whoever comes into our community and into our classrooms." **Quoted from the CNN article** We don't ALL get along or approve of the diversity. ALOT of us are tired of seeing the illegals coming in from mexico, refugees from Burma and Somalia and even the people Tyson are bringing in from Chicago. They make our town look horrible when they linger on the streets and in front of stores. Alot of people won't go to certain stores anymore because they are always packed with the above mentioned people. Our economy is bad enough as it is and jobs are scarce out here and they are allowing these people to come in and take those jobs that are available. Tyson even tells people that apply out there that they have to hire the people they paid to bring out here. That is absolutely ridiculus. Karla is right, the Cruz's were the wrong people to be speaking on behalf of Garden City. They don't live in the "normal world" that the minorities live in here. They don't know what it's like to hurt in a car accident after a Somalian runs a stop sign (which happens nearly daily). They don't know what it's like to lose a family member to a Somalian's wreckless driving. Many of those people don't even hold jobs and live off welfare. Now don't get me wrong, I don't have any prejudice against anyone. If you are here legally, I have no problem. If you come here to work and live LEGALLY, I have no problem, as long as you use YOUR SS# and name and no one else's. But many of them do exactly the opposite. And where in the article did it mention the percentage of the residents that are ILLEGAL? There are too many of those to count. Sad that CNN didn't care what "we" as a town really thought about this topic. Mr. Cruz is NOT the expert to be talking to. And those of you that are probably thinking I am prejudice...I AM Kansas born and bred but I am HISPANIC.
Posted by: GC Resident on 5/28/2009
Link to CNN article
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/05/22/garden.city.kansas.minorities/
Posted by: Karla Martinez on 5/22/2009
CNN article
This comment is on the CNN article and the comments made from former Mayor Tim Cruz. To begin I do not know how the City of Garden City elected such an incompetent man, also I do not know who ever thought that he would be a credible source to talk to for a national article. There was one quote in particular that I thought was baseless and misleading. "We catch them trying to tell their kids they don't need to go to college because this is a good life," Cruz says. "We have to help educate them saying, 'No, there is even a better life than doing this and your kids can get to do that.' " Obviously, Tim Cruz has not had much contact with first generation students. I was born and raised in Southwest Kansas to two Mexican immigrants, that both worked in beef packing plants and the beef industry for numerous years. Never once did my parents or those of any of my friends tell them that the beef packing plant was a good life. Education and pursuing it was a value that was strongly instilled in me. Being first generation Mexican-American or Mexican immigrant does change our value system, it's absurd that people feel that way. Yes, the beef packing plant is better than most things in Mexico but never would it be better than any opportunity to puruse education. I am truly appalled that they allowed Tim Cruz to be the voice of Garden City diversity. He can't even communicate with more than half the population, yo si puedo, how could he ever be "qualified" to speak on a subject like that. Thank you, for whoever took the time to read my humble opinion. Karla Martinez Kansas State University Alumni
Posted by: Karla Martinez on 5/22/2009
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