Hispanic and Latino Communities in Atlanta

Atlanta, the largest urban center in the southeastern U.S., has undergone profound social, cultural and demographic change since the 1980s. Prior to that time, the region contained two main ethnic groups: European Americans and African Americans. However, from 1980 to 1995, the Hispanic population of Georgia grew 130%. By 1996 there were 462,973 Hispanics in Georgia. From 1990 to 2000, Georgia became the third largest state for migrating Hispanics and Latinos.

Immigration

The main increase in Latino immigration to Atlanta began in the 1990s, as a result of the construction boom that accompanied the 1996 Olympics

1996 Summer Olympics

The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....

. However, the increase in the Hispanic population began before Atlanta was named host of the games in 1990. The Hispanic population is the largest non-traditional minority group in the city. Hispanics grew from 30,000 in 1982, to over 110,000 in 1992—260% in ten years. Between 1992 and 1996, the Hispanic population of the Atlanta metro area grew to over 231,619—an increase of 110% in just six years. Of these, 9,571, or 4%, are children in school. This growth has changed the cultural make-up of the city: three Mexican-owned radio stations that broadcast in Spanish, and, in 1997, there were three Spanish language newspapers, increasing to eleven by 1999. Mexican workers play an important role in the service sector, as well as in construction and industry. Meat packers, especially chicken processing plants, must be located close to the farm to reduce losses of live animals in transportation. Packers, then, are tied to the production region, but they use up the local work force because of the arduous and dangerous working conditions, as well as low salaries.

Statistics

A needs assessment for the Archdiocese of Atlanta summarizes the main characteristics of the Hispanic population:

The ratio of males:females in mass is 55:46
The estimated total population of Hispanics in north Georgia is 460,000
The average age of the population is 33 years
Women go to mass more often and are more likely to be married
Most people, 86% of the sample, are married or in a common law marriage
15% have no children
Over 80% have no children in their home country (males of any age and all older migrants have more children in home country)
The population as a whole has an average education of 9.7 years-women have 10 years, and men, 9 (this differs widely by region and nation of origin)
Hispanics come from 20 countries: Mexico is the birth country for over 75% of the sample, Colombia for 7% and Guatemala for 4%
The average year of arrival in the U.S. is 1992, and in Georgia is 1995
At least 50% of the total Hispanic population is undocumented
About half send money home, especially those who report children left behind with relatives
Many still have strong ties to their country of origin, with 40% still owning a house there
The longer the U.S. residence, the less money sent home
The most common form of household is for 3 family members to occupy two bedrooms and rent out the third bedroom (or the living room) to 2 non-family members
Hispanics not as mobile as is commonly thought—on average, Hispanics have spent over two years in their current housing; males are a more mobile population than females.
Average rent is $665 per month
Most live in a house (49%), followed by apartments (36%) and trailers (12.5%)
Women report a 92% employment rate, working in meat packing (11%), domestic service (8%), and professional industries (7%) (13% were professionals at home)
Men work in carpet (7%), meat packing (10%), and construction (29%), including 8% who are skilled construction workers or crew chiefs
In their home country, the largest group worked in agriculture (31%), with 13% in construction and 11% professionals
Unemployment is less than 4%
Most (61%) do not speak any English, while 35% report that they are bilingual; 3.9% speak an indigenous language
The main language spoken in the home is Spanish, but 10% speak either English alone or both English and Spanish at home
Most report that they come to mass every week
80% get to mass in car, 9% by paid ride
43% prefer mass at noon; and 80% prefer mass on Sunday
Few (6.5%) have participated in another religion
Half would prefer a parochial school for their children
10% need baptism services, over 25% have used these services
25% report a need for Bible study or spiritual study
Three-quarters of the population would serve in a ministry in the parish; 73% have never served in a parish ministry
Most come to mass with between two and three other members of their household
Ten percent reported living in households with people who practice another religion

The same study reports that main needs of the Hispanic population include:

More report social needs (35%) than religious needs (29%)
Most people know what services are offered in their parishes
The greatest needs are for English classes (35%), legal advice (33%), helping getting driver’s licenses (28%), and medical care (17%)
Few need financial help or employment assistance
Services actually used include English language clases (20%), youth group, financial support, and newcomers groups

Culture

Atlanta's vibrant and growing Hispanic community is represented at Festival Peachtree Latino

Festival Peachtree Latino

Festival Peachtree Latino is an ethnic festival held annually Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia. The festival, which celebrates Hispanic-American culture, is the largest multicultural event in the entire Southeast...

, held annually Piedmont Park

Piedmont Park

Piedmont Park is a urban park in Atlanta, Georgia, located about northeast of Downtown, between the Midtown and Virginia Highland neighborhoods. Originally the land was owned by Dr. Benjamin Walker, who used it as his out-of-town gentleman's farm and residence...

in Midtown Atlanta

Midtown Atlanta

Midtown is the second largest financial district in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, situated between the commercial and financial districts of Downtown and SoNo to the south and the affluent residential and commercial district of Buckhead to the north...

. The festival, which celebrates Hispanic-American culture, is the largest multicultural

Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...

event in the entire Southeast

Southeastern United States

The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....

. The festival features arts and crafts, family activities, sporting events, a parade, dance demonstrations, ethnic foods, and a live music stage featuring international performers from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic. In addition, over 250 exhibitors present favorite brands, souvenirs and interactive displays. The festival, which began in 2000, continues to grow in attendance. It is free and open to the public.

Health

With a growth rate of over 300% since 1999, doctors and hospitals struggle to provide services to Spanish speaking patients. With multiple versions of the Spanish language, which may be understood by other Latinos or Hispanics in the same region, cultural differences, the lack of interpreters for Spanish, and monolingual English speaking medical staff, obtaining adequate healthcare is a problem for Hispanics and Latinos in Georgia. In addition to the language barrier, there is another problem that exists for Latinos and Hispanics in the healthcare industry. According to the Georgia Minority Health & Health Disparities Report, 41% of Georgians without health insurance are Hispanics, with an additional 24% representing multi-cultural communities. Although the Hispanic and Latino communities make up 29% of the working class in Georgia, the majority of Hispanics and Latinos do not benefit from having either public or private health insurance.

Diabetes

With an increase in population over the last decade, there has also been a steady increase in the number of diabetes cases in the Atlanta. Although African Americans have the highest cases of diabetes with 31%, the morbidity rate of Hispanics and Latinos has doubled over the past ten years to 1.8%. This information warrants improved medical attention that should focus on the Latino and Hispanic communities. Additionally, diabetes among pregnant women in Georgia compared to the U.S has constantly increased to approximately 1.50% from 1995 to 2005. Although diabetes is more common in Blacks than any other racial or ethnic group, Latino individuals are more than 1.5 times more likely to have diabetes than non-Hispanic Whites, and those of Mexican origin are twice as likely to have diabetes as other Latinos.

Emory Latino Diabetes Education Program

To combat diabetes, Emory

Emory University Hospital

Emory University Hospital is a 587-bed facility in Atlanta, Georgia, specializing in the care of the acutely ill adult. Emory University Hospital is staffed exclusively by Emory University School of Medicine faculty who also are members of The Emory Clinic...

and Grady Hospitals

Grady Memorial Hospital

Grady Memorial Hospital, frequently referred to as Grady Hospital or simply Grady, is the largest hospital in the state of Georgia and the public hospital for the city of Atlanta. It is the 5th largest public hospital in the United States, as well as one the busiest Level I trauma centers in the...

have implemented the Emory Latino Diabetes Education Program (ELDEP), which holds weekly sessions in Spanish that are taught by Hispanic healthcare professionals at Grady Hospital Diabetes Clinic to educate the Hispanic community about diabetes in the metropolitan area of Atlanta. This program, which helps to control Type 2 diabetes in Hispanics, teaches the importance of insulin, a balanced diet, exercise, how to monitor blood glucose, and medication. In follow up classes called Clubes de Diabetes (diabetes club) healthcare officials are able to monitor patients’ progress. ELDEP also offers programs for physicians and nurses that work with Spanish speaking diabetes patients, to get the word out to the Hispanic community, so that those with diabetes will know where to go to get help. The classes that ELDEP offers for Hispanics and Latinos are held weekly at Grady Diabetes Clinic, Grady’s International Medical Clinic, and at the North DeKalb satellite neighborhood clinics of the Grady Health System. Emory University School of Medicine

Emory University School of Medicine

Emory University School of Medicine, a component of Emory’s Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center, is ranked among the nation’s institutions for biomedical education and research...

also recruits Hispanics to participate in studies to better serve the Latino community.

Mercy Clinic

In addition to Emory, Saint Joseph’s

Saint Joseph's Hospital (Atlanta)

Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta is an acute care hospital located in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of Catholic Health East. Saint Joseph's was recognized as one of the 50 finest hospitals in the country by HealthGrades for 2007....

Mercy Clinic, located in Brookhaven

Brookhaven, Georgia

Brookhaven is an unincorporated community located on the western edge of DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, directly northeast of Atlanta. Most of the area was formerly incorporated as the city of North Atlanta, which disincorporated during the 1960s...

's Northeast Plaza (in the Buford Highway

Buford Highway

Buford Highway is an international community along and on either side of a stretch of Georgia State Route 13 in DeKalb County, Georgia. It begins just north of Midtown Atlanta, continues northeast through the towns of Brookhaven, Chamblee, and Doraville, and ends northeast of the Perimeter at the...

international district) provides services for diabetics as well. Mercy Clinic provides patients the opportunity to see someone who not only speaks Spanish in addition to several other languages, but is also sensitive to each patient’s particular financial situation as well. Mercy also has a pharmacy on location that makes for convenience in filling prescriptions.

Demographics

The number of Latinos has grown exponentially since the 1900s. The growth of Latino migrants has been dramatic: the number of Hispanics grew more than seven times between 1982 and 1996, to over 232,000, resuliting in 234,010 Hispanic migrants by 1998.

Female immigrants

About 10% of female migrants are single. Women typically start working informally in childcare, and then move into domestic service or hotel work. Few women migrate alone, with most women following their husband once he has settled. Over 70% of Mexican women migrate to join their spouse; 20% come with their parents and only 7% come alone. Younger couples reunite sooner than older couples. The average gap between husband’s and wife’s migration is three years. Women have an average of 2.5 children, although 10% have no children.

Men earn enough in the U.S. to live and send money home, but not enough to support a typical family of 5. In 2000, a man could earn $1100 per month, or up to $1300 with two jobs, and his living expenses were at least $500. He could live and work in the U.S. and send money home, where his wife and children worked and lived cheaply. In Atlanta, expenses for a family of 5 were at least $1400 per month, more than one man’s salary, but within the reach of a two-worker family.

External links

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