Essay 4753

From The Chicago Sun-Times…

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Their future, our future

The sooner we recognize the value of immigration and begin working together, the smoother integration will go

Ask a typical Chicagoan where most new Latinos in the area are coming from, and they’ll probably describe some illegal border crossing.

But they’d be wrong.

The source of 72 percent of the group’s recent population growth is actually the local maternity ward, where Latino children are being born to proud parents who have achieved or are still pursuing the American dream.

That revelation comes from the Institute for Latino Studies at Notre Dame and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. Their research paints a picture of the region’s Latino population -- busting misperceptions -- and suggests ways to help suburbs cope with the challenges of integration.

As the report makes clear, Latinos are a critical part of the region whose future is intertwined with our own. If they fail, the region fails, so it’s in everyone’s best interests to work together.

A main goal is to promote discussion between Latinos and non-Latinos in areas that are undergoing rapid change, said Sylvia Puente of Notre Dame, a study author. “There are not enough places where this dialogue is happening,” Puente said.

Why look at the suburbs? Because that’s where the action is. Contrary to another stereotype -- that the integration debate is confined to the big city -- the study points out that 55 percent of the region’s Latino population now lives outside Chicago.

Among other findings: The region’s 1.7 million Latinos are now a fifth of the region’s population and will probably be a third by 2030. Two-thirds of the region’s Latinos are U.S. citizens. Latinos make up 15 percent of the labor force and half of the growth in owner-occupied homes. Three-fourths of Latino households are bilingual.

The report recommends communities look for ways to promote cultural understanding, such as festivals. It said communities should work to get Latinos involved in civic life -- and Latinos, in turn, should step up to leadership positions, such as on school boards.

Among other recommendations, the report said suburbs need to develop smaller homes and more affordable rental housing to accommodate the growing Latino population. Schools should explore dual-language programs to help students learn English.

“What we are dealing with is the speak-English-only mind-set that is holding us back from the best practices,” said Daniel Barreiro, director of community services in Aurora and a former school board member.

The report won’t sway anyone who thinks we should yank up the welcome mat, kick out all those “illegals” and their children and slam the door behind them. Fortunately, a more practical group, including suburban mayors, recognizes the reality and the value of immigration and is interested in finding the best ways to make integration happen. Doing nothing will only make things worse.

“We have to look at what happens if we don’t do anything,” said Addison Mayor Larry Hartwig, a suburban mayor who helped on the report. If that’s what happens, “we’re going to spend a lot of time on conflict.”