Posted on 08/01/2005 2:25:18 PM PDT by Dashing Dasher
Their migration speeds up states' population growth and brings vitality back to some areas (vomit-dd)
NEWBURGH, N.Y. - Sunday morning in this small Hudson Valley city, more than 1,000 parishioners, most from Mexico, pack Spanish-language Masses at St. Patrick's Catholic Church. Afterward, many families flock to El Azteca for its authentic tacos. If somebody needs a ride home, there are at least a dozen local taxi companies catering to newcomers born in the Mexican states of Puebla and Jalisco.
New residents from Mexico have, in the past four years, opened dozens of businesses that have begun to reinvigorate the ailing downtown district; they are the region's fastest growing community.
It's the same story elsewhere in the Northeast. The region is seeing the impact of Mexican migration.
New Mexican communities have arrived to fill farm, construction and domestic jobs, government data show. Population growth in states such as Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Connecticut would be much slower if not for the newcomers, who are steadily bringing about the region's biggest demographic shift in generations.
Rodolfo O. de la Garza, a sociologist at Columbia University, says it's natural that Mexico is — and will be — the main source of Hispanic migration to the United States.
"Mexico is right there, and Mexico is so big," he said.
Sixty miles north of New York City, Newburgh has historically had a small Puerto Rican community. These days, Mexicans far outnumber Puerto Ricans, demographers say.
In 2000, the city's 4,500 Mexicans represented half of all its Latinos; today, Mexicans are two-thirds of that group, demographers estimate.
"I've seen (Mexicans) grow from a very small, quiet-type community to a very large population, and it continues to grow," said Richard Rivera, president of Latinos Unidos, a local advocacy group.
Rapidly expanding Mexican communities are in East Boston, Burlington, Vt., Central Falls, R.I., and Providence, said Martha Montero-Seiburth, a professor at the University of Massachusetts at Boston.
No...there are Mexicans working the dishracks at most of the resturaunts in Maine.
Marque Uno en Espanol, Press 2 for English
Cucarachas!
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