Statewide Hispanic Conference

On behalf of the Diversity Task Force I was privileged to attend the 2007 Statwide Hispanic/Latino Issues Conference. The program was provided by the SC Commission for Minority Affairs.
The program began at 8:30 as promised and it did last until 5:15p.m. We had time for lunch while yet another panel discussion took place.
The really good news is that the entire day went very quickly and all of the speakers were first rate. There were seven sessions that included a nationally recognized individual who introduced the topic and the panelists. They were followed by a person with a regional interest and panelists were mostly from South Carolina.
We also had two breaks during which we were encouraged to visit the exhibits in the next room. All of that information will prove very valuable to the task force.
Education led the day as the first session. Among many salient points we were advised to think about the importance of the venue of the activity and that in order to reach the Latino community we must go to them. ESL classes should not be held during the work day but evenings and Saturdays.
Immigration ~ you can imagine that there was a good deal of talk about President Bush's "wall" along the US/Mexico border. But there were also many social and historical aspects of immigration discussed. We were asked to raise our hands if any of us were descendants of immigrants... One facet of immigration that was news to me is that it takes a generation for aculturation to take place.
The Census of 2010 is only two and a half years away. The original mandate from the Congress was to "count all the inhabitants of the country" and it remains that broad a scope today. Dr. Falcon was a spirited speaker who let a couple explitives slip into his comments, but he caught the audience's attention. It was easy to get caught up in his enthusiasm for a topic that could very well have been dry and boring.
"The Economic and Social Implications of Latino Immigration in South Carolina" report was unveiled at the conference. If you check last Thursday's Post and Courier you can find an article about it and brief comments about the Conference.
Public Safety covered many aspects of the living conditions in which Latinos have to cope. Along with this was mentioned that it is imperative that this community be involved in planned evacuations in the event of a hurricane strike. I have already attempted to get some Hurricane Guides in Spanish to have at our Branches. We were also informed of the high percentage of traffic tickets issued to Latino drivers who do not have a license. One of the many reasons for this is that there is no driver's manual in Spanish and the written test is in English only.
Employment and Health covered the myriad topics one would expect.
A general question and answer period followed the discussions before the closing remarks. Since not a single speaker had mentioned the "L" word all day I stood up to the mike and did so. VERY suprisingly I received a round of applause for my speil. Let's face it, we do a damn good job and we continue to be under-recognized.
The Executive Director of the SC Commission for Minority Affairs, Ms. Janie Davis, addressed the issue of "cultural competency training". Would that make a great subject for our next Staff Day!
I'll be glad to answer any questions or comments you might have about the conference.