(The Drum Major Institute is doing truly great work on this issue. - promoted by lipris)
(the following is by DMI's Director of Research Amy Traub - and yes, xposted from the DMIBlog)
Back in 1980, fewer than one out of every twenty Long Islanders was Hispanic. Today, the proportion is nearly one in eight. The swiftness of this demographic change has fueled ethnic tensions, with both anti-immigrant sentiment and generalized racism against Hispanic Americans on the rise.
Some of the nation's most virulent anti-immigrant proposals have erupted from Long Island's elected officials, from Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy to local Congressional Representative Peter King, co-sponsor of the harsh and unworkable immigration bill H.R. 4437. At the same time, vicious hate crimes against Hispanics on Long Island have repeatedly made headlines.
Bridging the ethnic divide is a long process, but a new report published by the Horace Hagedorn Foundation may help Long Islanders begin to appreciate their Hispanic neighbors -- and their important contribution to the Long Island economy -- a bit more.
More on the flip...
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