A Spatial Study of the Mobility of Hispanics in Illinois and the Implications for Educational Institutions co-authored by Dan Schabilion, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama for two years during which time he taught environmental education.

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Panama: Peace Corps Panama : The Peace Corps in Panama: A Spatial Study of the Mobility of Hispanics in Illinois and the Implications for Educational Institutions co-authored by Dan Schabilion, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama for two years during which time he taught environmental education.

By Admin1 (admin) on Sunday, July 08, 2001 - 12:29 am: Edit Post

A Spatial Study of the Mobility of Hispanics in Illinois and the Implications for Educational Institutions co-authored by Dan Schabilion, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama for two years during which time he taught environmental education.



A Spatial Study of the Mobility of Hispanics in Illinois and the Implications for Educational Institutions co-authored by Dan Schabilion, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama for two years during which time he taught environmental education.

A Spatial Study of the Mobility of Hispanics in Illinois and the Implications for Educational Institutions co-authored by Dan Schabilion, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama for two years during which time he taught environmental education.

Dan Schabilion, a native of the Midwest, was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama for two years during which time he taught environmental education. He is currently a graduate student at Western Illinois University in the Peace Corps Fellows Program. His academic endeavors lie within the fields of Geography and Regional and Rural Planning. During the course of his studies, Dan has become especially interested in minority issues in rural communities and the ways in which rural communities cope with rapid change.

Introduction

The twenty-first state did not have a Hispanic* population when it added its star to the United States flag in December of 1818. Census profiles for Illinois through the decades suggest the first substantial demographic Hispanic population was not clearly defined as a category until the 1970 census. In the late 1800's and early 1900's, Hispanic settlements principally occurred in urbanized areas, particularly the Chicago area, drawn by the opportunity to work in low-paying service and manufacturing jobs. The first large-scale wave of Hispanic immigrants to Illinois took place with the onset of World War I, supported by the twin circumstances of an economic boom and a labor shortage. Mexican workers were actively recruited to work in the factories, agricultural industries, and the railroads. By 1928, the Mexican population represented 43% of the total labor force on the railroads. The steel and meat packing industries experienced the same growth in their workforce population and by 1926, Mexican workers represented 14% and 11%, respectively, of all workers in these Chicago area industries. Thus, the Mexican population rose dramatically in one decade from 1,224 in 1920 to 19,362 in 1930 (Betancur, Cordova, and Torres, 1993).

The second wave of Mexican immigration was initiated by another war, World War II, and the implementation of the Bracero Program in 1941. The Bracero Program was originally created as a wartime relief program to import temporary workers, but was repeatedly renewed until 1964. Due to similar economic circumstances, over 15,000 Mexicans were brought to Chicago to work on the railroads alone from 1943-1945 (Betancur, Cordova, and Torres, 1993). As a result of this steady flow of Mexican labor into Illinois, over 35,000 Hispanics were counted in the census in the Chicago area in 1950. The category nearly doubled in size each decade thereafter, and included 55,597 persons in 1960, and 106,000 in 1970. This early flow of migrants established a basis for the more substantial migration that began in the 1980's when 255,770 of the persons counted were of Mexican descent. However, of greater significance was the almost explosive population gain of Hispanics that occurred between 1990 and 1994 when this cohort of the population accounted for 32% of the population growth in Illinois. People do not just appear without cause. There need to be forces of attraction that complement the exertion of forces causing people to leave their places of origin. In this analysis, we begin by examining the demographic pattern of the Hispanic migration to Illinois and the forces which encouraged this migration and population growth and the impact it has on societal institutions.

The term Hispanic is an umbrella term created in the 1960's to refer to the over 20 ethnic groups of Spanish or Latin origin, including Spain, Central & South America and the Caribbean. The Census Bureau's official definition of Hispanic is the following:

Persons of Hispanic/Spanish origin are those who classify themselves in one of the specific Hispanic origin categories listed on the census questionnaire - Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or other Hispanic/Spanish origin. Persons of other Hispanic/Spanish origins are those whose origins are from Spain, the Spanish-speaking countries of Central or South America, or the Dominican Republic, so they are persons of Hispanic origin identifying themselves generally as Spanish, Spanish-American, Hispanic, Latino, etc. Origin can be viewed as the ancestry, nationality group, lineage or country of birth of the person or the persons parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States. Hispanic/Spanish origin is not a racial category. Therefore, persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990)

The term Hispanic is used for convenience, much the same way Asian is used to refer to the many ethnic groups from countries such as China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. It is important to note many Hispanics do not self-identify in this manner. As with other ethnic groups, many prefer recognition based on national origin, such as Puerto Rican or Venezuelan. Still others use Latino or Chicano. Within this document the term Hispanic will be used.



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This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Panama; Special Interests - Hispanic Studies; Special Interests - Environmental Education

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