HACER

Gangs are not a basic component of any culture. Neither are they intrinsic to race, ethnicity, or nationality.
Rather, gangs develop in social groups under specific circumstances. Gangs are not an element of Latino culture, just as they were not inherent to Irish culture in the last century. However, as research shows, gang involvement is
a significant problem in the Latino
communities of today. The 1998 National Youth Gang Survey revealed that Hispanics/Latinos were the predominant racial/ethnic group among gang members nationwide, accounting for 46 percent of all gang members. This report focuses on the impact of gangs on Latino communities in Minnesota.

Each year, thousands of migrant* Latino farmworkers journey from the Southwestern United States, North of Mexico, and Latin America to Minnesota in order to make a living in the picking and processing of the state’s crops, and to work in the ornamental plant industry. Attracted by the comparatively higher wages that families can find in the north, workers spend several months of the year contributing to the state’s sweet corn, green pea, and other agricultural economies. In fact, in the south-central portion of the state alone, researchers have estimated that the Latino labor force employed in agricultural industries adds almost $25 million dollars to the local economy (Kielkopf 2000).

Throughout the country many have been taken by surprise by the new Census numbers indicating a high rate of growth in the Latino population. In some rural Minnesota communities, the Latino population now accounts for approximately one quarter of the community’s residents. Overall in Minnesota, the Latino population is estimated to account for at least 3 percent of the total population. Since the early diversification of these rural communities, there have been questions and struggles as these towns have sought to adjust to their changing demographics. This project seeks to identify and measure specific barriers and supports for community development for Latinos in Greater Minnesota.