HISPANICS IN OREGON'S WORKFORCE

HISPANICSIN OREGON'SWORKFORCE

1998

State of OregonEmployment Department

RS PUB 124 (10-98)


1998

1Oregon Employment Department • Workforce Analysis

Coordinated by:Brenda Turner

Written by:Brenda Turner and Mary Wood

Production Team:Brad AngleSusan Bell

Jeff HannumKathi RiddellCarol SchmidtGraham Slater

Special appreciation to:Christopher Santiago Williams,

Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs


1998

October 1998

2 Oregon Employment Department • Workforce Analysis


This report is the first in a series of publications which will focus on the employmentof minorities in Oregon. The purpose of these publications is to provide a single,comprehensive source of information to our readers. We will include the most up-to-date data available for the Oregon workforce and we plan to periodically updatethese publications.

The report starts with a history of Hispanics in the state, including a discussion of theancestry and origin of Latinos in Oregon, and a summary of how Hispanics arrivedhere. (We use Hispanic and Latino interchangeably throughout the report.)

Following the history section, we discuss general labor force issues, includingunemployment, skills mismatch, and education. We answer questions such as:

• How many people are working or looking for work?• What is the unemployment rate for Hispanics in the state?• What is the drop out rate among Hispanic high school students?

Next, we examine the occupations and industries in which Latinos are employed.Using several sources, we answer questions such as:

• Do most Hispanics work in agricultural jobs?• How many Hispanic-owned firms exist in Oregon?• Which industries have added the most Latino workers?

The last section is devoted entirely to income. The income levels of Hispanics com-pared with the total population, poverty analysis, and a look at the number of peoplewho are economically disadvantaged provide insight into the gaps that still existbetween the income of Hispanics and other Oregonians.

Finally, with the help of the Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs, we look atwhere we have been, and then we pull out a crystal ball to look towards the future atwhat may be in store for the Hispanic workforce. What obstacles have Latinos inOregon faced? How have they overcome them? What barriers may still remain?

In addition to discussing and analyzing workforce-related data, we want to emphasizethat real people are behind the statistics. We interviewed five Latinos in the laborforce from all around Oregon. Their interviews are scattered throughout the report.

Strengths and LimitationsWhile this publication is one of the most comprehensive summaries of informationon Oregon’s Hispanic workforce, not all data are available at the county or even thestate level. The data provided are the most detailed available. Also, it is important tonote that several sources of information were utilized to compile this report and eachof these sources has its own data and statistical limitations. For further informationon the sources and publications used to produce this report, or to order additionalreports, contact Brenda Turner at (503) 947-1233, [email protected].

To Our Readers


In an effort to bring statisticstogether from a variety of

sources, Hispanics in Oregon’sWorkforce, 1998 outlines occupa-tional and industry employ-ment, income, education,unemployment, and relatedinformation to describe theLatino workforce in the state.We have made several compari-sons of Oregon versus U.S.data, as well as HispanicOregonians vs. all Oregonians.Several interesting facts havebeen brought to light. Althoughsome of the gaps which histori-cally existed have narrowedbetween Latinos and the popu-lation as a whole, there aredefinitely some areas where thedifferences remain great. Highschool drop out rates, income,and employment in higher-wage occupations are a fewareas where the data showsignificant differences remaining.Some of these and other statisticsare listed below.

■ In 1990, more than three-fourths of the Latinos in Oregonwere of Mexican origin.

■ Oregon’s Latino populationgrew by 66 percent between1990 and 1997 compared with

just under 13 percent growth inthe state’s total population.

■ Since 1990, the Hispanic laborforce in Oregon has more thandoubled (+170%), soaring from49,000 to 132,000, while the totallabor force grew by only 16percent.

■ Latinos made up just overthree percent of the total Oregonlabor force at the beginning ofthe 1990s, but jumped to morethan 7.6 percent in 1997.

■ In 1997, 7.6 percent of theOregon labor force was His-panic, while almost 11 percentof the unemployed wereHispanic.

■ Oregon’s Hispanic highschool drop out rate was 15.7percent during the 1996-1997school year, while the all-student drop out rate was 6.7percent.

■ Between 1990 and 1997, sevenof the eleven broad occupationalcategories identified by theBureau of Labor Statisticsshowed a 100 percent or greaterincrease of Hispanic employ-ment. The exceptions wereexecutive, administrative andmanagerial (+25%); farming,forestry, and fishing (+67%);professional specialty (5%); andtransportation and materialmoving (+20%).

■ In 1990, one in five employedLatinos worked in farming,forestry, and fishing occupa-tions, with four-fifths of theworkforce employed in otheroccupations. Since then, His-panic employment in farm-related occupations has in-creased by two-thirds, whileemployment outside the farmsector has tripled.

■ Four industries clearly domi-nated Latino employment in1997: manufacturing, trade,agriculture, and services.

■ Per capita personal income(PCPI) in 1989 for Hispanicswas $6,996; all Oregonians’PCPI was $13,418. ▲

ExecutiveSummary


1998



1998

TABLE OF CONTENTSWho’s in the Latino Label?..................................................................................................... 9

A Brief History of Latinos in Oregon ................................................................................. 13

Migrant Agricultural Labor ................................................................................................. 15

Political Participation of Hispanics..................................................................................... 19

How Big is the Latino Labor Force in Oregon? ................................................................ 21Labor Force ................................................................................................................ 21Unemployment ......................................................................................................... 22Skills Mismatch ......................................................................................................... 23Education ................................................................................................................... 24

Occupational Employment Trends ..................................................................................... 27

Industry Employment Trends ............................................................................................. 31

Income & Wages .................................................................................................................... 35

Contributions to the Economy ............................................................................................ 39

Barriers to Employment ....................................................................................................... 41

Profiles ................................................................................................................. 12,14,18,20,34

Appendices ............................................................................................................................. 43A1 Ancestry of Hispanic Population, Oregon, 1990 .......................................... 45A2 Hispanic Population by Race, Oregon, 1990 ................................................. 45A3 Oregon Population Growth by Race .............................................................. 45A4 Average Annual Unemployment Rates ......................................................... 45A5 1997 U.S. Unemployment Rates and Median Weekly Earnings by Educational Attainment .............................................................................. 46A6 Employment by Occupation, Oregon, 1997 .................................................. 46A7 Employment by Industry, Oregon, 1990 ........................................................ 47A8 Employment by Industry, Oregon, 1990 & 1997 ........................................... 47A9 Oregon Population, July 1, 1997...................................................................... 47A10 1996-1997 High School Students and Dropouts, Oregon ........................... 48

▼


Maps • Graphs • Tables

Map 1 Hispanics as a Percentage of Total County Population, 1997 ......................11

Graph 1 Ancestry of Hispanics in Oregon, 1990 ............................................................ 9Graph 2 Ancestry of Non-Mexican Hispanics in Oregon, 1990 ................................... 9Graph 3 Race of People of Hispanic Origin in Oregon, 1990 ..................................... 10Graph 4 Population Growth by Race/Ethnic Group in Oregon: 1980-1990;

1990-2000 ............................................................................................................. 10Graph 5 Population by Age, Oregon, 1997 .................................................................... 10Graph 6 Average Annual Unemployment Rates .......................................................... 22Graph 7 1997 U.S. Hispanic Unemployment Rates by Educational

Attainment (Age 16+) ........................................................................................ 24Graph 8 Latino Employment by Occupation, Oregon, 1997 ...................................... 27Graph 9 Employment by Occupation, All Oregonians, Oregon, 1997 ...................... 27Graph 10 Oregon Employment by Industry, 1990 ......................................................... 31Graph 11 Latino Employment by Industry, Oregon, 1990 ............................................ 31Graph 12 Latino Employment by Industry, Oregon, 1990 and 1997 ........................... 32Graph 13 Employment by Industry, Oregon, 1997 ....................................................... 32Graph 14 Latino Employment by Industry, Oregon, 1997 ............................................ 33Graph 15 1997 U.S. Hispanic Weekly Earnings by Educational

Attainment (Age 16+) ........................................................................................ 37

Table 1 Employment Status of the Civilian Noninstitutional Population, Oregon .... 21Table 2 Hispanic Drop Out Rates Among Public High School Students, Oregon 24Table 3 Factors Affecting the Decision to Drop Out of 9th Through 12th Grades,

Oregon Public Schools, 1996-1997 School Year ............................................. 25Table 4 Educational Attainment, 1996 .......................................................................... 26Table 5 Employment by Occupation, Hispanics, 1990 .............................................. 28Table 6 Percent of Hispanic Respondents

by Occupational Employment, 1992 & 1996 .................................................. 28Table 7 Occupations of Job Applicants listed with Oregon Employment

Department Job Service, July 1996 to June 1997............................................ 29Table 8 Hispanic Employment by Occupation, Oregon, 1990 and 1997 ................. 29Table 9 Oregon Counties with 100 or More Hispanic-Owned Firms, 1992 ............ 30Table 10 Annual Income of Hispanic Households, Oregon, 1996 ............................. 35Table 11 Economically Disadvantaged Hispanics, Oregon,

Ranked by Percent Change 1990-1998 ............................................................ 36Table 12 1997 Poverty Thresholds, 48 Contiguous States and D.C. .......................... 36


With such diversity, what joinsthese communities together?Perhaps they are joined by theircountries’ (of origin or ancestry)similar colonial past. Spanishcolonialism was dominant inSouth and Central America.

Most countries were heavilyinfluenced by the religious andgovernmental institutionsdeveloped during their colonialeras.

In 1990, the U.S. Census re-ported that over three-fourths ofthe Latinos in Oregon were ofMexican origin (Graph 1). Theremaining quarter of the His-panic population traced theirroots to Central or SouthAmerica or the Caribbean(Graph 2). Over 90 percent ofthe Latinos living in Oregonidentify themselves as White or“other race”, followed byAmerican Indian, then Black(Graph 3).

The 1990 Census reported over110,000 Latinos living in Oregon,four percent of the total popula-tion. In 1993, the population ofHispanics had grown to 147,000,

▼GRAPH 1

Who’s in the Latino Label?

▼GRAPH 2

Unlike terms used todescribe a racial back-

ground, Latino or Hispanic isused to describe an ethnicbackground. Racially, mostLatinos identify themselves asCaucasian. Many Latinos haveAfrican or Native Americanancestry as well. The U.S.Census uses the term Hispanicto identify individuals fromMexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico,South and Central America, andother Spanish-speaking countries.As in other areas of the globe,each country has a distinctcultural identity. Latinos,though predominantly Spanish-speaking, are linguisticallydiverse - most South andCentral American countrieshave vibrant communities thatspeak native languages such asQuechua, Oaxacan, andGuarani. Portuguese-speakingBrazilians are also often includedunder the Latino umbrella.

$QFHVWU\�RI�+LVSDQLFV�LQ�2UHJRQ��

0H[LFDQ��

&XEDQ��3XHUWR5LFDQ��&HQWUDO�D6RXWK�$PHULFD

��

2WKHU�+LVSDQ��

6RXUFH��86�&HQVXV

$QFHVWU\�RI�1RQ�0H[LFDQ�+LVSDQLFV�LQ�2UHJRQ��

� ��

3XHUWR�5LFR

&XED

*XDWDPDOD

+RQGXUDV

1LFDUDJXD

3DQDPD

(O�6DOYDGRU

2WKHU�&HQWUDO�$PHULFD

&RORPELD

(FXDGRU

3HUX

2WKHU�6RXWK�$PHULFD

1XPEHU�RI�3HRSOH6RXUFH�� 86�&HQVXV

Guatemala


▼and by 1997 it was estimated tobe 190,000. From 1990 to 1997,while the total population ofOregon grew at a rate of 13percent, the Hispanic popula-tion grew by over 66 percentand accounted for 20 percent ofthe total population growth.

The Latino population is ex-pected to continue its currentexpansion. Between 1990 and2000, the growth rate will mimicthe previous decade at over 70percent (Graph 4). Other thanAsian and Pacific Islanders,

Hispanics are the fastest grow-ing racial/ethnic group in thestate.

At the county level, the percent-age of Hispanics in 1990 variedfrom 1.2 percent in WheelerCounty to 20.3 percent inMalheur County (Map 1). In1993, Wheeler continued to havethe lowest percentage of His-panics, and Malheur the high-est. The largest increases ofHispanic population from 1990to 1993 were in Multnomah,Washington, Marion, Umatilla,and Malheur counties.

There are two factors contribut-ing to the growth of the OregonHispanic population. The firstis the natural growth of thepopulation (births minusdeaths); the second is the migra-tion of Latinos from other partsof the United States and othercountries.

In general, Hispanics areyounger and have larger house-holds than the total populationin Oregon. Graph 5 clearlyshows that Latinos are youngerthan the total population. In

▼GRAPH 3

GRAPH 4

▼GRAPH 5

5DFH�RI�3HRSOH�RI�+LVSDQLF�2ULJLQ�LQ�2UHJRQ��

:KLWH

��

2WKHU

��

,QGLDQ

��

%ODFN

��

6RXUFH��86�&HQVXV

3RSXODWLRQ�*URZWK�E\�5DFH�(WKQLF�*URXS�LQ�

2UHJRQ��

��

:KLWH��QRW�+LVSDQLF

%ODFN��QRW�+LVSDQLF

1DWLYH�$PHULFDQ��QRW+LVSDQLF

$VLDQ��3DFLILF,VODQGHU��QRW�+LVSDQLF

+LVSDQLF��DOO�UDFHV

3HUFHQW�*URZWK

��

��

6RXUFH�� 86�%XUHDX�RI��WKH�&HQVXV

3RSXODWLRQ�E\�$JH��2UHJRQ��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

7RWDO�3RSXODWLRQ

+LVSDQLF

6RXUFH�� 86�%XUHDX�RI��WKH�&HQVXV


fact, while 48 percent of thestate’s population in 1996 wasage 34 and under, 71 percent ofLatinos were in this samecategory. Nationally, the me-dian Hispanic age is 26.7 years,while the non-Hispanic Whitesmedian age is 35.5 years. Thepercentage of Hispanic house-holds in Oregon with childrenunder 18 years old is higherthan for the total population(47% for all households, 70% for

Hispanic households). Bothfactors indicate that the naturalrate of growth in the Latinopopulation will be faster than inthe overall population.

Oregon’s strong economy hasattracted people of all origins.Latinos are becoming increas-ingly aware of the employmentopportunities available in thisstate. The number of Latino-owned businesses and establish-

ments catering to the Hispaniccommunity has grown, provid-ing another avenue of opportu-nity for new residents. Socialand cultural services are alsoincreasing to meet demand,making Oregon a more welcom-ing environment. ▲

▼MAP 1

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Hispanics as a Percent of Total County Population,Oregon,1997

< 3.0% Hispanic 3.1 - 6.0% Hispanic 6.1 - 14.0% Hispanic >14.0 Hispanic


Bob Cortinas

Bob was born on November 2, 1948 in Corpus Christi,Texas. His family were migrant farm workers, pickingcotton in Texas and Arizona, potatoes and onions inIdaho, cucumbers and green beans in Oregon, andasparagus and onions in Washington. They settled inWalla Walla, Washington in 1956, where Bob lived forthe next 36 years. Bob attended Walla Walla HighSchool, Walla Walla Community College, and WallaWalla College, where he earned his bachelor’s ofscience degree in sociology.

Most families keep in touch with phone calls and letters. Bob’s family, which includeshis 17 brothers and sisters and “too many nieces and nephews to count”, has amonthly newsletter to keep everyone informed!

Bob worked as a personnel manager in the past, and has been an Employment Special-ist, Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker Representative for the Oregon EmploymentDepartment since 1991. In addition to helping farmworkers obtain employment, Bobis a resource for all types of services available to the Hispanic community. In his offhours he provides referrals to programs, assistance with taxes, and legal information.

At home in Woodburn, Bob volunteers his time to interpret and translate letters forSpanish-speaking people. He also belongs to the Centro Cultural, the organizationwhich organizes Woodburn’s Cinco de Mayo celebration, provides scholarships toWoodburn high schoolers, and supports local youth activities.

How would people describe you? Friendly and easy-going.

What do you do in your spare time? I enjoy watching sports, coaching soccer, and reading.

Do you have a claim to fame? I ran for the Walla Walla city council twice.

Something people might be surprised to know about you: I am very caring and givingto others.

What is your favorite childhood memory: My mom took me to A&W for a bananasplit after I broke my arm, even though she really couldn’t afford it.

What is your advice to Hispanic youth in Oregon? Follow your dreams -- they willcome true if you work at them. Also, stay in school and don’t procrastinate.

Profile


During the early and mid-1500s, Spain strengthened

its colonial power in Mexico andBaja California. The Spanishcolonial success depended onefficient and secure maritimecommerce.Ships neededports andreliable maps ofcoastal areas.By the late1500s, Spainhad establishedharbors andshipping routesin Baja Califor-nia. From theseports, expedi-tions mappedthe northern coastal areas toexpand the Spanish Empire andto provide navigational tools forvessels which might stray fromthe secured routes.

In 1603, Sebastian Vizcainobecame the first European tomap and name points in Oregon--Cape Sebastian and CapeBlanco. Interest in the northernareas was not strong though,and few other explorationsoccurred during this period.

Over a century and a half later,spurred by competition withEnglish and Russian colonialinterests in the area, Spainresumed exploration of thenorthern Pacific Coast. Though

the Spanish sent over 30 voy-ages from 1788 to 1795, nosignificant presence was estab-lished. After a period of disputebetween the American andSpanish governments, all Span-

ish claims north of the42nd parallel, includ-ing the Oregon Terri-tory, was officiallytransferred to theUnited States in theTranscontinentalTreaty of 1819.Although the officialSpanish claim to thearea ended, Spanishsettlers from Califor-nia continued to moveand trade in the

Oregon Territory. Latinostraveled to Oregon for manyreasons. According to a publica-tion titled Nosotros: HispanicPeople of Oregon, many came tomine or carry supplies to South-ern Oregon settlements. Latinomule packers, even during theMexican-American war (1846-1848), were employed to supplymining camps and militia troopsfighting “Indian wars”. Later,Latinos were important inestablishing and maintainingthe railroads that linked Oregonwith California and the rest ofthe nation. Arguably the great-est influence Latinos had onearly Oregon history wasthrough the cowboys - or vaque-ros. Through the late 1800s and

early 1900s, vaqueros wererespected workers on the HighDesert ranches in EasternOregon.

Latinos have played a vital partin the growth and success ofOregon’s agricultural sector.Throughout the 1900s, Latinossettled and farmed in Oregon.When travel became easier,particularly after the inventionof the automobile and thecreation of the highway sys-tems, Latinos became the back-bone of labor-intensive agricul-ture in the Pacific Northwest.

Many current Hispanic Oregonresidents arrived as migrantlaborers or children of migrantlaborers. Some Latinos whochose Oregon as their perma-nent home remained in agricul-tural work, while others soughtemployment in other sectors ofthe economy. Today, mostLatinos living in Oregon perma-nently are employed outside ofthe agricultural sector, but thehistory of migrant farm work inOregon is part of their personaland community heritage. ▲

❝ ❝ ❝ ❝ ❝ Today, mostLatinos living

in Oregonpermanentlyare employedoutside of theagricultural

sector...❞❞❞❞❞

A Brief History of Latinos in Oregon


Profile

Lupe Alvarado

Although Lupe first visited Nyssa, Oregon in 1949, when she and her family weremigrant workers, she did not settle there until 1960. Her family’s home town isPharr, Texas, where they owned a home, and her father did yard work and worked inthe agricultural fields and her mother worked in the packing sheds. When it becamedifficult to find steady work, the family decided to become migrant farm workers,following the crops, traveling to other states including Indiana, Michigan, Idaho, andOregon. Lupe and her husband, as well as one of Lupe’s nine brothers and sisters,decided to settle in Oregon, while the rest of her family stayed in Texas.

Lupe first became a custodian for the Nyssa School District, but her ambition was tobecome a teacher. Working toward this goal, she became an instructional assistantfor bilingual students and was a home school consultant, tutoring students in theirhomes. While working, she attended night and summer school to earn her teachingdegree. She attended Treasure Valley Community College and then Boise StateUniversity. She received her Oregon teacher certification and began teaching at theNyssa Elementary School. During the 1997-1998 school year, Lupe taught geographyand reading to seventh graders.

Lupe has been very active in her community. She was on the committee for the FourRivers Cultural Center in Ontario and she is currently a member of the MalheurCommission for Children and Families. She is also a member of the Nyssa Librarycommittee. She has taught courses at Treasure Valley Community College on Englishas a second language. She also worked with people to help them gain their U.S.citizenship. She is also a member of the Bilingual Board at TVCC.

How would people describe you? As a caring person with a great sense of humor.

What do you do in your spare time? I enjoy traveling, visiting family, and spendingtime with my grandchildren.

Do you have a claim to fame? I have the neatest grandchildren in the world.

Something people might be surprised to know about you: I used to be a custodian atthe school where I now teach. Also, I have won contests and awards for dancing to Rock-n-Roll music.

What is your favorite childhood memory: While my family was migrating as farmworkers, I have fond memories of helping my family work towards our financialgoals of remodeling our house and buying a car. I also distinctly remember that myparents’ main goal was for every one of their to children become educated, and howwe all worked to help each other towards that goal.

What is your advice to Hispanic youth in Oregon? Have a dream and goals for yourfuture, find a mentor, be brave and accept help from others, and be involved in yourfamily’s life and get them involved in yours.


religiousevents for theworkers, butmany workersstill felt iso-lated. Intowns, Mexi-cans wereoften thetargets ofviolence anddiscrimination,and some

workers were advised to remainon the farm even on their day off.

Conditions on the farm wereaustere, and the Mexicans’status as non-immigratingworkers who were required towork at a sponsor’s farm madetheir situation tenuous. Theworkers were housed in canvastents, six men to a 16 x 16 space,with one cot and one blanket

per man. The food was unfamil-iar and not always prepared in asanitary manner. Also water wasnot always available for drinkingor personal hygiene. Though fewworkers dared to complainbecause of their status, someabuses were reported. Fewaccommodations were made forthe workers’ free time, thoughsome saved to buy radios and afew had traveled with musicalinstruments.

Under these conditions, it shouldnot have been surprising thatover ten percent of the bracerosin the Pacific Northwest wentmissing or were repatriatedbefore the end of their contracts.

The use of Latino labor continuedafter the war. Many migrantlaborers traveled from California,Texas, and Arizona, as well as

❝❝❝❝❝ The braceroswere known to bevery productive.Most communi-

ties were gratefulfor their presence

as laborers.❞❞❞❞❞

During World War II therewas a severe national labor

shortage in the agriculturalsector. Growers were asked toincrease production levels,while most of their traditionalworkforce was drafted into themilitary. Though women andchildren pitched in, their laborwas not enough to meet de-mand. The U.S. governmentturned to its southern neighborfor assistance. In August of1942, Public Law-45 was signed,allowing more than 15,000Mexican workers to enter theOregon agricultural labormarket for temporary employ-ment. The program was knownas the Bracero Program. InSpanish, the wordbracero means“manual laborer”.

A brief summary ofthe bracero programis provided here.For a more completehistory of thisprogram, refer to“Braceros in thePacific Northwest:Laborers on theDomestic Front, 1942-1947”published in Pacific HistoricalReview 56. In this article, Dr.Erasmo Gamboa documents theimpact of this program on theworkers and on Oregon.

The braceros were known to bevery productive. Most communi-ties were grateful for their pres-ence as laborers. A few commu-nities organized social and

Photo courtesy Oregon State University Archives, 1945

Migrant Agricultural Labor


Mexico and Central America, towork in the fields and orchards ofOregon.

Sometimes, the living conditionsin which migrant workers livedalarmed the local communitiesand politicians. Commonproblems includedsubstandard sanita-tion, dangerous ornonexistent cookingfacilities, crampedsleeping areas,exposure to hazard-ous chemicals, andpoorly maintainedstructures.

It was not until afterWorld War II thatcommunities beganto organize to im-prove these condi-tions. Workers,religious groups,farmers, and socialorganizations startedto work together toimprove migrantcamp conditions.Both the CatholicChurch and the Oregon StateCouncil of Churches wereinstrumental in providingassistance and spiritual enrich-ment for the migrant community.

In the 1960s, the Valley MigrantLeague was created in theWillamette Valley. In additionto improving housing con-ditions, the Valley MigrantLeague also supported healthand educational services.Throughout the decade, the roleof the League grew.

The Valley Migrant League wascriticized by its allies for notproviding support to unioniza-tion and political issues, while

its critics charged that theLeague was violating the lawsby using government grants topromote unions and commu-nism -- accusations which wereproven to be false. Other orga-nizations formed to promotefarm labor unionization and to

promote political change forfarm workers. Among thesegroups were the United FarmWorkers of Oregon and Volun-teers in Vanguard Action(VIVA).

In the 1960s, the Valley MigrantLeague hired a new executivedirector, Frank Martinez, whowas able to bring the commu-nity together to fight for change.The League built coalitions withother social organizations, metwith political leaders, and wassuccessful in having the Latinocommunity’s concerns heard. In1969, Governor Tom McCallcreated the Advisory Committeeon Chicano Affairs.

By 1970, the issues supported byLatino organizations were nolonger concerned only withfarm workers. Latinos began todemand access to higher educa-tion, respect of their culture, andfair treatment from the criminaljustice system.

In 1973, Colegio Cesar Chavezwas created on the formercampus of Mount Angel Collegein Oregon. This was the firstLatino four-year college in the

United States. The collegebecame a place for politicalideas and cultural awareness.Although the quality of educa-tion gained respect, the schoolsuffered serious financial andadministrative problems fromthe start, and just ten years afteropening, it was forced to close.

During this same period of time,affirmative action and otherprograms to admit disadvan-taged students opened the doors

Photo courtesy Stefani Photography, 1965


of Oregon’s public and privatecolleges. Latino student organi-zations were formed, and then,as now, these organizationsworked to create leaders andpromote social and politicalissues important to the Hispaniccommunity.

The fervor of the politicalmovement had diminished bythe early 1980s, but Latinoscontinued to work for improve-ments in their communities. Atthe federal level, the Immigra-tion Reform and Control Actwas passed, allowing millions ofundocumented peopleto gain residency and alegal right to work inthe United States. Thisact had a significantimpact on the supplyof agricultural work-ers. In 1986, the laborsupply was con-stricted, caused in partby confusion overchanges in the immi-gration laws. By 1988,the situation hadreversed, and Oregonwas flooded withworkers.

The large numbers ofnow-legal workersmade the conditions ofthe migrant commu-

Photo courtesy Stefani Photography, 1965

nity visible to the community atlarge. Legislation was quicklydrafted to correct the mostegregious abuses. According tothe article “Agricultural LaborReform: Implications of theNew Labor Law and the 1989Legislative Farm Worker Pack-age”, published in the WillametteLaw Review (Spring 1990), billswere passed that amendedexisting laws that governedfarm labor contracting, housing,and camp operations. These1989 bills provided tax creditsfor building new farm labor

housing, improving the stan-dards for farm labor housing,and increasing access to laborcamps. Farm labor contractorswere required to provide foodand housing from the time ofhiring until the harvest began,and guarantee some wages ifwork had not begun within 30days of the agreed-upon date.

Farm labor issues, education,immigration, and eliminatingemployment discriminationcontinue to be important Latinopolitical issues. ▲


Profile

Raul Ramirez

Raul grew up in the 1960s working as a migrant workeralongside his five younger brothers. Born in Texas, hisfamily followed the harvests. In search of a better lifefor their children, Raul’s parents moved their family toOregon. They located in the Salem/Woodburn area,where Raul has lived for over 33 years, raising sixchildren of his own. He is also a proud grandfather.

In high school, Raul was involved in football, basket-ball, and track. His leadership achievements in highschool led to his recruitment by the Woodburn police chief, a factor which motivatedhim in his law enforcement career. Raul continued on to college, majoring in criminaljustice. Raul worked as a juvenile probation officer from 1971 to 1973, and thenbecame a deputy sheriff in 1975. Over a 22-year period, he was promoted through theranks, becoming the Sheriff of Marion County in August 1997.

Through law enforcement, Sheriff Ramirez has worked to develop dialogue andestablish community relations to bridge the gap between the Hispanic communityand law enforcement.

How would people describe you? Friendly, approachable, community-oriented, and a“family man”.

What do you do in your spare time? Spend quality time with family, coach T-ball,fish, and go to movies.

Do you have a claim to fame? I founded the Latin American Law EnforcementAssociation of Oregon, and was the first law enforcement investigator in Oregon topresent a homicide case for prosecution with the Mexican government.

Something people might be surprised to know about you: I like to attend Broadwayshows.

What is your favorite childhood memory: The day the Woodburn police chief came tomy high school to recruit me to be a dispatcher, and eventually, I became his firstpolice cadet in Woodburn.

What is your advice to Hispanic youth in Oregon? Believe in yourself, set long-termgoals and work very hard towards them, and deal with whatever challenges youencounter with a positive attitude.


From the neighborhood levelto the national level, an

increasing number of Latinos areparticipating in politics on awide range of issues.

In communitiesaround Oregon,Latinos haveorganized andparticipated inefforts to improveeducation, combatdrugs and gangs,and to improve thelivability of theirneighborhoods.

In 1994, there were5,237,000 registeredHispanic votersnationwide,roughly half thepopulation of Hispanics eligibleto register. Two-thirds of theregistered Hispanic voters votedin the 1994 general election. Asin the general population, as theage of individuals increases thelikelihood that they will registerand vote also increases. Nation-wide, for every one Hispanicregistered as Republican thereare slightly over two Hispanicsregistered as Democrats. Thereis an increased effort, by thepolitical parties and other orga-nizations, to encourage Hispan-ics to register and vote.

Although Hispanics are inter-ested about and involved in thefull spectrum of political issues,several issues receive greatercoverage in Hispanic media

than in othermedia. Thesepolitical issuesmay be ofgreater interestwithin theHispaniccommunity,though onseveral topics,opinions withinthe communityare divided.

• BilingualEducation:Recently sev-eral states and

communities have questionedthe effectiveness of bilingualeducation. Spanish is thesecond most prevalent languagein the United States, and thelanguage most often used inbilingual settings. Many His-panics have experienced bilin-gual education personally or asa parent.

• English as the Official Lan-guage: Some local and nationalleaders would like to passlegislation to make English theofficial language. This legisla-

❝❝❝❝❝ Spanish is thesecond most

prevalentlanguage in theUnited States,

and thelanguage mostoften used in

bilingualsettings. ❞❞❞❞❞

tion would require all officialgovernmental business to beconducted in English.

• Immigration and WelfareReform: In 1996, legal immi-grants not yet citizens weredisqualified from receivingpublic assistance as well asSocial Security. Border patrolswere increased to attempt toreduce illegal immigration.Reforms to change the currenttemporary agricultural visaprogram, also known as H-2A,to a guest worker programhave been proposed. Both ofOregon’s Senators, Ron Wydenand Gordon Smith, haveplayed key roles in draftingreform legislation.

• Affirmative Action: Effortsto reform or eliminate affirma-tive action continue to capturethe interest of Hispanics. Manyfeel that the elimination ofaffirmative action could limitLatino access to education andemployment. ▲

Political Participation of Hispanics


Profile

Maria Teresa Porras

As the music and program director at KWIP 880 AM inDallas, Maria definitely enjoys her job. She helps hercommunity by relaying all kinds of useful information,from help for people in abusive relationships, toannouncements about drinking-and-driving and AIDS,to a Tree-of-Giving at Christmas.

While attending Silverton High School, Maria workedfirst as a gas station attendant and then for the SilvertonCity Hall. After high school, she headed to ChemeketaCommunity College where she trained to be a teacher aide and then spent time as amigrant tutor in a grade school classroom. She then trained for, and became, a casemanager for the chronically mentally ill. In search of a career change, Maria landedat KWIP.

Nuevo Laredo Tamulipas, Mexico is Maria’s hometown. As a child, Maria was amigrant seasonal farm worker. Her family, including her five sisters and four broth-ers, traveled through Florida, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, and Oregon following theharvest of such crops as tangerines, lemons, carrots, and onions. Maria’s parents weresearching for a place to settle which would provide a positive atmosphere, as well aseducational and employment opportunities, for her and her siblings. Her fatherbelieved Scotts Mills, Oregon would provide such a place. Maria still resides in ScottsMills today. She has raised two daughters and has a two-year-old grandson.

How would people describe you? As a friendly, thoughtful, and caring person who isdedicated to and loves her job.

What do you do in your spare time? Spend quality time with my family.

Do you have a claim to fame? I met and ‘hung out’ with the Hispanic musical artistSelena in L.A. She was there to receive her Grammy award and I was staying at thesame hotel.

Something people might be surprised to know about you: I lived in Saudi Arabia fornine months.

What is your favorite childhood memory: Seeing Grandpa coming out of church afterservice as I was entering.

What is your advice to Hispanic youth in Oregon? Respect your parents, worktoward your career and educational goals for yourself and your family, and rememberthat the only best friend you really have is your family.


Employment Status of the Civilian Noninstitutional Population, Oregon (All numbers in thousands)

Civilian Civilian Labor Force Employment Unemployment Noninstitutional Participation Population Age 16+ Number Rate 1 Number Number Percent

Hispanics1990 59 49 81.9 % 46 3 6.5%1991 80 66 82.6 % 59 7 10.4%1992 87 68 77.6 % 56 11 16.8%1993 90 69 77.2 % 62 7 10.7%1994 99 69 70.5 % 62 7 10.6%1995 122 83 68.1 % 75 8 9.4%1996 145 114 78.5 % 103 11 9.9%1997 172 132 76.6 % 121 11 8.5%

Total1990 2,197 1,492 67.9 % 1,409 82 5.5%1991 2,235 1,508 67.5 % 1,418 90 6.0%1992 2,274 1,537 67.6 % 1,422 115 7.5%1993 2,327 1,587 68.2 % 1,473 114 7.2%1994 2,386 1,643 68.9 % 1,553 89 5.4%1995 2,428 1,650 68.0 % 1,570 80 4.8%1996 2,484 1,721 69.3 % 1,619 102 5.9%1997 2,525 1,732 68.6 % 1,631 101 5.8%

1 Total Labor Force divided by Population: Age 16+. Rate calculated prior to rounding.

Source: Current Population Survey (CPS) as published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics in “Geographic Profile of Employment and Unemployment”

Official labor force and unem-ployment statistics undoubtedlydo not include all undocumentedworkers. In fact, according to theU.S. Forecast Summary fromStandard and Poor’s DRI, exist-ing immigration laws and theobvious problem of not having avalid work permit have probablyinfluenced some Hispanics not torespond to any governmentagency or public employeeseeking information on theiremployment status. Also, insome instances, a survey tech-nique may influence Latino

responses. For instance, the timeof year the survey is performedand the availability of Spanishforms and/or Spanish-speakingsurveyors may have an impact.The Census, for example, is takenin April, a time when few sea-sonal, migrant agriculturalworkers are available to respondin Oregon. Hopefully, thesesurvey problems will improveover time. Still, there is noarguing that there are undocu-mented workers in the state, asevidenced by the continuingImmigration and Naturalization

How Big is the Latino Labor Force in Oregon?

▼TABLE 1

Labor Force

Before we delve into adiscussion about the labor

force, let’s get a few definitionsout of the way.

• The civilian labor forceconsists of people age 16 andover who are either employedor unemployed. People who arenot in the civilian labor force areeither in the military, under age16, or are not actively seekingwork, such as homemakers orretired persons.

• The labor forceparticipationrate defines howmany people inthe total popula-tion aged 16 andover are actuallyin the labor force.It is equal to thenumber ofpeople in thecivilian laborforce divided bythe populationaged 16 and over.


Service activity and their visitsto employer sites to identify andremove persons without permis-sion to be in the U.S.

In the United States, about aquarter of the total employmentgrowth in the past year has beendue to an increase in the His-panic workforce. The signifi-cance of this statistic is apparentwhen we add the fact that onlyabout ten percent of the laborforce is Hispanic.

Since 1990, Oregon’s Hispaniclabor force has more thandoubled, soaring from 49,000 to132,000 (Table 1). This increaseis largely due to the similarLatino population increase ofover two-fold between 1990 and1997.

How does this compare with theoverall Oregon population andlabor force growth rates?Clearly, the rate of growth ofboth the Hispanic populationand labor force far exceeds therates for all Oregonians duringthe past few years. While theLatino labor force increased by169 percent between 1990 and1997, the total labor force roseonly 16 percent. The numbersfor population aged 16 and overare similar, with a 192 percentincrease for Hispanics in thestate, and a 15 percent increasefor all Oregonians. At thebeginning of the 1990s, Latinosmade up just over three percentof the total labor force, butjumped to over 7.6 percent in1997.

The number of Latinos in thestate and in the labor forceincreased dramatically, but whatportion of the Latino populationparticipates in the labor force?Unlike the steady increase in the

Latino population and laborforce, the participation rate forLatinos as reported by theCurrent Population Survey(CPS) has actually been quiteerratic over the last few years.Sampling errors could be con-tributing to the variations,however.

The labor force participationrate for all Oregonians hashovered between 67.5 and 69.3percent since 1990 (Table 1). Incontrast, the Hispanics’ rate hasgenerally been higher, rangingfrom a low of 68.1 percent in1995 to a high of 82.6 percent in1991. Moreover, the two rateshave not moved in the samedirection from year to year. TheHispanic participation rate wason a downward trend until1996, when it shot up by overten percentage points as 31,000Latinos joined the civilian laborforce. In fact, about 8,000 moreHispanics joined the labor forcein 1996 than entered the state,indicating that people already inthe state who were previouslynot in the labor force, joined theever-growing labor force. SomeLatinos entering the labor forcemay have joined simply because

they turned 16, the minimumage for anyone to be included inthe civilian labor force statistic.

In addition to the changes in theworking-age population, otherfactors could be influencing anincrease in the labor force.

Oregon’s healthy economy haslikely drawn more people intothe labor force. Most recently,the increases in the minimumwage may further provideincentives for people to enter thelabor force. The minimum wagewent up from $4.75 per hour in1996 to $5.50 in 1997, then to$6.00 on January 1, 1998. A thirdstep increase is due to take effectin January 1999, when the wagegoes to $6.50 per hour. We willdiscuss the related impacts onincome in a later chapter.

UnemploymentHistorically, unemploymentrates among Latinos in Oregonhave been greater than those forthe population as a whole(Graph 6). While the two rateshave moved in the same general

▼GRAPH 6

$YHUDJH�$QQXDO�8QHPSOR\PHQW�5DWHV

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

6RXUFH�� &XUUHQW�3RSXODWLRQ�6XUYH\��%XUHDX�RI�/DERU�6WDWLVWLFV

2UHJRQ�+LVSDQLF

2UHJRQ�7RWDO

8�6��+LVSDQLF

8�6��7RWDO


direction from year to year since1990, the Hispanic rate has beenas much as nine points higherthan the overall rate. Somegood news may be on thehorizon for Hispanic Orego-nians. While 1998 unemploy-ment rates are not yet availablefor the states, the U.S. rate forLatinos in April 1998 was 6.5percent, down 1.5 points from ayear ago. Hopefully, this goodnews will transfer to Oregon’seconomy.

Oregon’s total and Hispanicunemployment rates were onlyone percentage point different in1990, at 5.5 percent and 6.5percent, respectively. Sincethen, the gap has widened. In1992, the unemployment rate forHispanics in Oregon reached16.8 percent, double the rate ofthe entire Oregon labor force.(It is important to note that theerror range for the unemploy-ment rate statistic for Hispanicsis ± 5.4% in 1992, compared to± 0.8 % for the total rate.) Thegap has since remained betweenthree and five percentage points,with rates of 5.8 percent (allOregonians) and 8.5 percent(Hispanic Oregonians) in 1997.

The portion of the unemployedwho are of Hispanic originappears to be increasing. In1990, Hispanic Oregoniansmade up 3.3 percent of the totallabor force, but 3.7 percent ofthe unemployed. By 1997, 7.6percent of the labor force wasHispanic, while almost 11percent of the unemployed wereHispanic.

Why are so many Hispanicsunable to find work? Unem-ployment occurs when someoneis looking for a job and cannot

find one. Properly defined, it isequal to the labor force minusthe number of employed per-sons. Both the population andthe Hispanic labor force havegrown very rapidly between1990 and1997 (Table1), and totalemploy-ment hassimply notkept upwith theexpandinglabor force.With theexceptionof 1993 and1994, theLatinolabor forcehas been growing faster thanemployment, thus keeping theunemployment rate high. Inother words, people have beenjoining the labor force fasterthan they are finding jobs.

Of the people who are working,some may not be happy withtheir current work arrangement.The Oregon Population Surveyasked respondents about theiremployment situation. Of the350 Latino respondents to the1996 survey, 45 were workingpart-time, and 24 of these 45would have preferred to beworking full-time. This meansthat over 50 percent of thosewho were working part-timeactually wanted to work more.Of the 5,215 total respondents,556 were working part-time and140 of these people (or about25%) would have preferred towork more. On a proportionalbasis, more part-time Hispanicrespondents would prefer full-time work than reported by allrespondents.

Several other factors contributeto unemployment, including amismatch of skills between a jobseeker and available jobs,education levels achieved by jobseekers, language barriers, and

the industries andoccupations peoplework or have experi-ence in. The skills andeducation issues areaddressed below, andthe following twomajor sections focus onindustry and occupa-tional employment.Language and otherbarriers are discussedin the last section ofthis publication.

Skills MismatchThe availability of jobs whichmatch one’s job skills is impor-tant when looking for work.This is a problem all aroundOregon. In the summer of 1998,the Oregon EmploymentDepartment did an informalsurvey of the Department’s fieldoffices, inquiring about thedifficulties they were facing inmatching job applicants to openpositions. The findings weresummarized in the Department’sweekly newsletter Around theState (June 1998). All areas ofthe state, both urban and rural,reported difficulty findingapplicants with the job skillsrequired for a variety of avail-able jobs.

Computer skills, as well asgrammar, punctuation, andspelling, are listed among thetop ten skills required by em-ployers. It is certainly possiblethat Hispanics, with theirhigher-than-average high school

❝❝❝❝❝ Oregon’s totaland Hispanic

unemploymentrates were onlyone percentage

point different in1990, at 5.5 percent

and 6.5 percent,respectively. ❞❞❞❞❞


drop out rates, may have lessopportunity to obtain these andother skills taught in highschool.

If existing job openings do notmatch the skills of a job seeker,the applicant is much less likelyto be offered a job than if theyhad the required skills forcurrent openings. This mis-match of skills can leave peopleunemployed for a longer periodof time than if jobs were avail-able for which they had skills.

EducationIn addition to job skills, manyemployers require job appli-cants to meet certain minimumeducational requirements.When comparing the highschool completion of Hispanicstudents with the entire studentbody, it is clear that the drop outrate among Hispanics is high.

Many students do not make itthrough high school nor com-plete a General EquivalencyDegree (GED). (Starting withthe 1996-1997 data, a changewas made so that individuals

who drop out of high school,but pursue their GED, are notconsidered dropouts. Thischange in the definition resultsin a lower drop out rate thanwould have otherwise beencalculated.)Since the 1990-1991 school year,the high schooldrop out rate forOregon Hispan-ics rate hasranged from 12.5to 17.9 percent(Table 2).

High school drop out rates arehigher for Hispanics than forany other group. At the begin-ning of the 1996-1997 schoolyear, there were 9,484 Hispanicstudents enrolled in 9th through12th grades in Oregon publicschools. Over the course of theschool year, 1,491 students (orone in six students) droppedout of school. The drop out ratefor all students was just 6.7percent (or one in every fifteenstudents).

Factors which affected eachstudent’s decision to drop out

were recorded. Some factorswere determined by the staff,others were collected from thestudents themselves. AmongLatinos, the most commonfactors cited by the staff was

that the studentdid not speakEnglish well orat all, and thatthe student wasworking morethan 15 hours aweek. Thestudents, on theother hand,indicated that

the most common reason forleaving school was because thecourse work was not relevant.One-third of the student re-sponses referring to a lack ofsupport for cultural identitycame from Latino students.Both student and staff responsesare shown in Table 3.

Like the distribution of theLatino population, the numberof Hispanic students enrolled ineach county varies widely.Around the state, Malheur(24.0%), Hood River (20.6%),Jefferson (16.5%), Morrow

Hispanic Drop Out RatesAmong Public High School

Students, Oregon

All School Hispanic Students

Year Rate Rate

1990-1991 14.8 % 6.5 %

1991-1992 12.5 % 5.8 %1992-1993 14.0 % 5.7 %1993-1994 16.2 % 6.6 %

1994-1995 17.9 % 7.4 %1995-1996 16.5 % 7.2 %1996-1997 15.7 % 6.7 %

Source: Oregon Dept. of Education

▼TABLE 2

▼GRAPH 7

❝ ❝ ❝ ❝ ❝ Since the 1990-1991school year, the high

school drop out rate forOregon Hispanics ratehas ranged from 12.5 to

17.9 percent. ❞❞❞❞❞

��8�6��8QHPSOR\PHQW�5DWHV�E\�(GXFDWLRQDO�

$WWDLQPHQW��$JH��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

+LVSDQLF

1RQ�+LVSDQLF

6RXUFH��&XUUHQW�3RSXODWLRQ�6XUYH\��%XUHDX�RI�/DERU�6WDWLVWLFV


Factors Affecting the Decision to Drop Out of 9th through 12th GradesOregon Public Schools, 1996-1997 School Year

In Reference In Reference Hispanics to Hispanic to All as a % ofStaff Determined: Students Students All Students

Does not speak English well or at all 201 283 71%Working 15+ hrs per week 188 1,152 16%Frequent discipline referrals 127 1,054 12%Pregnant or student parent 116 662 18%Obligations to support family 103 352 29%Substance abuse 62 853 7%Health problems caused frequent absences 47 335 14%Did not get along with school staff 44 415 11%Attended 3 or more high schools 33 316 10%Expelled and did not enroll in alternate educ. 24 123 20%Homeless 14 275 5%

Hispanics Hispanic Total as a % ofStudent Reasons: Students Students All Students

Course work was not relevant 159 1,185 13%Peer pressure to not achieve 59 598 10%Lack of personal attention in class 42 389 11%Teaching techniques did not match learning style 33 329 10%Lack of support for cultural identity 27 89 30%Threatened by other students 11 102 11%

Note: Factors might not have been indicated for every student and more than one factormay have been indicated for any one student.

Source: Oregon Department of Education

▼TABLE 3(15.9%), andUmatilla (14.6%)counties had thehighest percentageof Hispanic stu-dents enrolled inpublic schools atthe beginning of the1996-1997 schoolyear. These werealso the only coun-ties to exceed tenpercent. Onthe other end,Crook (1.6%),Deschutes (1.6%),Wheeler (0.9%),Wallowa (0.7%),and Grant (0.6%)had the lowestproportions. Theaverage Latinoenrollment for thestate was 4.8 per-cent. See AppendixA for a more de-tailed summary.

The high dropoutfigures for theHispanic popula-tion has promptedattention at thenational level. In early 1998, itwas reported that thePresident’s newest budgetincluded $500 million to targetHispanic students to help themimprove their reading and mathskills, to train 20,000 teachers onteaching English more effec-tively to Hispanic students andadults, to reform failing schools,to help boost disadvantagedstudents toward college, and toincrease migrant education.

Currently very few of the post-secondary degrees awarded inOregon go to persons of His-panic origin. In the 1994-1995school year, Oregon colleges

and universities awarded over24,000 post-secondary degrees,including Associates,Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctor’s,and first professional degrees.Of these, less than two percent(471) were earned by Hispanics.The degree data from the De-partment of Education does notindicate whether these peoplewere Oregon residents. Most ofthe degrees earned by Hispanicswere Bachelor’s degrees (287),followed by Associate’s degrees(109), generally a two-year degree.

These data are troubling giventhat education and employmentare definitely linked, as shown

in Graph 7. As one wouldexpect, generally, the higher theeducation level, the lower theunemployment rate. At mosteducational levels, Latinos aged16 or over had an equal orhigher unemployment rate in1997 than non-Hispanics. Theexception is for those with lessthan a high school diploma.The difference is relativelysmall, 11 percent versus 11.8percent for non-Hispanics, withboth rates much higher than allother categories. Included inthe 16-plus age group arestudents who may be workingpart-time or temporary jobswhile they are attending school.


Educational Attainment, 1996

All Latinos OregoniansLess than High School 29.3% 28.6%High School Diploma/GED 25.5% 26.4%Some College 27.0% 25.7%College Graduate 17.7% 18.1%Post Graduate 0.4% 1.1%

100.0% 100.0%Source: Oregon Population Survey

▼TABLE 4The Oregon Population Surveyreported that 29 percent ofHispanic survey respondents in1996 had less than a high schooldegree, and only 18 percentwere college graduates. Thestatistics for all Oregoniansrepresented in the survey werenearly identical to the Latinoresponses (Table 3), indicatingthat the Hispanics surveyed hadsimilar educational levels tothose of all Oregonians sur-veyed. Whereas the drop outrates for Latinos are muchgreater than for the total popu-lation as reported by the Depart-ment of Education, the educa-tion attainment levels in Table 4appear very similar. The easiest

explanation forthis starts with thefact that theOregon Popula-tion Survey is atelephone survey,thus anyonewithout a tele-phone is notcontacted. Peoplewho are lesseducated will, ingeneral, havelower incomes, and in turn areless likely to have a telephoneand thus be included in thesurvey. This could be respon-sible for the Latino and allOregonians response rates beingso similar. Language should not

be a barrier with the OregonPopulation Survey as Spanish-speaking surveyors are availableto take survey responses fromSpanish-speaking individuals.▲


Determining the occupationsin which Latinos work is

nothing but challenging! Thereare four sources of informationthat will be presentedhere: 1. the OregonEmployment Depart-ment (an occupa-tional breakout of jobapplicants listed withthe Department);2. the Current Popu-lation Survey (amonthly survey ofhouseholds that isconducted for allstates by the U.S.Census Bureau forthe Bureau of LaborStatistics (BLS));3. minority-ownedbusiness informationfrom the 1992 Eco-nomic Census, Bureauof the Census; and4. the Oregon Popula-tion Survey (lastconducted in 1996).

Differences in method-ology and in theclassification of occu-pations make compari-sons between thesestudies somewhatlimited, but one thingthat will become quiteclear by the end of thischapter is that peopleof Hispanic originwork in all sectors ofOregon’s economy. This clearlyrefutes the commonly heldbelief that Hispanics workalmost solely in the agricultural

crop industry, with perhaps asecond job in the food process-ing industry. While there are

many farm workers and serviceworkers of Hispanic heritage,there are also thousands ofLatinos in other occupations.

According to the 1990 CurrentPopulation Survey (CPS), thelargest occupational category of

Hispanic Orego-nians was farming,forestry, and fish-ing, with over one-fourth of all em-ployment. This wasfollowed by servicesat 19.4 percent(Table 5). This isvery different thanthe distribution ofthe U.S. Latinoworkers, whichplaced agriculturemuch farther downthe list (at 4.3%).

The most recentdata available fromthe CPS is for 1997(Graphs 8 and 9).The largest concen-tration of Hispanicsin 1997 was inservice occupations,which accounted forover one-fifth ofOregon’s Hispanicemployment in1997. This wasfollowed by farm-ing, forestry, andfishing, and ma-chine operators,assemblers, andinspectors.

Compared with allOregonians, Hispanics showsome similarity in their occupa-tional breakout. Not only is alarge portion of the Hispanic

Occupational Employment Trends

▼GRAPH 8

▼GRAPH 9

/DWLQR�(PSOR\PHQW�E\�2FFXSDWLRQ��2UHJRQ�

6HUYLFH�2FFXSDWLRQ��

+DQGOHUV��(TXLSPHQ&OHDQHUV��+HOSHUV�

/DERUHUV��

0DFKLQH�2SHUDWLRQ$VVHPEOHUV��,QVSHFWRUV

��

7UDQVSRUWDWLRQ�0DWHULDO�0RYLQ

��

)DUPLQJ��)RUHVWU\�)LVKLQJ��

3UHFLVLRQ�3URGXFWLR&UDIW��5HSDLU

��

3URIHVVLRQDO�6SHFLDO��

7HFKQLFLDQV�DQG5HODWHG�6XSSRU

��

$GPLQLVWUDWLYH�6XSSR,QFOXGLQJ�&OHULFDO

��

6DOHV��

([HFXWLYH��$GPLQLVWUDWLYH�0DQDJHULDO�

��

6RXUFH��&XUUHQW�3RSXODWLRQ�6XUYH\��%XUHDX�RI�/DERU�6WDWLV

(PSOR\PHQW�E\�2FFXSDWLRQ��$OO�2UHJRQL

�2UHJRQ��

6HUYLFH�2FFXSDWLRQ��

+DQGOHUV��(TXLSPHQ&OHDQHUV��+HOSHUV�

/DERUHUV��7UDQVSRUWDWLRQ�

0DWHULDO�0RYLQJ��

0DFKLQH�2SHUDWLRQV$VVHPEOHUV��,QVSHFWRUV

��

)DUPLQJ��)RUHVWU\�)LVKLQJ��

3UHFLVLRQ�3URGXFWLR&UDIW��5HSDLU

��

3URIHVVLRQDO�6SHFLDOW��

7HFKQLFLDQV�DQG5HODWHG�6XSSRU

��

$GPLQLVWUDWLYH�6XSSR,QFOXGLQJ�&OHULFDO

��

6DOHV��

([HFXWLYH��$GPLQLVWUDWLYH�0DQDJHULDO�

��

6RXUFH��&XUUHQW�3RSXODWLRQ�6XUYH\��%XUHDX�RI�/DERU�6WDWLVW


workforce in service occupa-tions, but so is a high percentageof the total workforce.

However, there are distinctdifferences in the breakout ofemployment by occupationalcategory. While Hispanics arespread throughout theworkforce, they are not wellrepresented in the professionaloccupations. For the totalpopulation, the professionalspecialty, and executive, admin-istrative, and managerial occu-pations account for 26 percent ofall jobs, but these categoriesaccount for only five percent ofjobs for the Hispanic popula-tion. Farming, fishing, andforestry, on the other hand, is alarge occupation for the Latinoworkforce, but accounts for onlyfour percent of jobs for allOregonians.

Note that the data collected inthe Current Population Surveyare for people who reside in thestate. Migrant workers, how-ever, may only reside in Oregonfor a few weeks or monthsbefore moving on to other

states. Therefore, many migrantworkers are not included inthese figures. As such, the datain Graph 8 may be somewhatmisleading. If we were toinclude migrant workers whoare not currently captured in thedata, the farming, forestry, andfishing section would representa bigger piece of the pie than itsapparent 19 percent share.

Another source of occupationalinformation is the Oregon

Population Survey. The cat-egorical breakout is slightlydifferent than that for the CPSand the data tell a differentstory. The survey results forOregon Latinos for 1992 and1996 are shown in Table 6.

Differences between the CPSand Oregon Population Surveyare striking. The CPS reports 15percent of Oregon’s Hispanicsworked in farming, forestry, andfishing in 1996. Meanwhile, theOregon Population Surveyshows that three percent ofrespondents worked in theagriculture and related fields.In this survey, professional,managerial, and business own-ers made up the greatest percentof the responses in 1996, andtied with clerical in 1992. Ser-vices, laborers, and agricultureand related occupations com-bined for 19 percent of the totalresponses in 1996.

As stated earlier, keep in mindthat the Oregon PopulationSurvey is a telephone survey ofhouseholds in the state, andtherefore people without aphone were not contacted.

Employment by Occupation, Hispanics, 1990

Oregon U.S.

Farming, Forestry, & Fishing Occupations 29.9% 4.3%Service Occupations 19.4% 22.9%Machine Operations, Assemblers & Inspectors 10.4% 13.8%Handlers, Equipment Cleaners, Helpers & Laborers 8.8% 6.9%Administrative Support Occupations, Including Clerical 7.6% 13.4%Executive, Administrative & Managerial Occupations 7.0% 6.0%Precision Production, Craft, & Repair Occupations 5.7% 12.2%Transportation & Material Moving Occupations 5.5% 4.3%Professional Specialty Occupations 4.1% 6.5%Sales Occupations 1.2% 7.8%Technicians and Related Support Occupations 0.4% 1.8%

100.0% 100.0%

Source: Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics

▼TABLE 5

▼TABLE 6

Percent of Hispanic Respondents by OccupationalEmployment, 1992 and 1996

% Racial % Racial & Ethnic & Ethnic Respondents Respondents

1992 1996

Prof. Spec., Technical, Technicians/Mgr./Owner 24% 19%Clerical, Office, Administrative Support 24% 17%Sales: Wholesale and Retail 14% 16%Craftsmen, Repair, Blue Collar, Production 10% 14%Machine Operator, Assembler 11% 14%Services: Food, Health, Cleaning, Personal, Protective 10% 11%Laborer, Equipment Cleaner, Helper, Handler 5% 5%Agriculture, Fishing, Forestry, Logger 3% 3%

Source: Oregon Population Survey


The small percentage of peoplereported in the agriculture andrelated fields in the OregonPopulation Survey may be dueto the methodology of obtainingthe data. Many agriculturalworkers are migrant, movingoften, and may not have atelephone. Also, as mentionedearlier, some migrant workersmay not remain in one area longenough to be counted, or theymay work in Oregon,but not actually be anOregon resident.

Other data sourcesconfirm the generalthemes outlined inthe previous surveys.The Oregon Employ-ment Departmenttakes job ordersfrom employers andhelps place job appli-cants in openings. Ofthe more than 430,000job applicants be-tween July 1996 andJune 1997, over ninepercent wereHispanic.

Occupations of Job Applicants Listed with the OregonEmployment Department Job Service, July 1996 to June 1997

Total Total PercentApplicants Hispanic Hispanic

All Occupational Groups 434,500 40,533 9.3%

Laborers 72,705 13,765 18.9%Operators 68,332 10,892 15.9%Service Workers 71,670 5,825 8.1%Technicians 12,112 678 5.6%Craft Workers 54,934 2,951 5.4%Sales Workers 37,113 1,654 4.5%Office & Clerical Workers 62,005 2,744 4.4%Officials and Managers 24,130 885 3.7%Professionals 31,499 1,139 3.6%

Source: Oregon Employment Department

▼TABLE 7

The occupations of the jobapplicants, listed in Table 7,show that prior to coming to theEmployment Department insearch of a job, the largest groupof the Hispanic applicants werelaborers, followed closely byoperators. Fewer people ofHispanic origin were in thehigher skilled occupationalcategories. Less than fourpercent of all the job seekers

▼TABLE 8

Hispanic Employment by Occupation, Oregon, 1990 and 1997

Change Percent1990 1997 ’90-’97 Change

Service Occupations 8,900 26,000 17,100 192%Machine Operations, Assemblers & Inspectors 4,800 20,000 15,200 317%Handlers, Equipment Cleaners, Helpers & Laborers 4,000 13,000 9,000 225%Precision Production, Craft, & Repair 2,600 15,000 12,400 477%Executive, Administrative & Managerial 3,200 4,000 800 25%Sales 600 7,000 6,400 1067%Farming, Forestry & Fishing 13,800 23,000 9,200 67%Professional Specialty 1,900 2,000 100 5%Administrative Support Including Clerical 3,500 8,000 4,500 129%Technicians and Related Support 200 1,000 800 400%Transportation & Material Moving 2,500 3,000 500 20%Total 46,000 122,000 76,000 165%


coming to the EmploymentDepartment in the professionalsand officials and managerscategories were Hispanic.

The apparent discrepancies ofthese various sources begs thequestion: “So, how manyLatinos are actually working inthese occupations?” The bestway to answer this question isto say that we simply do nothave a consistent survey toolthat provides an accurate cur-rent measurement of Hispanicemployment trends. Keeping inmind that the various datasources have their own limita-tions, there are a few observa-tions that can be made.

First, it is clear that Latinos arenot solely in agriculture andservice occupations. All of thesurveys presented here indicateLatinos are represented in allmajor occupational groups.While the actual estimates varyconsiderably, it is clear that theagricultural industry is nolonger the primary employer ofHispanics in Oregon.


Second, many of the occupa-tions that are common forLatinos in agriculture, nondu-rable goods manufacturing,services, and trade industriestend to demand less educationthan jobs in other sectors. Whilesome of these occupationsrequire a college degree orhigher-level skills, occupationssuch as agricultural laborer,assembly workers, retail salesclerk, and waiter/waitress arejobs which have lower skill andeducational requirements. Theyalso have a tendency to paylower wages.

Third, a greater share of Hispan-ics work in non-agriculturaloccupations. Looking at theCPS data for 1990 and 1997, wecan get an idea of how occupa-tional employment has changedover time. Table 8 shows themix of employment in the majorgroups in these two years basedon the Current PopulationSurvey. Most occupationalcategories showed tremendousgains, while managerial, profes-sional, technical, and transporta-tion and material moving grewmore moderately.

So far, the discussion of occupa-tional workers has focused onmajor occupational groupswhich place similar or relatedoccupations into a single cat-egory. There is one grouping of

people not yet mentioned whichare actually spread throughoutall occupations: business own-ers. The number of Hispanicbusiness owners is growing inthe state, partly because of theincreased Latino population.New businesses are sproutingup to cater to Hispanic clientele.And many of the owners arethemselves Hispanic.

According to the 1992 EconomicCensus - Survey of MinorityBusiness Enterprises, there wereeight Oregon counties with 100or more Hispanic-owned firms(Table 9). The Oregon Associa-tion of Minority Entrepreneurs

Oregon Counties with 100 or More Hispanic-Owned Firms, 1992

Number TotalNumber of Firms Number Sales and Annual

of with Paid of Receipts PayrollFirms Employees Employees ($1,000s) ($1,000s)

Multnomah 844 130 73,963 $88,306 $22,262Washington 393 68 33,572 $39,783 $9,386Lane 332 67 15,520 $18,875 $3,576Clackamas 330 81 — D — D — D

Jackson 258 53 15,762 $18,496 $4,306Marion 235 25 5,116 $14,982 $1,663Malheur 126 34 4,785 $9,434 $1,001Josephine 125 14 8,502 $10,100 $3,666

D Data withheld to avoid disclosing operations of individuals

Source: 1992 Economic Census - Survey of Minority-Owned Business Enterprises,Bureau of the Census

estimates that since 1992, thenumber of Hispanic-ownedfirms has increased by 50 per-cent. This follows the earilernational trend between 1987 and1992, Hispanic-owned firmsgrew 76 percent, while all firmsgrew by only 26 percent in theU.S. Also, receipts of Hispanic-owned firms increased at twicethe rate of all firms, with retailtrade industries accounting foralmost a quarter of the totalreceipts. In the U.S., 45 percentof Hispanic-owned firms werein the service industries, withover half concentrated in busi-ness and personal services. ▲

▼TABLE 9


O ccupational analysis pro-vides a picture of what

specific jobs people do, but itdoes not show the types ofindustries they work for. Asingle occupation may be foundin more than one industry. Forexample, an occupation such as

administrative assistant is foundin all major industries, such asconstruction, manufacturing, andtrade. Like occupational employ-ment, industry employmentevolves over time with changesin the supply and demand ofgoods and services. Industryemployment is defined by thetype of business an employeeworks for.

The Hispanic workforce contrib-utes to every industry in theOregon economy. The 1990Census shows that over half ofthe people employed in Oregonwere working in the services andtrade industries. All other sectorsheld a share of between four andthirteen percent.

The main difference between thebreakout of all persons and thatof Latino employment in 1990was the sizable differences inagriculture, forestry, and fisheries(Graph 11). According to Census

Industry Employment Trends

▼GRAPH 10

▼GRAPH 11

data, agriculture led the way in1990, but not by much at all.Following close on its heels wasemployment in the servicesindustry. Agriculture andservices together made up 45percent of all Hispanic employ-

ment. Very few Hispanics wereworking in construction, trans-portation, communication, andutilities, and finance, insurance,and real estate. The remainingindustry sectors employed threeto five thousand Latinos each.

❝ ❝ ❝ ❝ ❝ The Hispanicworkforce contributes

to every industry in theOregon economy. ❞❞❞❞❞

2UHJRQ�(PSOR\PHQW�E\�,QGXVWU\��

'XUDEOH�*RRG0DQXIDFWXULQ

��

1RQGXUDEOH�*RRG0DQXIDFWXULQJ

��

7UDQV��&RPP8WLOLWLHV��

7UDGH��

)LQDQFH�,QV��5H(VWDWH��

6HUYLFHV��

&RQVWUXFWLR��

$JULFXOWXUH)RUHVWU\��DQ)LVKHULHV

��*RYHUQPHQ

��

6RXUFH��&HQVXV

/DWLQR�(PSOR\PHQW�E\�,QGXVWU\��2UHJRQ��

$JULFXOWXUH��)RUHVWDQG�)LVKHULHV

��

&RQVWUXFWLR��

'XUDEOH�*RRGV0DQXIDFW�

��

1RQGXUDEOH�*RRG0DQXIDFW�

��

7UDQV�&RPP8WLOLWLHV��

7UDGH��

)LQDQFH�,QV��5HD(VWDWH��

6HUYLFHV��

*RYHUQPHQ��

6RXUFH��&HQVXV


government employment was13 percent of total employment.Other major industry sectorsshow similar percent distribu-tions between employed Latinosand all employed workers in thestate.

To compare 1990 and 1997, wewill turn to data from the CPS.The industry picture of 1997looks quite different than thatfor 1990.

The Latinoworkforce has nottransitioned awayfrom the service andagricultural indus-tries, rather, othersectors have addedsignificant amountsof employment.Employment in themanufacturingsector, includingdurable and nondu-rable goods, is nowthe top industryemployer with over30,000 Latinosworking in theindustry. Trademoved to second in 1997(Graphs 13 and 14). Both manu-facturing and trade now havegreater Hispanic employmentthan either services or agricul-ture. Together, these fourindustries clearly dominateHispanic employment.

Comparing the industrialemployment breakout ofLatinos with all Oregonians for1997, we see some definitesimilarities: services, manufac-turing, and trade are the domi-nate industries for both popula-tions. The percent of overallemployment in agriculture ismuch smaller than the Hispanicbreakout. Both trade andmanufacturing have a largershare of Latinos than the overallpopulation. A larger portion ofworking Latinos are employedin these industries than the totalworkforce. Also, of the Latinosemployed in the state, only

▼GRAPH 12

▼GRAPH 13

three percent are working in thegovernment sector, and lessthan one percent of all govern-ment employees in 1997 wereHispanic. At the same time,

What can we conclude aboutindustry employment? Hispan-ics are part of all aspects of theeconomy. They are no moreconcentrated in services and

trade than all employed Orego-nians. While agriculture hasbeen and continues to be a largeemployer of Latinos, as moreLatinos enter the labor force,they are moving into non-

/DWLQR�(PSOR\PHQW�E\�,QGXVWU\��2UHJRQ�

��DQG��

�

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

&RQVWUXFWLRQ 'XUDEOH�1RQGXUDEOH

*RRGV�0DQXI�

7UDQV��&RPP��8WLOLWLHV

7UDGH )LQDQFH�,QV��5HDO�(VWDWH

6HUYLFHV *RYHUQPHQW $JULFXOWXUH

��

��

6RXUFH�� &XUUHQW�3RSXODWLRQ�6XUYH\��%XUHDX�RI�/DERU�6WDWLVWLFV

(PSOR\PHQW�E\�,QGXVWU\��2UHJR

'XUDEOH��1RQGXUDEOH�*RRG

0DQXI��

7UDQV��&RPP8WLOLWLHV��

)LQDQFH�,QV��5H(VWDWH��

*RYHUQPHQ��

$JULFXOWXU��

7UDGH��

&RQVWUXFWLR��

6HUYLFHV��

6RXUFH��&XUUHQW�3RSXODWLRQ�6XUYH\��%XUHDX�RI�/DERU�


▼GRAPH 14agricultural industries at a fasterpace than into agriculture.

The agricultural industry doesnot respond as quickly to abooming economy as othersectors such as trade and ser-vices. Agriculture is by nomeans static: the nursery indus-try is expanding, new crops arebeing produced in the state,and more value-added produc-tion is taking place. At the sametime, though, increased automa-tion and changing crop patternsare resulting in reduceddemand for hand labor. As theHispanic labor force continuesto expand, the agriculturalindustry may see some increasein employment levels, but by nomeans will it absorb all of theincrease. ▲

/DWLQR�(PSOR\PHQW�E\�,QGXV

2UHJRQ��

'XUDEOH��1RQGXUDEOH�*RRGV

0DQXI��

7UDQV��&RPP�8WLOLWLHV��

7UDGH��

)LQDQFH�,QV��5HD(VWDWH��

*RYHUQPHQW��

$JULFXOWXUH��

&RQVWUXFWLRQ��

6HUYLFHV��

6RXUFH��&XUUHQW�3RSXODWLRQ�6XUYH\��%XUHDX�RI�/DERU�6WDWLV


Profile

Mayra Del Rosario

After living the first 14 years of her life in the Dominican Republic, Mayra, the youngestof six children, moved with her family to Puerto Rico, where she continued to residethrough her college years. She attended the University of Puerto Rico, where she mether husband, and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree with honors in psychology.

Following college, Mayra was a case worker for the Salvation Army in Puerto Rico.Due to the high levels of crime in Puerto Rico, Mayra and her family decided to moveaway from the area. After arriving in Oregon, Mayra worked with the Women, Infants,and Children (WIC) program at Family Resources in Eugene and then for Salud Medi-cal Center in Woodburn, and taught classes in both English and Spanish through theprogram as a WIC certifier.

Mayra resides in Klamath Falls, where she and her husband are raising their twochildren. She is currently working two jobs. During the day, Mayra is a bilingualeducational assistant with the Klamath Falls City School District. After hours, sheteaches step aerobics at the YMCA.

How would people describe you? Cheerful, friendly, creative, and as having a goodsense of humor.

What do you do in your spare time? Exercise, garden at my new home, and read.

Do you have a claim to fame? In college, I took courses from several professors whowere well known for the books they wrote.

Something people might be surprised to know about you: I have a bad temper.

What is your favoritechildhood memory:Going on vacation withmy dad in the country inthe Dominican Republic,climbing trees, eatingfruit straight from thetrees, and running in themeadows.

What is your advice toHispanic youth inOregon? Have confi-dence, you can doanything you try, andwork with your commu-nity to make it a betterplace.


There are jobs, and then thereare good jobs. One reason

some people may deem aparticular job as agood job is becauseof the wages itoffers. But we needto take into accountother factors, likehow many peopleare in an averagehousehold and percapita income, todetermine how wella certain incomelevel will allow afamily to live.

As indicated in the first chapter,many Hispanics who nowreside in Oregon are originallyfrom other countries. Theylargely came to Oregon insearch of a better life, and tomany, that included increasedincome. Some of the individu-als who are profiled in thispublication are the first orsecond generation in theirfamilies to live in the U.S.Therefore, keep in mind thatincomes in other counties wheremany of these people are com-ing from, Mexico for instance,have much lower averageincomes. The potential forhigher income has definitelybeen a consideration for manyin-migrants.

One way to put wages or earn-ings into perspective is tocompare different measure-ments of income, such as theaverage wages, the minimumwage, the economically disad-

Income & Wagesvantaged income level, and the“family wage” level of a givenarea. There is one point that can

be stated atthe beginningof this discus-sion onincome:Hispanics inOregon earnless than theOregonaverage.

According to the 1990 Census,the median household incomeof all Oregonians was $27,250 in1989. (If all the income levelswere listed in ascending ordescending order, the medianwould be the value in themiddle.) The median householdincome for people of Hispanicorigin was $21,503, over 20percent less. An even morestartling difference can be seen

❝ ❝ ❝ ❝ ❝ For allOregonians, percapita personalincome in 1989was $13,418,

compared with$6,996 for

Hispanics. ❞❞❞❞❞

Annual Income of HispanicHouseholds, Oregon, 1996

AllHispanic Oregonians

Less than $5,000 6% 7%$5,000 to $14,999 20% 17%$15,000 to 24,999 23% 24%$25,000 to 34,999 19% 15%$35,000 to 44,999 12% 15%$45,000 to 54,999 4% 6%$55,000 + 16% 17%

100% 100%

Source: Oregon Population Survey

▼TABLE 10

with the per capita personalincome -- the total income of agroup of people divided by thegroup’s population. For allOregonians, per capita personalincome in 1989 was $13,418,compared with $6,996 forHispanics.

The 1996 Oregon PopulationSurvey’s findings on annualhousehold income are shown inTable 10. Forty-nine percent ofHispanic respondents hadhousehold income levels of lessthan $25,000 and 26 percentwere under $15,000. Again,keep in mind that the OregonPopulation Survey is a tele-phone survey of households inthe state, and therefore peoplewithout a phone (who tend tobe of a lower socio-economiccondition) were not contacted.

These differences in median andaverage incomes of Hispanichouseholds and the total popu-lation have led to a great dispar-ity in total wealth as well.According to the U.S. CensusBureau, the median householdnet worth (including homes,cars, and savings) of all Whitehouseholds in the U.S. in 1984was $40,000 greater than that forHispanic households. That gapincreased slightly by 1993, whenthe median net worth of Whitehouseholds was $45,740, whilethat for Hispanic householdswas just $4,656.

Despite both the lower incomeand the wealth figures forLatino households, a compari-


Economically Disadvantaged Hispanics, Oregon*Ranked by Percent Change 1990 to 1998

Program Year Program Year Percent1990 1998 Change

Sherman 18 12 -33%Benton 676 570 -16%Gilliam 18 16 -11%Harney 117 105 -10%Grant 68 62 -9%Lincoln 351 333 -5%Lane 3,288 3,206 -2%Wheeler 0 3 naLake 122 127 4%Crook 170 178 5%Douglas 1,108 1,177 6%Columbia 290 317 9%Union 145 163 12%Coos 618 696 13%Clatsop 272 312 15%Jackson 2,567 3,140 22%Linn 872 1,070 23%Josephine 840 1,047 25%Malheur 2,396 3,110 30%Multnomah 5,652 7,496 33%Klamath 1,044 1,411 35%Baker 83 115 39%Oregon 38,987 55,070 41%Curry 108 156 44%Tillamook 128 187 46%Deschutes 586 864 47%Polk 846 1,292 53%Wallowa 30 48 60%Marion 5,738 9,195 60%Clackamas 1,680 2,736 63%Umatilla 1,502 2,667 78%Jefferson 486 911 87%Washington 3,135 6,096 94%Yamhill 1,076 2,115 97%Morrow 184 383 108%Wasco 183 395 116%Hood River 600 1,361 127%

*Data for ages 13 and under estimated.Source: JTPA and Oregon Employment Department

▼TABLE 11

▼TABLE 12

1997 Poverty Thresholds, 48 Contiguous States & D.C.

Size of Poverty Family Unit Level

1 $8,1782 $10,4683 $12,8034 $16,4045 $21,8806 $24,8257 $27,7138 $32,705

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

son of Oregon wages and wagesin foreign countries highlightsthe allure the U.S. might havefor many families of Hispanicculture.

In Oregon, the 1998 minimumwage is $6.00 per hour, or about$12,500 annually for full-timeemployment. A “family wage”job can be defined as any job

which pays at, or more than, theaverage wage of all workerscovered by the UnemploymentInsurance program. In 1996,this was $27,046 per year.

The majority of Hispanics inOregon are Mexican-Hispanics.Many were born in Oregon andhave lived here for years, whileothers have arrived fromMexico more recently. Theminimum wage in Mexico isabout $3.00 to $4.00 per day.With the U.S. minimum wage at$5.15 per hour and Oregon’sminimum wage currently at$6.00 per hour, the disparity isgreat. Working at the minimumwage, a worker in Oregon earns16 times what a minimum wageworker in Mexico earns, thoughthe cost of living is much greaterin Oregon.

To be considered economicallydisadvantaged under the JobTraining Partnership Adminis-tration (JTPA), an individualmust be on welfare, be belowthe poverty level, receiving foodstamps, or be a foster child.Every year, the Oregon Employ-ment Department, in coopera-tion with JTPA, estimates the


▼GRAPH 15

number of economically disad-vantaged people in Oregon.Estimates are computed forthose aged 14 years and older.To capture the remainder of thedisadvantaged population,disadvantaged children age 0 to13 were estimated and added tothe totals for those aged 14 andover. The results are shown inTable 11. In most Oregoncounties, the number of eco-nomically disadvantaged His-panics has increased since 1990.Only eight counties showedsigns of improvement. Thestatewide figure grew 41 per-cent. Some of the increase mayhave been caused by the in-crease in population. Between1990 and 1997, Oregon’s Latinopopulation increased by 191percent.

Poverty thresholds are anotherindicator of income levels. The1997 poverty thresholds arepresented in Table 12. The mostrecent poverty data available forHispanics is from the 1990Census. At that time, 30,000Hispanic Oregonians, almost 30percent, were below the povertylevel.

There is little doubt that inOregon, income levels forHispanics are considerablylower than those for all Orego-

nians. One contributing factoris that Hispanics are concen-trated in lower-paying occupa-tions, and it follows that incomeamong Hispanics is lower thanthe overall average. Serviceoccupations, machine operators,assemblers and inspectors, andhandlers, equipment cleaners,helpers, laborers, and agricul-tural jobs all tend to offer lowerwages. Also, jobs in the agricul-tural industry tend to be sea-sonal and not full time, thuspeople who work only in agri-culture have a more difficulttime finding year-round work.

Graph 15 is an excellent ex-ample of how income andeducation are related. It alsodemonstrates the inequitybetween Hispanic and non-Hispanic earnings. While thisdata is for the U.S., there is noindication that Oregon woulddeviate significantly from U.S.levels. For both Hispanics andnon-Hispanics, as educationincreases, average weeklyearnings rise steadily. Increasededucation clearly helps increaseearnings. ▲

��8�6��+LVSDQLF�:HHNO\�(DUQLQJV�E\�(GXFDWLRQDO�

$WWDLQPHQW��$JH��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

+LVSDQLF

1RQ�+LVSDQLF

6RXUFH�� &XUUHQW�3RSXODWLRQ�6XUYH\��%XUHDX�RI�/DERU�6WDWLVWLFV 1RWH��WKLV�GDWD�LV�IRU�IXOO�WLPH�ZRUNHUV


There is another side of theincome equation that unde-

niably deservesattention. It has todo with the in-come generated inthe economy as aresult of the outputgenerated byOregon’s Hispanicworkforce.

One very clearexample is in theagricultural indus-try: a $3.1 billion-a-year venture inthe state. Hispan-ics play a majorrole in this indus-try. Every year,tens of thousandsof workers, many of whom aremigrants, harvest crops, care fornursery stock, haul and processfood, and work in warehousesacross the state. Without aready supply of workers, manyof whom are Hispanic, Oregonfarmers would be faced withhigher costs as they switch tomechanical harvesters, offer

Contributions to the Economy

higher wages to attract moreworkers, or change their crop-

ping patterns torequire less labor.For many crops, thetechnology has notyet been developedto efficiently harvestby machine. Forother crops, sometasks in the produc-tion process simplydemand the use ofhand labor. For stillother crops, smallprofit margins makeexpensive machineryan unlikely option.

Recently increasedenforcement effortsby the Immigration

and Naturalization Service haveled to concern about agriculturallabor shortages in Oregon. Ifthis occurs, possible outcomesinclude an increase in foodprices as more products areimported into the state, anincrease in farmers’ wage andother expenses to offset a drop

in the supply of farm workers,and a reduction in revenuesgenerated by the industry.

With the Latino workforcespread throughout the state’seconomy, the impact of thisgrowing labor force clearly goesbeyond the agricultural indus-try. And not only is their influ-ence in the various economicsectors important, but so is theirspending power. According tothe ’97-’98 Larson NorthwestHispanic Market Report, thebuying power of the over onehundred thousand Latinoresidents in the Portland-SalemOregon area is nearly $1 billion.The number would be higher ifmigrant spending was included.The other metro area profiled inthis report was Medford-South-ern Oregon. Here, over 30,000resident Hispanics generate aquarter billion dollars of buyingpower. ▲

❝ ❝ ❝ ❝ ❝ According tothe ’97-’98

Larson NorthwestHispanic Market

Report, the buyingpower of the over

one hundredthousand Latinoresidents in thePortland-SalemOregon area is

nearly$1 billion. ❞❞❞❞❞


Given the rapidly growing population of Latinosin Oregon (currently estimated at over 170,000)and the youthful characteristic that helps definethe Hispanic community, the Oregon Commis-sion on Hispanic Affairs is concerned aboutemployment opportunities available (and attain-able) for the state’s Latino workforce. Even intoday’s society, the Latino population facesbarriers when seeking employment. Some ofthese barriers are associated with education andlanguage skills, transportation, homelessness, andequal opportunity.

During the 1995-1996 school year, there were39,900 children of Hispanic origin enrolled in theK-12 educational system in Oregon. This growingnumber demonstrates the youthfulness of theLatino community of Oregon. The dishearteningnews is that the statewide high school drop outrate of Hispanics rose between the 1991-1992 andthe 1996-1997 school years (12.5% vs. 15.7%,respectively), although the number of Latinoscontinuing their education beyond high school inOregon is higher than the national average.Historically, some Latino families have utilized allthe labor available to them (including their chil-dren) to financially sustain themselves, takingchildren out of school or foregoing educationbeyond high school.

Tied to the educational issue is a lack of Englishlanguage skills among some Hispanics, which isonly exacerbated by a lack of education. Withoutlanguage skills, it is nearly impossible to obtainemployment beyond a level of manual labor in acountry which is predominately English-speakingat this time. Acquisition of the English languageis held as a key priority for most Hispanics.However, without the proper channels to obtainthese skills, community members continue tosuffer the consequences of not knowing thelanguage. Being refused services, unable topurchase items, and unable to communicateeffectively on a day to day basis are a few of thebarriers that exist because of the lack of English

Commission on Hispanic AffairsBarriers to Employment

language acquisition by Latinos. While an increas-ing number of services are becoming available forLatinos to obtain language skills, the simultaneousgrowth in the Hispanic population by far sur-passes the current learning opportunities. Thelargest portion of the population affected by theneed to acquire English language skills, andpossibly the most important group, are Hispanicchildren and youths.

Transportation can present another barrier toHispanics seeking a place in the workforce. Thesegment of the Latino community in lower-wagejobs often finds it difficult to afford a vehicle.Reliance on shared vehicles in rural areas is preva-lent, where several families may pool their re-sources to purchase, insure, and maintain a ve-hicle. For those who do not have a vehicle, theyeither commute with a group of people who livenear one another and work in the same areas ortake advantage of the bus systems.

While homelessness is by no means limited to theLatino population, it has been a problem in thepast for Latinos and remains a barrier today. Oneof the industries in which homelessness is mostapparent is agriculture. Because many jobs areseasonal in nature, workers may spend shortperiods of time in one area, too short a time to findeven temporary housing. While most seasonalworkers are single men, there are also a largenumber of families that participate in the harvest.Both single individuals and families may be forcedto live in vehicles or in makeshift homes, espe-cially during the peak harvest season betweenMay and November. The lack of a home base, andthe related absence of an address or phone, in-creases the difficulty of making contact withemployers regarding job opportunities. In addi-tion, even the appearance of homelessness, regard-less of ethnicity, often means that individuals aredenied employment opportunities, especially inregard to higher wage positions. The ability forhomeless workers to advance is severely impededby their lack of roots within a specific community.

Christopher Santiago Williams, Executive Director


Several other factors contribute to the inequitiesLatinos face in the workforce. Comparing thepercent of Latinos and Anglos working in lower-skilled labor versus professional or managerialpositions clearly shows a disparity between thetwo groups. As mentioned in this report, thehigh school drop out rate among Hispanics ismuch greater than for the population as a whole.While higher skilled jobs exist for people withlow educational levels, it takes time to work upto these positions. Also, statistics show that lesseducation generally leads to a higher unemploy-ment rate and lower wages.

Conscious and unconscious discrimination alsostill plays a role in employment of Latinos in thestate and continues to impede their advance inthe workplace.

Having said all this, not all the news is bad.High school drop out rates for Hispanics havedeclined slightly in recent years and Hispanicsare finding employment, in increasing numbers,across a much more varied group of industriesand occupations. Old stereotypes about Latinosworking only in farm-related jobs are becomingless and less accurate. As shown in this report,some Hispanics are succeeding in their chosencareer fields, and becoming visible leaders androle models as teachers, elected officials, andbusiness owners.

The Commission on Hispanic Affairs recognizesthese signs of progress, but remains concernedabout the number of families and individuals whofind themselves in a cycle that pulls them out ofeducation and into the workforce in Oregon. TheCommission fears that this trend will continueunless concerted efforts are made to:

• Decrease the Hispanic high school drop out rate;

• Provide alternative educational opportunitiesfor Latinos who have entered the workforce;and

• Increase the standard of living for low-wageearners, specifically the predominantlyHispanic agricultural labor force in Oregon.

Without a shift in political and ideological culturein Oregon, the growing Hispanic community willcontinue to face barriers to employment and otherfacets of their lives on a daily basis. This report bythe Oregon Employment Department is only a firststep in identifying the status and, more impor-tantly, the needs of Hispanics in Oregon today.These data must now be looked at carefully andsteps should be taken to increase the averageincome for Hispanics, to decrease the Hispanicdrop out rate from high school, and to improve theliving conditions of the Latino community state-wide. Improvements to the economic well-beingof Hispanics will surely better the living situationof all Oregonians.


Appendices


Ancestry ofHispanic Population,

Oregon, 1990

Country of Ancestry Number

Mexico 84,792Puerto Rico 2,884Cuba 1,394Guatemala 1,153Honduras 391Nicaragua 416Panama 335El Salvador 849Other Central America 454Colombia 829Ecuador 151Peru 668Other South America 1,302Other Hispanic 14,956

Total 110,574

Source: 1990 U.S. Census

▼APPENDIX 1

▼APPENDIX 2

▼APPENDIX 4

Hispanic Population by RaceOregon, 1990

Race Number

White 57,139Black 948Indian 2,721Other 48,288

Source: 1990 U.S.Census

Oregon Population Growth by Race

Projected 1980-1990 1990-2000

White, not Hispanic 5% 18%Black, not Hispanic 22% 38%Native American, not Hispanic 25% 26%Asian & Pacific Islander, not Hispanic 72% 65%Hispanic, all races 70% 73%

Total Minority 52% 58%Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census

Average Annual Unemployment Rates

Oregon Oregon Total, U.S. U.S. Total,Year Hispanic All Races Hispanic All Races

1990 6.5% 5.5% 8.0% 5.6%1991 10.4% 6.0% 9.9% 6.8%1992 16.8% 7.5% 11.4% 7.5%1993 10.7% 7.2% 10.6% 6.9%1994 10.6% 5.4% 9.9% 6.1%1995 9.4% 4.8% 9.3% 5.6%1996 9.9% 5.9% 8.9% 5.4%1997 8.5% 5.8% 7.7% 4.9%


▼APPENDIX 3


▼APPENDIX 5

▼APPENDIX 6

1997 Unemployment Rates, U.S., Age 16+

Hispanic Non-Hispanic

All Persons 7.7% 4.6 %Less than High School Diploma 11.0% 11.8 %High School Diploma 6.9% 5.3 %Some College 5.4% 4.2 %Associate’s Degree 4.2% 2.8 %Bachelor’s Degree 3.9% 2.2 %Master’s Degree 2.3% 2.0 %Professional Degree 2.8% 1.4 %Doctorate Degree 3.0% 1.2 %

1997 Average Weekly Earnings, U.S., Age 16+

Hispanic Non-Hispanic

All Persons $351 $521Less than High School Diploma $285 $322High School Diploma $422 $547Some College $414 $487Associate’s Degree $489 $559Bachelor’s Degree $625 $701Master’s Degree $749 $884Professional Degree $851 $1,065Doctorate Degree $886 $1,123


Employment by Occupation, Oregon, 1997

Latino Total Percent 1997 1997 Latino

Executive, Administrative & Managerial 4,000 214,000 2%Professional Specialty 2,000 226,000 1%Technicians and Related Support 1,000 42,000 2%Sales 7,000 199,000 4%Administrative Support Including Clerical 8,000 204,000 4%Service Occupations 26,000 229,000 11%Precision Production, Craft, & Repair 15,000 187,000 8%Machine Operations, Assemblers & Inspectors 20,000 112,000 18%Transportation & Material Moving 3,000 74,000 4%Handlers, Equipment Cleaners, Helpers & Laborers 13,000 76,000 17%Farming, Forestry, & Fishing 23,000 68,000 34%

Total 122,000 1,631,000 7%



Employment by Industry, Oregon, 1990

PercentHispanic Total Hispanic

Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries 10,932 66,730 16%Construction 1,978 76,685 3%Durable Goods Manufacturing 5,918 171,335 3%Nondurable Goods Manufacturing 3,524 61,873 6%Trans./Comm./ Utilities 1,857 86,289 2%Trade 9,697 300,948 3%Finance/Ins./ Real Estate 1,428 78,671 2%Services 10,439 423,296 2%Government 1,306 54,133 2%

Total 47,079 1,319,960 4%

Source: 1990 Census

Employment by Industry, Oregon 1990 & 1997

Hispanics Hispanics Total Percent1990 1997 1997 Hispanic 1997

Construction 1,000 9,000 94,000 10%Durable & Nondurable Goods Manuf. 9,000 31,000 267,000 12%Trans./Comm./ Utilities 1,000 1,000 73,000 1%Trade 5,000 30,000 334,000 9%Finance/Ins./ Real Estate 1,000 2,000 76,000 3%Services 12,000 19,000 356,000 5%Government 3,000 3,000 196,000 2%Agriculture 13,000 21,000 67,000 31%

Total 45,000 116,000 1,463,000 8%


▼APPENDIX 7

▼APPENDIX 8

▼APPENDIX 9

Total Total Percent of TotalCounty Population Hispanic County Population

Baker 16,418 446 2.7%Benton 76,544 2,709 3.5%Clackamas 331,106 12,459 3.8%Clatsop 35,546 1,033 2.9%Columbia 43,751 1,195 2.7%Coos 62,531 2,100 3.4%Crook 16,958 721 4.3%Curry 21,283 576 2.7%Deschutes 101,367 3,161 3.1%Douglas 101,818 3,551 3.5%Gilliam 1,955 76 3.9%Grant 8,002 211 2.6%Harney 7,033 340 4.8%Hood River 19,618 4,431 22.6%Jackson 170,960 10,191 6.0%Jefferson 16,587 2,437 14.7%Josephine 73,459 3,093 4.2%Klamath 63,009 4,754 7.5%Lake 7,327 404 5.5%

Total Total Percent of TotalCounty Population Hispanic County Population

Lane 311,356 11,513 3.7%Lincoln 45,587 1,077 2.4%Linn 103,440 3,706 3.6%Malheur 28,504 7,589 26.6%Marion 265,123 30,443 11.5%Morrow 9,631 1,482 15.4%Multnomah 624,619 30,406 4.9%Polk 60,130 4,926 8.2%Sherman 1,801 63 3.5%Tillamook 24,384 624 2.6%Umatilla 64,754 8,203 12.7%Union 25,071 596 2.4%Wallowa 7,413 191 2.6%Wasco 23,252 1,656 7.1%Washington 391,335 26,123 6.7%Wheeler 1,603 23 1.4%Yamhill 80,212 7,300 9.1%

Total 3,243,487 189,809 5.9%

Source: US Census Bureau

Oregon Population, July 1, 1997


1996-1997 High School Students and Dropouts, Oregon (Student enrollment counted at beginning of the year, dropouts counted over the school year)

Percent Hispanics as Hispanic Total Hispanic Hispanic 1996-1997 Percent of Students Students Students Dropouts Total Dropouts Total Dropo utsBaker 20 980 2.0% 0 28 0%Benton 76 3,215 2.4% 12 136 9%Clackamas 482 15,892 3.0% 73 912 8%Clatsop 40 1,683 2.4% 7 87 8%Columbia 62 2,695 2.3% 0 118 0%Coos 76 3,364 2.3% 5 155 3%Crook 15 916 1.6% 3 38 8%Curry 48 1,013 4.7% 2 39 5%Deschutes 87 5,343 1.6% 13 269 5%Douglas 124 5,411 2.3% 14 298 5%Gilliam 4 129 3.1% 1 4 25%Grant 3 527 0.6% 0 11 0%Harney 18 430 4.2% 0 19 0%Hood River 226 1,099 20.6% 8 19 42%Jackson 430 8,348 5.2% 67 611 11%Jefferson 144 875 16.5% 26 71 37%Josephine 141 3,456 4.1% 16 244 7%Klamath 230 3,321 6.9% 30 178 17%Lake 20 505 4.0% 4 14 29%Lane 428 14,302 3.0% 42 795 5%Lincoln 56 2,232 2.5% 19 219 9%Linn 182 5,476 3.3% 18 370 5%Malheur 397 1,654 24.0% 76 128 59%Marion 537 13,766 3.9% 330 1,259 26%Morrow 99 623 15.9% 14 30 47%Multnomah 979 25,735 3.8% 246 2,211 11%Polk 173 2,028 8.5% 28 110 25%Sherman 4 126 3.2% 0 4 0%Tillamook 26 1,271 2.0% 1 70 1%Umatilla 532 3,635 14.6% 88 254 35%Union 26 1,580 1.6% 3 67 4%Wallowa 3 443 0.7% 0 5 0%Wasco 91 1,183 7.7% 16 105 15%Washington 1,359 18,405 7.4% 256 1,286 20%Wheeler 1 112 0.9% 1 3 33%Yamhill 361 4,643 7.8% 72 315 23%

Total 7,500 156,416 4.8% 1,491 10,482 14%Source: Oregon Department of Education

▼APPENDIX 10

HISPANICS IN OREGON'S WORKFORCE

Documents

Transcript of HISPANICS IN OREGON'S WORKFORCE