John Thill

Tapping into Transnational Communities

Old library photo

I. The Beginnings

Napa County Library Today

• Regionally recognized Spanish Collection

• Frequent bilingual and Spanish language programs

• Ongoing partnerships with Latino Community Service Organizations

Where the Library Was

“Spanish Language Collection needs expansion, but until recently no one was dedicated to analyzing this collection.”

“Because of the incomplete analysis of the Library Collection, the needs of the community may not be met, especially the non-English community.”

II. Deep Demographics

Migration Patterns

•Long history of immigration in the Southwest.

•“We didn't cross the border, the border crossed us.”

•Bracero program

•Economic migration, especially between 1990-2008

Migration Patterns

Since 2000 the largest growth in Latino population has occurred in:

1. South Carolina2. Alabama3. Tennessee4. Kentucky5. Arkansas

US Census

Great resource for general demographics, provides even neighborhood detail.

Informative up to the level of country or origin.

But Latinos as a population are very diverse even among immigrants from the same nation.

Mi Comunidad, 2x1, and 3x1

A succession of programs have helped remission money from the United States connect with social welfare and public works projects in Mexico.

Since 2002 Programa 3x1 has matched migrant money with state and federal money in Mexico.

Implemented in 29 out of 32 Mexican states.

Hometown Associations

3x1 has spurred the development of clubes de oriundos or hometown associations throughout the US.

Goals include fundraising for 3x1 projects, awarding scholarships, socialization and the preservation of heritage.

How to Find Them

Institute of Mexicans in the Exterior (IME) maintains a database of Hometown Association.

Not every club is listed, but it is still an incredibly useful tool.

http://www.ime.gob.mx/DirectorioOrganizaciones/

On the Ground

The names of local businesses and restaurants can also serve as clues about your service population.

The Myspace FactorAlthough somewhat dated Myspace is a rich source for mining demographic information.

Using Google's Advanced Search one can often make correlations between communities of origin in Mexico and current residences.

http://www.google.com/advanced_search

Or use the search phrase:(your town) and (location in Mexico) site:myspace.com

Useful for recognizing patterns and determining very particular communities of origin.

Declining in usefulness, but Myspace was the only major social network that allowed users to input bi-national data into the location field.

The Myspace Factor

Academics in a variety of fields have studies immigration extensively in many areas, including looking at the idea of transnationality in rural communities.

Using a variety of search engine and database sources a surprising quantity of research can be found in English and Spanish.

Finding and Using Research

Surprisingly detailed gems are available to those who look.

Documents like this can often offer the reader information about key informants within the community and service opportunities.

Other Places to Look

•Soccer Clubs

•Churches

•Farmworker Housing

III. Programming

Distinct Communities of Interest

Each hometown’s satellite in the US is a distinct community of interest.

Programming with a particular satellite community in mind allows for a built in audience.

Historia de los pioneros mexicanos

A program focusing on the community of Los Haro, Zacatecas.

Presented a history of migrants from Zacatecas and their rise to prominence in the Napa Valley.

La batalla de Cinco de MayoA presentation by a community member who often travels back and forth between Mexico during the holiday season.

He was able to visit the historic sites associated with the Battle of Cinco de Mayo for this presentation.

Ideas for Embedded Programs•Cultural Celebrations

•Feast Days

•Dia de los Muertos Altars

•Community Histories

•Community Development Projects

•Music

•Security Issues

•Displays

Appealing to the Broader Community

Univision’s Vamos a Leer program brings popular Spanish language DJs to libraries to advocate for reading and the use of Libraries among Spanish speakers.

Appealing to the Broader Community

Outreach at community celebrations such as Mexican Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo

Tips and Pointers

•Find ways to include the entire family

•Use targeted promotion

•Offer a stipend if possible

•Take on a supporting role

•Keep contracts and paperwork to a minimum

IV. Collections with Demographics in Mind

Distributors

A few core titles may be available through major distributors.

In many cases finding truly regional titled may require libraries to go beyond the usual distributor network.

UniversitiesUniversities in Mexico often publish books on regional themes in Mexico.

Often too academic for public library audiences.

Universities

In some cases there are pictorial titles from University presses in Mexico that are well worth seeking out if they correspond to your community.

Fondo de Cultura Economica

Government funded FCE publishes a variety of regional Mexican materials.

FCE has offices in the US in Washington DC and San Diego.

Their materials are fairly easy to acquire either direct or from online booksellers like Amazon.drazo@fceusa.com

portico.manager@fceusa.com

Book FairsBook Fairs are among the best ways to purchase quality regional materials.

The ALA offers the Free Pass program for Libraries that wish to attend the Guadalajara International Book Fair.

Smaller Book Fairs in the US offer a variety of options as well.

Donations

Soliciting donations through Hometown Clubs or other Latino organizations is another way to help grow a regionally relevant Spanish collection.

Donations

Recommended Series

•Breve Historia de… (Fondo de Cultura Economica)

•Cocina Idigena y Popular (CONACULTA)

•Artes de Mexico(www.artesdemexico.com)

•Rincones y Sabores(Oceano)

•Rincones y Sabores(Oceano)

V. Conclusions•Hometown associations and other social clubs offer a unique opportunity for connecting with immigrant communities.

•Satellite communities offer a built-in programming audience.

•Deep demographics offer another way to tailor collections to the communities that will use them.