This is an unofficial translation of an article by Carmen Molina Tamacas that ran in El Diario-La Prensa back in October 2012. The article is about the Latinx communities, their history, and their civic and political involvement in Long Island. The original article is available at: https://eldiariony.com/2012/10/11/el-rostro-latino-de-long-island/ All errors are my own.

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Long Island’sLatinx face:The region’sLatinx population demand an efficientimmigration policy and
moreemployment
By CarmenMolinaTamacas, special reportfor El Diario-La Prensa (October11, 2012)
Link:https://eldiariony.com/2012/10/11/el-rostro-latino-de-long-island/
A state of peace andquiet.That’sone of the commontraitswhichbringstogetherLongIsland’s
inhabitants.Theylivehere because,foroverahalf-century,they’vebuiltupnetworksof family,work,
and solidaritythatmake adaptationlessdifficultforimmigrantsfromdiversepartsof the world.Latin
Americaisno exception.
The possibilityof findingemploymentorbuildingabusiness,withoutregardforimmigrationstatus,and
thusconstruct the “AmericanDream”has attracted tensof thousandsof people toLongIslandwiththe
establishmentof diverse militarysupportindustriesafterthe SecondWorldWar andevensince the
1930s, as the CenterforPuertoRicanStudiesindicates:“Extendedanddividedfamiliesexpandedinto
unchartedterritory,towardLongIslandandother distantsuburbancommunities(fromManhattan).
Here,theysawthemselvescompelledto startoverwhile confrontingthe oldevilsof discrimination
because of theircondition,skincolor,orjustforthe fact that theyspoke Spanish.”
PuertoRicansopenedupa crack for the Latinx populationinLongIsland,obtainingsome of the firstjobs
at PilgrimState Hospital andEntenmann’sBakery.Soon,theybuilt homesandbusinesses,empowering
themselvesasacommunity,the Centeradds.
The fruitof PuertoRicanself-empowermentwasthe 2002 electionof Phil Ramos(Democratic
Party/WorkingFamiliesPartyticket—Central Islip)asrepresentativeof the SixthAssemblyDistrict,
whichincludespartsof Brentwood,Baywood,Central Islip,BayShore,NorthBayShore,Islip,and
Islandia.
“Long Island’sLatinx communityhasbeenaroundsince the 1940s but hasevolved—itwasinthe past
tenyearsthat it gaineda political foothold.The electionof diverse local officialsdemonstrate the
explosionof the Latinx population’scivicandpolitical awareness,”Ramostold El Diario.
Furthermore,the assemblymanpointsoutthatLong Islandisthe home base forover fortycivic
organizations,manyof whichreceivelocal funding,thatworktoimprove the qualityof life forthe Latinx
population.
Withan eye to the 2012 presidential election,Ramosemphasizedthatalthoughthe needfor
[comprehensive] immigrationreform“isinthe heartof the Latinx population,”the governmentmust
concernitself withthe economy.“If the economyisgoingwell,thenthere’ll be moneyforsocial
programsand scholarships.There’ll alsobe lesscrime.The governmentcan’tdoeverythingbut,with
investmentsininfrastructure,forexample inthe downtownarea,the local economycanbe stimulated,”
he explained.
ProfessorMarianoTorras, whoinhis2006 studycalculatedimmigrants’ economiccontributionto
Nassauand SuffolkCounties,explainsthatitwas afterthe enactmentof the 1965 Immigrationand
NationalityActthatimmigrationtoLongIslanddiversifiedthe colonial Europeanpresence.

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Since the 1970s, NewYork beganto receive immigrantsfromthe DominicanRepublic,Haiti,Jamaica,
and othercountries.Inthe followingdecade,itwasthe Central Americans’turn,beingpushedtoNew
York due to internal armedconflictsandwhofoundedenclavesinHempstead,Brentwood,Central Islip,
and GlenCove City.
In 2011, according to the U.S. Census, the Salvadoranpopulationconstitutedthe biggestminorityin
Long Islandwith99,495 inhabitants.Theyrepresented22.5% of the total population,surpassingthe
PuertoRicanpopulation,numbering88,514 inhabitants,forthe firsttime.
PerTorras, afteraccountingfor taxation,savings,remittances,andpropertytaxes,immigrants,“legal”
as well as“undocumented,”representedin2006 an estimatedcontributionof $7.5billioninacquisitive
power.
The Latinx population,inall itsdiversity,hasmanyaccomplishments,Torrasadds:Overthirteenpercent
of adultsabove twenty-five yearsof age holdanacademicdegree andthe general populationhastwice
the chancesfor graduatingfromsecondaryschool.
What disturbsthisenvironmentof wealthandprosperity?
It’spreciselythe undeterminednumberof residentswholive inthe shadowsdespite payingtaxesand
contributingtothe consumptionof goodsandservices.Torras’sstudyshowsthatimmigrants
contribute,onaverage,$2,305 more than whatthe governmentinvestsforthemineducation,
healthcare,andcorrections.
Accordingto citizensandcommunityactivistsonLongIsland,it’simperative thatthe federal
governmentimplementsacomprehensive immigrationpolicy thattakespeople outof the shadowsand
fullyintegratesthemasan economicallyactive populationwithrightsandobligations.
“We can’t talkabouthomesand/orbettereducational opportunitiesbecause if peopledon’thave jobs,
thentheycan’t hangon,” statesGeorge Siberon,the executive directorforthe HempsteadHispanic
CivicAssociation.
Facingthe 2012 elections,OmarHenriquez,aSalvadoran-American,emphasizedthe needforexecutive
orders,as wasthe case withdeferredactionforstudents,shouldthere notbe majoritiesinthe House of
Representativesandthe Senate.“The firstthingwouldbe stoppingthe deportations,butwe’re aware
that the economyisthe mainconcern,”he reflected.