2017 York County Hispanic and Latinx Community Assessment - Hess Print Proof

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Findings B. Cultural and Community Inclusion Cultural and community inclusion, also defined as cultural competency, is intimately connected to the health of a community, and its social, economic, and political environments. The degree of social cohesion experienced by an individual has strong links to outcomes within the community xii . Survey Respondents Perspectives Related to Cultural and Community Inclusion Statement Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree I am comfortable talking to my neighbors. 16% 34% 34% 11% 5% I feel like my community understands my culture. 10% 30% 29% 20% 11% Other people want to learn about my culture. 11% 31% 39% 11% 8% I know where to go to connect with people similar to me. 16% 32% 28% 14% 9% Table 8: - Source: 2017 York County Hispanic/Latinx Community Assessment While half of survey respondents feel comfortable speaking with their neighbors, about 40% feel that the general public understands their culture or wants to learn about their culture. Therefore, while individual or person-to-person interactions may be positive, the general atmosphere of the community at large does not reflect these relationships. Through interviews and focus groups, community members have stated that they feel “disempowered” and “disengaged” from the decision-making process. One individual stated as a result of the changing political and social climate, their loved ones have discontinued participating in the public sphere, including attending religious services. This explicit sense of exclusion permeates the Hispanic and Latinx community, regardless of demographics such as immigration status. In addition, less than half of survey respondents feel a sense of solidarity with others in the Hispanic and Latinx community. From the outside, it has frequently been stated that the Hispanic and Latinx community is closed off and is difficult to penetrate. From within the Hispanic and Latinx community of York County, this disconnect is also voiced. During interviews with community leaders, some individuals stated that specific subsections of the population dominate the conversation and unintentionally exclude certain groups. Therefore, it is imperative that any actions or changes that may impact the Hispanic and Latinx community come from within the community and include a strong inclusionary component. C. Unequal Treatment Unequal treatment—specifically discrimination and a fear of law enforcement—within the state of Pennsylvania is undeniable. According to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission’s most recent public data, 70% of discriminatory cases related to employment, public accommodations, or education were committed against someone of Hispanic and Latinx heritage. Unequal treatment, often rooted in fear of deportation or discriminatory behavior, serves as a significant barrier to accessing social services and achieving community incorporation and trust. While the general public may reason that fear of deportation rests solely in regards to law enforcement agencies, members of the Hispanic and Latinx community face barriers from non-governmental organizations as well. Some social service organizations and public welfare agencies have a misunderstanding of the role immigration plays in accessing services and resources; providers and staff may inappropriately ask about immigration status or utilize immigration status as a standard of disqualification for services. In other The Arthur J. Glatfelter Institute for Public Policy – 2017 York County Hispanic and Latinx Community Assessment 34 | P age
Findings instances, staff members may play an active role in presenting misinformation about eligibility in an effort to deter undocumented immigrants. This climate of fear and mistrust often discourages individuals from seeking services for themselves or for their children xiii . However, this mistrust and unequal treatment is not relegated to the undocumented community. Unconscious bias may lead to an individual making assumptions about a Hispanic or Latinx resident, and therefore execute a discriminatory action or behavior. Due to the social and political climate, as well as the outward appearance or primary language of Hispanic and Latinx residents, some community members in need of human or social services may not seek those services out of fear of deportation, discrimination, or harassment. Survey Respondents Perspectives Related to Unequal Treatment (Discrimination) Statement Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree I have been discriminated against based on how I look. 12% 18% 30% 26% 14% I have been discriminated against by the government based on how I look. 8% 13% 33% 26% 21% I have not been able to receive services based on how I look. 6% 13% 32% 26% 23% I have been discriminated against for speaking Spanish. 11% 21% 25% 24% 19% I have been discriminated against by the government for speaking Spanish. 10% 10% 28% 29% 23% I know people that have been discriminated against based on how they look. 18% 21% 25% 18% 19% I know people that have been discriminated against by the government 18% 20% 24% 20% 18% based on how they look. I know people that have not been able to receive services based on how they 17% 18% 26% 24% 16% look. I know people that have been discriminated against for speaking Spanish. 20% 28% 21% 14% 16% I know people that have been discriminated against by the government for speaking Spanish. Table 9: - Source: 2017 York County Hispanic/Latinx Community Assessment 17% 17% 26% 19% 20% Based on survey results, respondents are more likely to state that they know someone else that has been discriminated against, rather than themselves. Moreover, survey questions regarding discrimination from non-descript sources received higher ratings than those from specific entities. Discrimination based on language-spoken is the most prevalent. However, it must be noted that large portions of survey respondents disagree or strongly disagree with each statement regarding discrimination. However, as one focus group participant stated, “I was offered a job, but when I got there, I was told to go home because I didn’t speak English well enough”. In conjunction with perspectives or experiences regarding discrimination, perceptions of law enforcement agencies and officers may deter social service utilization. The Arthur J. Glatfelter Institute for Public Policy – 2017 York County Hispanic and Latinx Community Assessment 35 | P age
Page 1 and 2: The Arthur J. Glatfelter Institute
Page 3 and 4: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This work would n
Page 5 and 6: RECOMMENDATIONS VIII. RECOMMENDATIO
Page 7 and 8: Educational Attainment and Job Trai
Page 9 and 10: Recommendation 1: Changing service
Page 11 and 12: Introduction 1. Introduction A. Bac
Page 13 and 14: Introduction However, while the ove
Page 15 and 16: Introduction groups with community
Page 17 and 18: Findings addition, survey responden
Page 19 and 20: Findings Parental involvement and p
Page 21 and 22: Findings When combining household i
Page 23 and 24: Findings B. Educational Attainment
Page 25 and 26: Findings education, “when [they]
Page 27 and 28: Findings Therefore, while the major
Page 29 and 30: Findings The majority of survey res
Page 31 and 32: Findings The number of years that a
Page 33: Findings IV. Community and Trust In
Page 37 and 38: Findings V. Social Services Sought
Page 39 and 40: Findings Based on the broad categor
Page 41 and 42: Findings The primary language spoke
Page 43 and 44: Findings A surveyed household’s t
Page 45 and 46: Discussion VI. Analysis of Gaps and
Page 47 and 48: Discussion Within the overall popul
Page 49 and 50: Discussion B. Housing Services With
Page 51 and 52: Discussion Within the overall popul
Page 53 and 54: Discussion insurance is much lower.
Page 55 and 56: Discussion group participant stated
Page 57 and 58: Discussion VII. Analysis of Current
Page 59 and 60: Recommendations VIII. Recommendatio
Page 61 and 62: Recommendations Finally, as childca
Page 63 and 64: Recommendations The mobile job cent
Page 65 and 66: Notes References i. American Commun
Page 67 and 68: Notes Appendix I Human or Social Se
Page 69 and 70: Notes Appendix III Social Services
Page 71 and 72: Notes Distribution of Social Servic
Page 73 and 74: Notes Distribution of Social Servic

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