Tampa Bay Area Hispanic Numbers Growing

SourceBy KATHY STEELE ksteele@tampatrib.com Published: Jun 20, 2003

TAMPA - Drive down Armenia Avenue in West Tampa or head to the southern part of Hillsborough County around Ruskin and Wimauma. Latino restaurants, shops, supermarkets, radio stations and social clubs catch the eye in ever growing numbers.

This picture of a diverse and growing Latino population that Tampa Bay area residents have witnessed over the past decade was reinforced Wednesday with the latest Census Bureau data.

The nation's Hispanic population grew at nearly four times the rate of the overall population during the past two years, cementing Latinos' position as the country's largest minority group, the Census Bureau reported.

Hispanics numbered 38.8 million as of July 2002, an increase of nearly 10 percent, or 3.5 million, since April 2000. The U.S. population rose 2.5 percent during the same period, to more than 288 million.

Most Hispanic newcomers in the Bay area, according to community members, have been Mexicans from Mexico and Puerto Ricans who moved from New York or other metropolitan cities in the United States.

Add to the mix people from Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Dominica, Nicaragua and other places.

`A Latin Enclave In The South'

The growth doesn't surprise E.J. Salcines, a West Tampa native and a judge in the 2nd District Court of Appeals. It's merely building on the immigrant tradition that began in the late 1800s with Cubans who worked in the cigar factories in Ybor City.

``It reinforces the diversity that is here and that this area has been known for for over a century,'' Salcines said.

``Tampa was always seen in the early 20th century as a Latin enclave in the South, in Dixie.''

Latinos know Tampa and Hillsborough County are ``a friendly area,'' he said.

The census report on the rapidly growing Hispanic population ``confirms what communities across the country have been witnessing for a while,'' said Gabriela Lemus, director of policy and legislation for the League of United Latin American Citizens.

The federal government considers ``Hispanic'' an ethnicity, not a race, so people of Hispanic ethnicity can classify themselves as any race.

Hillsborough's Numbers

State and local data were not included in this latest batch of numbers.

But the 2000 U.S. census clearly showed that Hillsborough's Hispanic communities were growing, and Hispanics were moving to new areas. For instance, the county's Mexican population nearly doubled since 1990 to 35,321, outpacing the Cuban population of 35,123. Mexicans settled in Brandon, Plant City and Ruskin.

The only larger Hispanic group was Puerto Ricans, with 52,568. Many moved into Town N' Country, an older neighborhood in the northwest portion of the county. In that area, one in four considered themselves Hispanic, compared to one in six countywide.

The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce has taken notice of the census numbers.

It seems there are more Spanish- owned businesses in the area,'' said President Kim Scheeler. We've actively tried to diversify our board and add Hispanics.''

One boom certainly is in businesses that provide services for Spanish- speaking populations, he said. That includes companies such as Capital One, which add Spanish-speaking divisions to cater to that market, Scheeler said.

Reshaping Politics

Signs of power shifts in the state's political parties were hinted at in the 2000 elections.

For the first time since 1948, Orange County, which includes Orlando, voted Democratic in the presidential election, said Lance deHaven Smith, a political analyst at Florida State University.

``Hispanics are probably the most important source of political opportunities for the parties and the focus of attention,'' deHaven Smith said. So far, Democrats seem to be attracting more Hispanics to their side, he said.

Tampa residents got a taste of the new political dynamics in the last city election, said Ricardo Roig, chairman of the Tampa Bay Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Mayor Pam Iorio and Frank Sanchez played for advantage with Hispanic voters, he said.

They're still in their infancy in political development,'' Roig said of Hispanic voters. But these folks are very politically active, politically charged. Hispanics will more and more influence local politics.''

Tabulating population data by race and ethnicity is something of an inexact science because of the way the government categorizes people. The process became even more confusing in 2000 after the Census Bureau allowed people to identify themselves by more than one race.

About 1.7 million people in July 2002 were identified by the government as black and Hispanic, while 36.3 million said they were white and Hispanic.

The Associated Press has used the non-Hispanic population figures for blacks and whites since data from the 2000 census was released in April 2001. The figures include those of one or more races.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Reporter Kathy Steele can be reached at (813) 259-7920.