New York Times: Hispanics Reviving Faded Towns on the Plains

[matt819]

Story about how influx of Hispanic immigrants is reviving, if not necessarily reinvigorating, rural communities in the Plains states. Not earth-shattering, not even particularly heartwarming, but a moderately interesting story about how demographic changes is affecting a raft of small (and, needless to say, white) towns in rural America.

The comments make for more interesting reading. The bile and the hate (mostly from the right, but from some self-proclaimed liberals as well) is breathtaking in its scope and depth. How these people make their way through any given day without their heads exploding is a mystery. The possibility that they are passing these attitudes to the next generation is frightening in the extreme.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/us/as-small-towns-wither-on-plains-hispanics-come-to-the-rescue.html?hp

[liberal N proud]

1. And the older generation is not taking this fact very well

It bothered my mother for several years. And others are just as negative toward hispanics.

[SoCalDem]

2. People go where they can afford to live

Poor people have been moving around forever. The sad thing is that they are eventually displaced after they "rehab" an area, and richie-riches show up revving up the prices so soon the poorer folks can no longer afford to live there.. "Gentrification" is not gentle:(

There are small towns all over Colorado that have been made totally unaffordable to the people whose families have been there forever, because rich folks thought it was such a pretty place..

same for the Pacific Northwest & Montana

[DURHAM D]

3. Great story - thanks for posting.

I am from out there - well not way out toward the Colorado border but more toward the center of the state. But its so true about restaurants - for decades we almost always ate Mexican food if we wanted a decent meal. The only other option now is to drive several miles to an Amish restaurant.

JFTR - over 25 years ago the mayor of my home town was first generation Mexican.

[KamaAina]

4. Just as they've been doing in the Northeast and South for quite some time now

unless, that is, cities (like Hazleton, Pa.) or states (Ala., Ga.) drive them out. :grr: