Step One of L.A.T.I.N.O.

Step One: Getting the lay of the land and finding the number of Spanish speakers present in any given US community.

How do you find out about the Latino presence in your community? The U.S. Census Bureau and UNC-Chapel Hill can provide abstract demographic information about your community. The Episcopal Church periodically provides demographic information that is community-specific and based on parish locations. While percentages are helpful, they can be deceptive in sparsely populated areas like we have in our diocese, so focus more on the raw numbers in any given area. Also, keep in mind that the immigration status of many Latinos often leads to undercounting. To research your area in terms of the general demographic make-up, you can use the following, which are updated regularly: