Open, frank meeting pleases Hispanics

Members of Utah Valley's Hispanic community would like more of the open and frank dialogue that took place with local government leaders Wednesday night.

And Provo Police Chief Greg Cooper is with them. He told several hundred people gathered at Orem High School that he wants to know the challenges they face as well as their feelings.Just two weeks ago, German Flores, chairman of the Governor's Hispanic Advisory Council, advised Cooper of a problem between a Provo officer and a Hispanic man. Cooper said the officer used "inappropriate procedure" and was disciplined as a result, although the matter was "not an issue of race."

Law enforcement was one of several topics discussed during the meeting sponsored by the Governor's Hispanic Advisory Council. Organizers hope it will be the first in a series of forums to improve race relations in Utah County. Immigration, education, employment and the legal system were among other issues raised.

"The question we are trying to answer is, how can we work in partnership to build cultural bridges between communities of color and the schools, police, local businesses and others?" said David Dominguez, a Brigham Young University law professor and member of the Utah Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Legal System.

One man complained that employers demand that non-native workers know English but don't provide the tools for them to learn the language.

English-as-a-second-language classes can be expensive, although some free courses are available. The Alpine School District is working on a family literacy program in which parents and children can learn English together.

Another complained that although a person might have been doctor or lawyer in Mexico, their language deficiency keeps them from being treated as a professional in the United States.

Flores, an attorney, said the solution to that is to learn English and pass the proper board exams to become certified in the profession.

"It took me a long time to pass the bar. It was hard. It was not in Spanish. It was in English," he said. "We have to learn the language."

But make no mistake, local Hispanics do not favor the English-only bill Rep. Tammy Rowan, R-Orem, is pushing in the Utah Legislature for the second consecutive year. The bill would make English Utah's official language, meaning government documents could be printed only in that language.

The crowd jeered when it was mentioned that Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, supports English-only.

Hispanics also are at a disadvantage in the legal system because judges, prosecutors and public defenders often "don't have a clue" about the implications of immigration law, Flores said. Guilty pleas or pleas of no contest can lead to deportation, he said, even for people who are residents.

Fourth District Judge Lynn Davis concurred that "many are not familiar with the complexities and changes in immigration law." Training is needed to help attorneys and judges to become versed in the law, he said.

Despite some strong feelings that were voiced, Wednesday's meeting, which was conducted in Spanish and English, did not turn into a gripe session. People raised issues and shared experiences that are real, which is exactly what Dominguez hoped for.

"We want local agencies and the community of color to learn more about each other's needs and concerns. We want the meetings to be positive in spirit, showing appreciation and respect for the work already being done to improve race relations. We may have a long way to go, but it is important to recognize how far we have come," he said.