Online Resource Materials

Unpublished manuscripts on topics of interest by Institute members and Fellows. Please note that these documents are posted at the authors' request and have not undergone Institute review or editing processes.

Latino Immigrant Civic Engagement in the Chicago Region (446KB)
Magda Banda and Martha Zurita
January, 2009
At the very core of our society is the active participation of its members. However, not all members of our society, particularly immigrants, have access to our more official form of participation, namely voting. It is important that all have access to various forms of participation so that their voices can be heard and needs be met. This paper examines the civic participation of Latino immigrants in the metropolitan Chicago region, as well as the role of community-based organizations as facilitators for many Latino immigrants’ civic engagement.
Keywords: Chicago Area/Illinois, Immigration

Representing and Connecting: Immigrant-Serving Organizations in Metro Chicago (296KB)
Martha Zurita and Magda Banda
January, 2009
Have non-profit agencies kept up with metro Chicago’s population shifts? What do these demographic changes mean for non-profits in terms of meeting the needs of immigrant and disadvantaged groups? In this paper we examine several indicators, such as racial/ethnic distribution, poverty, and nativity, for both the geography and the organizations themselves as a step towards finding answers to these important questions.
Keywords: Chicago Area/Illinois, Immigration, Social Services

Student Research Brief 2.5: Financial Literacy Among South Bend Latinos (296KB)
Mari Jose Sanchez and Kevin B. Marvinac with Karen Richman
December, 2008
This research is intended to offer a community-based perspective on an important and relatively unaddressed issue: financial literacy in the United States, especially among immigrant communities. We studied the Mexican community in the city of South Bend, Indiana, in order to explore four major points of study. While somewhat limited by both depth and breadth in the exploration of these issues, we nonetheless hope that our findings can offer insight and suggest future courses of actions to those involved with the Mexican community in South Bend, as well as other immigrant communities.

Student Research Brief 2.3: Mexican Gangs in South Bend (504KB)
Joey Leary and Sophia Cortez with Karen Richman
December, 2008
Gangs are not unique to this era, to the Hispanic community, or to South Bend. There exists an unmistakable correlation between gang violence and cities, specifically the poorest neighborhoods where immigrant communities tend to be located. In this brief we will discuss how these trends relate to the Mexican population in South Bend. We will also report on the prevalence of gangs in South Bend, exploring themes such as location, ethnic composition, motivation, popular media’s influence, gang violence, and measures being taken to help the youth.

Student Research Brief 2.2: Latino's Housing Dilemma and Their Absence in the Homeless Community of South Bend (472KB)
Alisha Wilkinson, and Nicole Yergler with Karen Richman
December, 2008
The question of why migrants from Mexico make up no more than one percent of the homeless population in South Bend goes along with inquiries into the costs and availability of affordable local housing, where Mexican immigrants are living, and whether they take advantage of local establishments' services (for home owners, renters and the homeless). General housing trends must be taken into account, as well as specific locations of primarily Mexican neighborhoods and business districts. Staff members and research reports from the Notre Dame Institute for Latino Studies are helpful in identifying relevant information about these Mexican communities in South Bend. The use of visuals—photographs of where the Mexican population subsists (neighborhoods, community centers, etc)—will 'put a face' on the questions and issues at hand.

Student Research Brief 2.1: Ethnic Transitions between Poles and Mexicans (560KB)
Greg Podolej with Karen Richman
December, 2008
The city of South Bend has a very diverse ethnic background. The history of this small Midwestern city chronicles both opportunity and depression, community building and segregation, development and disarray. This research brief 1) describes the origins of the Polish community and the role it has played in shaping South Bend, 2) describes and demystifies the entrance of the Mexican community on the South Bend cultural stage, and 3) explains the ethnic transition South Bend has recently experienced.

Student Research Brief 1.2: Latino Religions in South Bend (528KB)
Emilie Prot, Stephanie Brauer, Elizabeth Ferrufino, and Jennifer Towey with Karen Richman
March, 2008
Latinos are the largest and fastest growing minority group in the United States today. This phenomenon has not only brought changes in America’s politics, business and education, but among congregations and parishes. Latinos as a whole are a highly religious ethnic group, with over nine-in-ten associating with a particular religion, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. While Latinos continue to be predominantly Catholic in both Latin America and the U.S., in the post-World War II period Protestantism has been gaining popularity. While there are 68% of Latinos identifying as Catholic, these numbers will fluctuate as conversion to Protestantism increases.

Mapping Compassion on the Frontlines: a National Directory of Latino-Serving Faith-Based Organizations (1.2MB)
Prepared by the Center for the Study of Latino Religion, Institute for Latino Studies, University of Notre Dame
March, 2008
This directory lists Latino-serving faith-based organizations in 45 cities throughout the Easter, Southeastern, Midwest, and Western regions of the United States. Most entries include details about the religious and ethnic identity of each organization, the social services it provides, and whether it has certain organizational structures in place (e.g., annual budget, a board of directors, 501(c)(3) status).
Keywords: Religion - Ecumenical, Social Services

Compassion on the Frontlines: an Assessment of Latino-Serving Faith-Based Organizations (1.1MB)
Guillermo Grenier, Rebecca Burwell, Edwin I Hernández, Michael Mata, Milagros Peña, Marciana Popescu, Aida Ramos, Jeffrey Smith
March, 2008
Though increased attention to the role of religion in American public life has helped to highlight important connections between religious commitment and the development of social capital within communities, little research has focused specifically on the social impact of Latino-serving faith-based organizations (FBOs). This report presents the findings of a survey of faith-based organizations that serve Latinos/as in four metro areas that together account for nearly a quarter of the Latino population in the United States. It finds that these organizations offer a large range of services primarily concentrated on educational and job training needs, advocacy, children and youth, immigration, family services, and health concerns, and offer nearly half of such programs in collaboration with other organizations. The report also documents the concrete impact that capacity-training projects have on the organizational development and infrastructure of such community-serving organizations.
Keywords: Religion - Ecumenical, Social Services

Student Research Brief 1.1: Latino Immigrants in South Bend (440KB)
Kimberly Tavarez, Jenna Adsit, and Emilie Prot with Karen Richman
February, 2008
Latino immigrants in South Bend are a growing population that must be better understood as they continue to become a more dominant presence in our midst. In 1990, census data estimated that about 3% of the South Bend population was Latino. In 2000, that percentage had grown to 8%. Over these ten years, the Latino population grew by 157%, while the African-American population increased by only 20% and the Caucasian population decreased by 11%. While the Latino population continues to grow in South Bend, the overall population is actually decreasing. From 2000 to 2006 the population of South Bend has decreased 3.2%. Other data from the American Community Survey in 2006 suggests that the South Bend population has increased to 11% Latino. The Latino population is consistently growing and this trend is not likely to end anytime soon, though it may ebb and flow under various conditions.

No Place Like Home: The State of Hispanic Housing in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City, 2003 (431KB)
Housing Monograph Companion Paper
Eileen Diaz McConnell, PhD
June, 2005
More detailed, companion paper that provides supplementary information for the published monograph A Roof Over Our Heads.
Keywords: Housing, Chicago Area/Illinois

Mexican Women in Chicago: A Report to the Secretaría De Desarrollo Social De México (1.5MB)
Allert Brown-Gort, John Koval, Timothy Ready
March, 2005
Mexican migration to Chicago has increased dramatically over the past decades. Women typically represent less than half the migrants. Migrants—both men and women—tend to be young, on average 20 years old at the time of migration. Four Mexican states provide almost half the migrants, and most of these arriving directly to the metropolitan Chicago area. As in the rest of the United States, the rates of naturalization lag far behind those of other immigrant populations.
Keywords: Chicago Area/Illinois, Gender/Sexuality

SOPEMI Report for Mexico (3.8MB)  No Place Like Home statistical source material: excel workbook (196KB)
Jorge A. Bustamante
January, 2005
Mexico has become a country both of immigration and emigration. This report represents an account of both movements based on statistics produced and/ or compiled primarily in Spanish by INM staff for the year 2002-2003. English translations were made by Jorge A. Bustamante; texts in English were written by INM staff.
Keywords: The Border, Transnationalism, Immigration

Latino Leadership and Social Change: An Evaluation of Grant Making of the Chicago Community Trust (1.1MB)
This report presents a summary of findings of a study undertaken by the Institute for Latino Studies (ILS) at the University of Notre Dame of grant making for Latino leadership development of The Chicago Community Trust.

Please Note: See Outreach for shorter presentations in English and Spanish.

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