State hispanic population jumps

By The Associated Press | Monday, September 24, 2007

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MITCHELL -- A study by South Dakota State University shows that the Hispanic population in the state has grown substantially in recent years.

South Dakota had the nation's sixth-largest percentage increase in Hispanics in the first half of the decade, the SDSU study says.

"(Hispanics) are coming here at quite a rapid rate and they've become an important part of society in South Dakota," said Trevor Brooks, a graduate research assistant with the SDSU Rural Life Census Data Center in Brookings and author of the study.

Hispanics accounted for 2.1 percent of the South Dakota population in 2005. The Hispanic count was 10,903 in 2000 but had grown to 14,140 in 2005.

South Dakota grew by 21,089 people between 2000 and 2005, or nearly 2.8 percent. But the Hispanic population grew by 3,237, or 15 percent, during the same period.

Meade County has the largest percentage -- 3.5 percent -- followed by 3.4 percent in Corson County and 3.3 percent in Aurora and Minnehaha counties.

From 1990 to 2000, only six counties had Hispanic populations of more than 2 percent. From 2000 to 2005, that number jumped to 15 counties.

"A lot of manufacturing plants are moving from urban to rural areas where there's cheaper employment," Brooks said. "Hispanics are following the manufacturing jobs. Hispanics work in the meat packing industry and are also drawn to agriculture."

The Hanson County Planning Commission has approved initial plans for a new dairy, and if local workers can't be found, immigrant help likely will be used, dairy principal Michael Crinion has said.

In Aurora County, the percentage of Hispanics grew 814 percent from 1990 to 2000. In terms of numbers, it's 57 people.

"Small changes in total numbers translate to large percentage gains," the report says.

In the Plankinton area, Hispanic workers have taken jobs at the National Food Corp. egg plant. The school district has not seen a big increase in students yet, as Hispanic students make up only 6.5 percent of total student numbers, said Don Quimby, Plankinton Superintendent.

But any increase in student numbers is good while districts deal with lost income from dwindling student populations, Quimby said.

The report also says:

-- Hispanics migrate to places where they know others. A network of relatives and friends shares news about jobs.

-- Hispanic immigrants rarely take jobs from local residents, instead taking jobs that others won't take.

Hispanics sometimes take the place of the younger white population in some rural areas because young whites move to urban areas for better-paying jobs, Brooks said.

Native Americans likely will remain South Dakota's dominant minority, Brooks said.

"But I think our state is going to become more diverse, as Hispanics continue to move in," he said.

Information from: The Daily Republic, http://www.mitchellrepublic.com