It's an old myth that rural equals mono-cultural. In fact, our community looks more like a melting pot that harkens back to turn-of-the-century urban America. Of the 134,000 people who call this Valley home, nearly 30 percent identify themselves as having Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. By 2030, the number of Hispanics will surpass the white population here, according to Woods & Poole Economics, Inc.'s 2007 Complete Economic and Demographic Data Source (CEDDS). And, Napa County will reach that tipping point 12 years before the rest of the state overall, according to the State of California Department of Finance, which tracks population trends. A near-term projection: Our Latino senior population will grow 4.5 percent a year for the next three decades, compared to 1.5 percent annual increases in seniors overall, according to California's Department of Finance. While it's difficult to imagine what our school system will be like in 2050, the state's Department of Finance estimates that 77 percent of school-age children (birth to 19 years) in Napa County will be Latino. There is tremendous diversity within our Latino community--place of birth, age, household wealth, education level, citizenship status, languages spoken at home. About 24 percent of Napa County residents are foreign born. Some are immigrants who've become naturalized citizens (roughly 9 percent), and some are not citizens (slightly more than 15 percent), according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey from 2006. The country of origin for most of our immigrants is Mexico. Some of our immigrants have been here six months, others for 20 or 30 years. Most services and programs targeted to Latinos in our Valley are focused on those born outside the U.S., or their children. What does it mean to be an immigrant? From the government's point of view, immigrants include foreign-born residents who have become citizens (through naturalization), or who hold one of many immigration statuses. Most immigrants arrive with legal permission to live here on a temporary or permanent basis. There are a variety of temporary visas, such as professional or agriculture, and many of the workers who come to Napa County during crush season enter with these visas. Immigrants also can obtain permanent residency visas without ever becoming a citizen. Finally, some immigrants legally enter the United States based on humanitarian status, such as refugees or asylees. Immigrants who enter this country without legal documents are known as "undocumented."

Immigrants are an essential part our nation's economy: 80 percent of them are working age, compared to 60 percent of native-born adults; and more than 60 percent of them work in agriculture, food- service and construction. Napa's immigrant community is no different from any other in that these newcomers desire greater opportunity and prosperity for the next generation. For many working in our hospitality and agriculture sectors, where wages tend to cluster between $9 and $12 per hour and do not include benefits, annual incomes are far greater than would be the case in Mexico, but still not large enough to keep families from living in or on the edge of poverty. There are a host of nonprofit and government programs available to low-income residents: food and housing assistance; child care subsidies; medical services; and adult education classes. Many of these programs are mandated to use Federal Poverty Level (FPL) as an eligibility requirement. FPL is a nationwide metric that marries annual income with family size to gauge a household's economic status. Another oft-mandated eligibility requirement is proof of citizenship or a particular residency status. Applied separately or together, FPL and citizenship often end up cutting out Latino residents who need services the most--not only those who are very poor, but those who haven't yet cracked into the middle class. Nonprofit leaders we spoke with recommend FPL be adjusted to local economies for the simple reason that what a family of four in Napa County needs to earn to pay for housing, food and transportation is a lot more than what a family of four in a rural county of Missouri would need. It's not only an unrealistically low FPL that feeds the cycle of economic hardship for many Latinos, but also the relative scarcity of high-paying jobs. Some programs and agencies are working with local governments to support a "living wage" standard. A "living wage" standard is an hourly earnings minimum based on what's needed to afford a particular quantity or quality of housing, food, utilities, healthcare and recreation. In Napa, the living wage for a family of four is about $55,000 in annual income, or $26.50 per hour for a single wage earner working full-time. Citizenship and residency status also are barriers for some affordable housing programs, certain types of work or job placement assistance, and even for obtaining a driver's license or other forms of identification. Some nonprofits and programs work with the Mexican Consulate to help immigrants obtain Mexican Matricula Consular ID cards, which they can then use to open a bank account, for example. Acculturation also was identified as a significant issue. Language, familiarity with culture and knowledge of systems can deter Latino's--especially those who emigrated from rural Mexico--from accessing health, housing or social services, even those who have lived here for 15, 20 or 30 years. Research suggests there is a strong tie between acculturation and economic success: Immigrants who learn English well see a 15 to 20 percent increase in their wages. Finally, increased activity by immigration agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has caused many, even those who are here legally, to shy away from using service providers known for helping Latinos. This fear is powerful, and often steers people away from obtaining needed documents, understanding their rights, or accessing legal assistance. Nonprofits also reported that the lack of intermingling among Anglos and Latinos, and even a lack of understanding between long-time Latino residents and newer arrivals, creates isolation and, sometimes, divisiveness.

Nationally, only 14 percent of Mexican immigrants have more than a high school education. This compares to 35 percent of adults who are native born, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In Napa County, only 25 percent of high school students are prepared to go to a four-year college. Among Latino kids in our region, the number is 11 percent. These numbers could prove dire for these youth, since future earning power is directly proportional to one's level of educational attainment. California schools are under- resourced: Per capita student spending is low compared to other states that have less diverse and much smaller numbers of students. For instance, our state spends roughly $8,000 per pupil on K-12 education, while New York spends nearly twice that amount. In addition, district policies of open enrollment, along with demographics, result in large concentrations of at-risk students at a small number of schools. In Napa Valley Unified School District, for example, more than half of elementary-age Latino kids attend just seven of the 25 elementary schools in Napa Unified School District. It turns out that these campuses have larger proportions of students who are not only from low-income families, but also are English learners. Kids who come from poor families for whom English is not the native language are less likely to do well in school. This combination creates more challenging teaching environments, and requires more staff. All these factors have a ripple effect, and one outcome is that many of these schools struggle to meet federal and state mandates, and to do so, strip the curriculum of enriching subjects like science or art. Subjects that often are taught in schools with predominantly Anglo students from middle-class families. Agencies reported that Latino students are at risk of being permanently slotted into more remedial classes that prevent them from being eligible to enter UC or CSU schools, even if those kids' skills improve over time. One reason this is so: Their parents don't speak English; know how to navigate the school system; or, know how to advocate for their children. Some programs in the County help Latino parents develop advocacy and leadership skills, and many conduct outreach to the most at-risk families. Nonprofits agreed that both are important, and that more services are needed for Latino students who might be on the verge of getting in trouble or disengaging from school. Other needs: more opportunities for Spanish-speaking parents to be involved at the high school level; and English language and computer literacy classes targeted to undocumented families. While Napa Valley has robust healthcare assets for low-income Latinos (Community Health Clinic Olé, Sister Ann Dental Clinic, Healthy Moms & Babies, to name a few), gaps remain. For instance, certain medical or dental services aren't rendered by these programs, and there is a dearth of local private physicians that will accept Medi-Cal, the state's subsidized health insurance. As state budget cuts shrink Medi-Cal reimbursement rates, more doctors are refusing to accept these low-income patients. Mental health services also were identified as an unmet need for many Latinos and Latino immigrants, who struggle with self-esteem or cultural identity issues, alcohol abuse, unhealthy family dynamics, or fear for their safety in certain neighborhoods. While some nonprofits and the County provide bilingual counseling, demand outstrips supply. Furthermore, mental health often carries stigma among Latinos, especially adult men, so persuading them to seek help is often a challenge.

American Canyon Family Resource Center. Family stability. 707.363.0058

AVID Program (St. Helena High School). Youth development. 707.967.2740

Bi-National Health Week (Community Health Clinic Olé). Healthcare. 707.251.2000

Calistoga Affordable Housing. Housing. 707.942.5920

Calistoga Family Center. Family stability. 707.942.6206

Child Start, Inc. Preschool education. 707.256.1849

Children's Health Initiative. Health insurance. 707.226.9922

Community Health Clinic Olé and Sister Ann Dental Clinic. Healthcare. 707.254.1770

Community Resources for Children. Childcare. 707.253.0376

Cope Family Center. Family stability. 707.252.1123

Family Service of Napa Valley. Mental health. 707.258.8633

Greater Napa Valley Fair Housing Center. Housing advocacy. 707.224.9720

Healthy Moms & Babies. Healthcare. 707.252.6541

Latino Elder Coalition. Advocacy. 707.251.2020

Legal Aid of Napa Valley. Legal services. 707.259.0579

Los Niños Childcare Centers (Community Action Napa Valley). Childcare. 707.253.6122

Napa County Farmworker Centers. Housing. 707.963.7496

Napa County Health & Human Services Agency Department of Behavioral Health. Mental Health. 707.259.8176

Napa Emergency Women's Services. Domestic violence. 707.252.3687

Napa Valley Community Housing. Housing. 707.251.1067

On The Move. Youth development. 707.255.9465

The Outreach Network (Queen of the Valley Medical Center). Leadership training. 707.251.2000

Planned Parenthood Shasta-Diablo. Healthcare. 707.252.8050

Puertas Abiertas (Spirit of Unity in Napa, Inc.). Family stability. 707.224.1786

St. Helena Family Resource Center. Family stability. 707.963.1919

Summer Search. Youth development. 707.763.2001

Von Brandt Neighborhood Center (Napa Valley Community Housing). Family stability. 707.259.8143

Work Connection (St. Helena Catholic Church). Employment. 707.763.7805