Latinos hurt by digital divide, report says: 3/28/2007

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006703280341

Lack of computer skills might affect employment, some say

THELMA GUERRERO
Statesman Journal

March 28, 2007

Twice a week after school, Juan Manuel Reyes-Hernandez spends time doing his homework and accessing games on a computer in the library at Parrish Middle School.

Born and raised in the United States, Reyes-Hernandez is proficient in English and Spanish and is comfortable using a computer and accessing the Internet.

On the other hand, his parents, Mexican natives who speak only Spanish, are estranged from the electronic machines. The family doesn't own a computer.

In comparison, 71 percent of non-Latino whites surveyed said they go online regularly, and 60 percent of non-Latino blacks reported they routinely access the web.

"More and more employers presuppose computer skills in job applicants so not having those skills would tend to make an applicant less competitive," said John Balling, the executive director of integrated technology services at Willamette University.

"Employers also like to communicate with applicants through e-mails so if you don't have a computer and an e-mail address, you're going to be at a disadvantage," he said.

For example, she said about three-fourths of Latinos who speak mainly English or are bilingual use the Internet, compared with one-third of Latinos who speak only Spanish.

The figure jumps to 89 percent for Latinos with a college degree, compared to 31 percent among those without a high school diploma or GED.

Some organizations that work with the Latino community are working to bridge the digital gap by offering computer classes in Spanish.

The Mano a Mano Family Center, a nonprofit group in Salem, offers computer literacy instruction to certain Spanish-speaking farmworkers.

The classes are aimed at teaching attendants how to get on the Internet, use e-mail, do word processing, fill out forms and various other services.

The Salem Public Library also offers computer classes, although it does not offer classes in Spanish.

The Pew report notes that younger Latinos, such as Reyes-Hernandez, are not lagging as far behind as their parents.

For example, the study found that 80 percent of second-generation Latinos use computers and go online.

"I like it because it doesn't take as long as handwriting to write a report on a computer," Reyes-Hernandez said.

"So they're not absolutely isolated," Balling said.

tguerrero@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6815

KOBBI R. BLAIR | STATESMAN JOURNAL Juan Manuel Reyes-Hernandez, 12, uses a computer at Parrish Middle School. U.S.-born Juan is comfortable with computers, but his parents, native Mexicans, are not.

Key findings A report about computer use and Internet access by Latinos found that: 78 percent of Latinos who speak English as their main language and 76 percent of bilingual Latinos use the Internet, compared with 32 percent of Spanish-dominant Latino adults. 76 percent of U.S.-born Latinos go online, compared with 43 percent of those born outside the United States. 80 percent of second-generation Latinos go online, as do 71 percent of third-generation Latinos. 89 percent of Latinos who have a college degree, 70 percent of Latinos who completed high school and 31 percent of Latino who did not complete high school go online. Mexicans are the largest national origin in the U.S. Latino population and are among the least likely groups to go online. SOURCE: Pew Hispanic Center and the Pew Internet & American Life Project

Link: http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=73

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