Small changes can be big deal to Hispanics

The Hispanic population in DuPage County tripled in the past decade, creating a new market for local businesses.

For communities conscious of the growing demographic, minor changes could lead to a profitable extension of services and programs.

“It’s not that what we have is different,” Lisle Savings Bank President Jim Renn acknowledges. “It’s just having the Hispanic community know that the doormat is out to them.”

Renn hopes the bank’s tweaks — displaying bilingual signage and offering Spanish language publications in the lobby — will be seen as “a way to be a bit ahead of the curve and court that business.”

Renn said the institution appeals to the type of customers who prefer smaller, community banks as opposed to larger, national chains.

“I’m hoping to be able to provide (Hispanic residents) with a closer type of relationship that we have with our customers as opposed to a currency exchange,” he said.

Renn, who also is a member of the board of directors at the West suburban Community Pantry, volunteered one of the bank’s meeting rooms as the site for the pantry’s summer ESL courses.

The community pantry group has been offering ESL courses through the Woodridge Park District for more than five years with the help of College of DuPage instructors.

“Those with limited English proficiency (or LEP) have a more difficult time finding employment and simply communicating,” said community pantry Director Barbara Schmith.

According to the 2010 census, close to 91,000 people in DuPage County speak mostly Spanish. Schmith says that since July 1, the pantry has interacted with 122 households that prefer Spanish as a primary mode of communication.

The shifting population demographic also has prompted the development and success of organizations catering to native Spanish speakers.

“Nowadays there are bilingual personnel in all government offices, in the banks and in many businesses, so that type of help is not needed so much,” said Centro de Informacion Executive Director Jaime Garcia.

Nearly 40 years ago Garcia and his associates began the Centro de Informacion as an information referral site for Hispanic residents. Now the Elgin-based group has two satellite locations and provides aid to 15,000 people a year.

Garcia sees the organization as “someplace for people to go to get help” and has helped organize immigration seminars, health screenings and parenting courses through Centro de Informacion.

Despite the outreach efforts by some businesses, Garcia still views the lack of bilingual competency as problematic; miscommunication with independent agencies like mortgage companies and landlords are some of the hurdles the growing Hispanic population faces.

“Many times they’re not big problems,” he said. “But because they can’t communicate, they become a big problem.”