Forum: Let's welcome Latinos to Pittsburgh
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Pittsburgh needs more Latinos. Pious, industrious, roll-up your-sleeve immigrants from Mexico and Central America, raring to work at jobs like construction, food processing, restaurants and old age homes, save their money, send their kids to school, move up the ladder and relive the American dream.
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 Richard Delgado is university distinguished professor of law and Derrick Bell fellow and Jean Stefancic is research professor of law and Derrick Bell scholar at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where they teach courses on race and civil rights (delgado@law.pitt.edu). They are editors of "The Latino Condition: A Critical Reader."
 Â Many American cities (not Pittsburgh -- we rank dead last of the 30 largest) have welcomed working-class Latino immigrants. What would we gain if we did, too? And what would it take to get them here?
Consider: Pittsburgh is losing population, while cities that have encouraged Latino immigration are gaining it. Pittsburgh is closing cherished neighborhood schools for lack of children. Latino families have lots of children. Pittsburgh boasts a fine stock of older houses, many needing remodeling. Latinos love working in the construction industry. Pittsburgh's acres of parks and gardens need tending. Latinos enjoy and understand caring for plants. Pittsburgh's economy is unbalanced toward high technology. A vibrant low-tech sector fueled by immigrants can complement the area's strengths in computers, law and medical services, much as cities such as Los Angeles and Raleigh, N.C., have done.
Imagine what it would do for this region if you could remodel your house for $23,000, not $30,000; or eat a fine restaurant meal for $14, not $18; if your kids could go to a neighborhood school instead of one a mile away because the local one closed.
First Published September 18, 2005 12:00 am
