MEMPHIS, Tenn. — On Cinco de Mayo, you may think of parties and Mexican food and drink, but the daily reality for many in Memphis’s Latino neighborhoods that wasn’t the case.
“Poverty rates for Hispanics or Latinos have continued to increase. Poverty rates are currently 47%,” said Dr. Elena Delavega with the University of Memphis.
“What we have observed is a very disturbing trend in the poverty rate among Latinos.”
She has studied poverty and demographics in Memphis and Shelby County for the last three years.
With almost half the Latino population living in poverty, she said conditions in Memphis are far worse than most places in the country.
“I attribute this to the fact that Memphis appears to be a new settlement area for Latinos,” she explained.
Delavega pointed out many of those living in poverty in Memphis were undocumented and unable to find work.
The solution, she said, is education.
“Those children, as they grow up, if we have a place for them at the university, will be able to become that backbone of the Latino middle class. It may require that we have in-state tuition for undocumented children,” she told WREG.
And regardless of your race or stance on those living here illegally, Delavega said Hispanic poverty affected us all.
“If every one of those people over the age of 25 had a bachelors degree, this would have an economic impact of $5 billion,” she said.
Delavega had some good news.
She said the overall poverty rate in Memphis decreased over the last several years.
For a complete breakdown of poverty levels in the Memphis area click here.
