Secondary Data

Demographic Statistics

The 2000 U.S. Census revealed that 7.4% of the Fuquay-Varina population was Hispanic/Latino, compared to 5.41% in Wake County overall. The following table demonstrates some of the key findings from the 2000 Census for Fuquay-Varina:

Table A: Race/Ethnicity: Fuquay-Varina town, North Carolina

(U.S. Census Bureau, 2000)
* These numbers do not add up to 100. Some Hispanics/ Latinos may have also self-identified as Blacks or Whites.

Although most of the Latino population in Fuquay-Varina is Mexican, there is some diversity. The following table demonstrates the countries of origin of Fuquay-Varina Latinos:

Table B: Hispanics/Latinos by Country of Origin

(U.S. Census Bureau, 2000)

Limitations of Census Data

While US Census reporting has improved somewhat (by expanding from the simple racial differentiation of Caucasians and "others" and by offering community-level statistics analyzed by race or ethnicity), many researchers and practitioners agree that US Census figures tend to underestimate the true size of the Latino population. There are many possible reasons for this under-estimation, particularly in North Carolina. As explained by Rev. Sills, Director of the Faith in Action Institute, an organization that has collected statistics on Latinos, "some Latinos don't understand the census and how the information is used, and some are in the country illegally and don't want any contact with the government for fear they will be caught" (Nivens, 2001). Furthermore, as many insiders and outsiders reported, Latino immigrants arrive everyday. Thus, the influx of Latinos in the past two years is not reflected in the findings of the 2000 Census.

School Statistics

To complement the Census data on the Latino population in Fuquay-Varina, the team heeded the wise words of a service provider who said, "schools are a mirror of society" and reviewed local school data. Through interviews and focus groups, the team discovered that most Latino children of Fuquay-Varina attend schools in Fuquay-Varina, Garner, and Willow Springs. The following table summarizes demographic data of the student population:

Table C: Fall 2001 Student Population Characteristics: Latino Children Fuquay-Varina, Garner and Willow Springs Schools

(WCPSS, 2001b)

These statistics demonstrate a substantial proportion (up to 11%) of school children are Latino. If there are many Latino children in the schools, there are likely many Latino parents living in the area. In addition, the figures indicate that a large proportion of Latino children are not enrolled in the ESL programs but are mainstreamed with the general school population instead.

The number of students participating in free and reduced-price school lunch programs, as outlined by the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), provides an indication of the percentages of elementary school children growing up in low-income families and indicates the extent of poverty within groups (WCPSS, 2001a). As illustrated in the figure below, Latino students represent the largest percentage (68%) of children who come from low-income homes.

Figure A: Free and Reduced-Price Lunch for Elementary School Children: Wake County Analysis of % of Children within Each Racial/Ethnic Group that are Program Recipients

(WCPSS, 2001a)

Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) Parent Survey Data

Another issue of concern regarding Latino youth is the communication gap between schools and parents/children. The team's observations echo the findings of the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) survey of parents of elementary school children (Table D). Of particular concern is that of those surveyed, 65% of the Latino parents of elementary school children report that they have not met with school staff about their child's performance. The Youth section of this document provides more information about the communication gap between schools and Latino parents.

Table D: WCPSS Survey of Elementary School Parents (WCPSS, 2001 a)

History of Fuquay-Varina

Assets