Whitney McDowell, Katherine Barkin, Steve
Clouney

Sociology 338 Project


Introduction

 	According to the 1990 Census, 12,632 people reside in the
Princeton Borough. Out of this number, 616 are reportedly of Hispanic
origin. Thus, the Hispanic population constitutes roughly 5% of the total
population. According to a  Diversity Specialist at the District Post
Office, 3.49% of total households in Princeton are Spanish-speaking.
Since this census is seven years old, we can assume that not only has the
total population increased, but the Hispanic contingent as well.  In
addition the census information does not take into account illegal
immigrants, therefore we can assume that the Hispanic population is
larger.  
	Government institutions provide basic services essential to daily
life, such as sanitation, safety, and health.  Therefore, local
governments have a responsibility to ensure every individual access to
these services. Because of the considerable Hispanic presence, often times
introducing a language and cultural barrier, we are curious about what
steps certain institutions are taking to accept and represent this growing
minority.  Our project consists mainly of a broad examination of nine
institutions rather than a deep examination into one or two. We chose this
method because we feel that the local government as a whole should first
be analyzed, thus breaking ground for further projects focusing on
individual institutions.



Methods
The eight institutions we studied were the Borough Clerk’s Office, Borough
Police Department, Rental Housing Inspection, Disaster Control, Post
Office, Health Department, Small Animal Control, Princeton Hospital, and
the Recreation Department.  We began by choosing institutions such as the
Police Department and the Post Office because of their high level of
interaction with the public.  As our project progressed, we expanded to
less visible institutions, for example Small Animal Control and the
Recreation Department, to gauge the depth of the government’s commitment
to represent the community.
We compiled a list of nine questions to use as a basic script when
interviewing representatives for each institution. Obviously, we adapted
our questions to each institution.  However, the questions were intended
to generate an understanding of the institution itself and how it responds
to the Latino community, i.e. number of Latino employees, number of
translators (if any) available (see list of questions at end).  
	Most of the representatives we spoke with were from the Human
Resources Department. We felt that they would have the most pertinent
knowledge for our project and the information we wish to obtain. In
certain circumstances, we were referred to the director for information or
permission for an interview. In the case of the Post Office, the local
Post Office could not release the necessary information. We were then
directed to the District Post Office and ultimately asked to write a
letter explaining our project before obtaining any information. Naturally,
we came across a few institutions that failed to respond to our numerous
requests through phone, fax, and letters. Despite the bureaucratic nature
of the system, in most cases, we ultimately spoke with someone in each
institution who was very willing to  be of assistance.
	We decided to focus on the institutions within the Borough rather
than the Township to get a better feel of the immediate Princeton
community. 

Borough Clerk

	We spoke with Sally Jesse,  an employee representing the Borough,
who provided us with information concerning the Clerk’s office and other
government institutions in the area.  There are three and a half employees
in this Department (meaning three full-time workers and one part-time
worker); no Hispanics are currently employed. There are translators in the
offices that have the most contact with the public: Police Department;
Health Department; and Municipal Court.  She informed us that in the
Municipal Court, there are two Spanish-speaking employees.  In addition,
the Welfare Director of the area speaks Spanish.  Although the Health
Department is in need of a Spanish-speaking employee, there are no
openings for additional employees due to the low turnover rate.  According
to Sally Jesse, the departments within the Borough government cooperate
with each other to provide translators when needed.   Also, the
departments do consider bilingualism when hiring.   Although most
advertising for government jobs is done through the Trenton Times and the
Princeton Packet, notices are also sent to churches and ethnic
organizations in the county.  She noted that the Borough prints recycling
notices in Spanish.  Although she noted that the government is aware of
the growing Latino population, she did not give us a direct insight into
her personal feelings on the issue. 

Police Department
	The Police Department is one of the most important institutions in
any community: providing a sense of safety and instilling law and order.
When we first called the Police Department, we asked to speak with someone
in Human Resources; however the head of Human Resources felt that the
Captain should handle our request. Captain Maury was very willing to
answer our questions, providing statistical information and anecdotes
about the Department's relationship with the community. This twenty minute
phone interview provided us with a glance into the workings of the
Department.
	The Police Department has thirty-two sworn-in officers, four
ydispatchers, two clerks, and two parking attendants. There are five
female
employees and six minorities: one Indian officer (from India); three
African American officers; two Latino officers; one Latino dispatcher; one
African-American parking attendant; and one African-American clerk.
Therefore, the African-American employees represent the largest minority
within the Department. Interestingly, when asked about the number of
minority employees within the Department, the Captain inquired about what
we considered to be a minority. To him, 50% ethnic background is
considered a minority. The Captain also mentioned that many people within
the Department believe that 12.5% (1/8) ethnic background defines minority
status.  This is an important point because how one is treated may depend
on how one is viewed.  For example, a person may discriminate against
someone who has white skin if he knows that the person is of mixed racial
heritage (like 1/6 African-American).  Therefore even if you perceive
yourself as being one race, your experience is strongly influenced by how
others categorize you.
	The three Latinos in the Police Department are all bilingual;
fluent in both Spanish and English. The Captain emphasized the importance
of translators. Along with the Latinos, the Department also employees an
Indian officer who is fluent in four Indian dialects. The Department is
also connected with the ATT Language Line, an online service providing
translators of many languages. He noted that the service has been able to
translate every language come across by the Department.  If an officer is
interacting with a person who only speaks Spanish, a Latino officer on
duty is called in to translate. The Department always tries to have a
Latino officer on duty; however, if circumstances arise where a Latino
officer is unavailable for assistance, the Department will contact other
Police Departments or even the Princeton University Public Safety. In his
words, the departments "cooperate with one another."
	When hiring for the Department, bilingualism is a "big factor" in
the decision-making process. The Captain stressed that each candidate,
regardless of extra or special credentials, must pass the required
examination and fitness test. If two candidates are of equal stature, he
would "definitely pick the one who speaks Spanish." This emphasis on
translators leads us to believe that the Department is more than willing
to accommodate to the growing Latino population. When asked if he has
noticed an increase in the presence of Latinos within the Princeton
community, the Captain answered "definitely." Over the past twenty years,
the presence is "immensely larger," and in the last five years there has
been a "steady increase."
	Along with translators, the Department has used other methods when
responding to the needs of the community.  At one time, the Latino
community became victim to a "flim-flam" scheme, similar to a pyramid
scheme, where the people were "conned out of their money." The Police
responded by distributing flyers printed in Spanish to inform the
community of the scam. The use of printed information in Spanish is yet
another factor that leads us to believe the Department is willing to
cooperate with the community. 
	We asked permission to speak with a Latino officer; however, the
Captain does not allow his officers, regardless of ethnicity, to speak
with outside people about the department. 
	Despite the efforts by Police Department to respond to the needs
of the Latino community, we came across an instance where the Department
conflicted with them. We spoke Geraldo Divera, a local lawyer, whose
Latino client was arrested by the Borough Police for illegal status.
Geraldo informed us that he has dealt with the Latino community in the
past. In this specific case, the Police were searching a local house
(Geraldo could not provide us with the reasons for the search) and asked
the Latino resident for proof of citizenship or immigration papers. The
resident presented a fake social security card and consequently was
arrested. Traditionally, the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service)
handles citizenship issues, thus keeping the Police uninvolved.
Apparently, in this case the Police took the issue into their own hands.
According to Geraldo, "nowhere in the New Jersey state law are local
Police Departments delegated this responsibility." (Geraldo did mention,
however, that the trial judge did not agree with him.) Initially, the
Borough Chief refused to condemn the actions of the officers involved;
however, he has recently stated that the local police will not enforce
immigration regulations. 
	We were given Geraldo's name from Jim Springer, a representative
from APOYO, the local immigrant rights group. Springer was interested in
this situation because the actions by the Borough Police have made the
illegal immigrant community afraid to call 911 to report burglaries,
assaults, or other emergencies. The Latino/Police relationship has
therefore been fractured, thus jeopardizing the safety of the community. 
	Geraldo believes that there is an "indifference," not outward
prejudice towards the community. The significant problem is the lack of
communication between the Latino community and the government
institutions. According to Geraldo, there was "one cop with an attitude"
causing problems for the whole Latino community.  
	The Police Department on a whole seems to be making efforts to
respond to the needs of the Latino community. However, this situation
demonstrates that the Department, regardless of its intentions, cannot
control all individual prejudices that may exist. These prejudices can
result in alienation of the Latino community.

Rental Housing Inspection
	Rosie Donnell, an employee at this department, provided us with
not only information concerning Rental Housing, but also gave us a broader
perspective of the Princeton Latino community. All Spanish-speaking calls
are directed toward a Spanish-speaking employee in the Social Services
Department of Rental Housing.   The Borough also publicizes its low-income
housing in both Spanish and English.  In addition, it distributes its
pamphlet, "Truth in Renting," in both languages.  
	One of the reasons we decided to explore Rental Housing is because
other departments have informed us of tensions between Housing and the
Latino community.  When interviewing Donnell, she did not deny these
rumors.  Overcrowding and the strained relationship between
African-Americans and Latinos have recently created problems.
Interestingly, she believes that "overcrowding made the community aware of
the need for bilingualism."  Also, she inferred that tensions are
inevitable because of the mere fact that too many people are living too
close together. 
	To address housing complaints and the overcrowding situation, the
mayor recently created a task force.  The task force attempts to examine
both sides of the issues, and concluded that the zoning officials need to
enforce the space-per-person laws.  However, when we asked if the tensions
derived from cultural differences, she commented that regardless, the
rules need to be enforced.  Nonetheless, the mere fact that the mayor is
addressing these issues demonstrates that the Latino community has
achieved a certain level of recognition.
	On a final note, Donnell said that the complaints have recently
decreased.  She mentioned that this decrease could be attributed to the
seasonality of immigration, "The complaints always flare up in the spring
when workers return looking for jobs." 

Disaster Control
	Closely tied with the Police Department is the Department of
Disaster Control. This is an important department because it guarantees
the safety of all the citizens during natural disasters. For example, it
provides tornado warnings, notification of emergency road closing during
snow storms, and assistance during any other circumstances that may
require evacuation.  According to the representative for the Disaster
Control, they have the three Spanish-speaking borough police officers at
their disposal, five officers from the township, Princeton University
employees, and Spanish-speakers from the Housing Department and from the
Mercer County Hispanic Association (MECHA).   If an emergency arises, the
department would use these bilingual employees to literally go
door-to-door to warn the Latinos about the upcoming emergency.
	The Disaster Control also owns computer software to print out
emergency flyers in Spanish, but this program "tends to twist the Spanish
all up." They also have the technology to provide radio and television
warnings in English and Spanish.  Interestingly, during a massive snow
storm two years ago, they only provided warnings in English.  The
representative mentioned that the State, not the Borough, was responsible
for the actions taken during the storm, perhaps implying that further
steps would have been taken had the Borough been directly involved. There
have been no other emergencies requiring the actions of the Department
since. 
	
Post Office
	We came up against government bureaucracy when dealing with the
Post Office.  We first spoke with someone in charge of Human Resources at
the Borough Office.  She informed us that such requests could be handled
only by the District Office. We then spoke with Martha in Human Resources
at the District Office, who then referred us to Ricki Lakey, Diversity
Specialist.  Upon speaking with Ms. Lakey, we learned that in order for
them to provide us with any information regarding the employees, we must
first write a signed letter, describing our project.  We sent the letter
along with the survey for  information we wished to obtain.  In one week,
Ms. Lakey responded with a letter answering all the questions we posed. 
	There are 188 people employed with the Princeton Post Office:
forty-four African-Americans; eighteen Asians; and six Hispanics.  From
these numbers, Hispanics represent 3.2% of total employee compliment.
This institution does not provide a translator for the non-English
speaking population; however, she wrote
The Postal Service uses "product sell sheets" which provide written
translations for 40 of the most common window transactions in six
different languages.  In addition, we also distribute "Point Talk" that is
a customer service translator in nine languages. 
 When asked if the Post Office considers bilingualism in the hiring
process, Ms. Lakey responded, "No."  The printed information provided by
the institution is available in both Spanish and Chinese, in addition to
English.  
	Veronica Rosales, a graduate student at Princeton University,
informed us of a Hispanic male who works at the window of the Borough Post
Office.  According to her, many of the Hispanic customers choose to wait
in a longer line for the opportunity to speak with him over a  non-Spanish
speaking employee.

Health Department
	The Health Department inspects restaurants, pools, and camps
within the Princeton area to ensure that they are operating in a clean and
sanitary manner.  It also provides vaccination clinics for children and
senior citizens. It provides marriage licenses, birth certificates, and
death certificates.  Finally, it offers health education programs for
schools and other institutions in the area.  
	We spoke with a representative who was willing to answer a few
questions.  The Health Department has seven employees: six Caucasians and
one African-American.  They have no Spanish-speaking employees, but when
someone who only speaks Spanish calls, the Department contacts the Police
Department or Violations Bureau for assistance.  If the Department is
inspecting a building run by a person who only speaks Spanish, the
inspector will bring along a translator.  
	
Small Animal Control
	In conjunction with the Health Department is the Small Animal
Control Office.  We spoke with Ebert Siskel, the Health Officer.  This
Department is responsible for picking up stray animals, checking dog
licenses, investigating dog bites, and cleaning up deer carcasses from the
side of the road.  There is only one employee, who does not speak Spanish.
Similar to other Borough departments, this Department will contact other
institutions for translation assistance.  The one pamphlet the Department
issues, on rabies, is distributed by the state in both Spanish and
English.  Although the information is printed in several languages, it
does not take into account any cultural differences when dealing with
pets.  For example, foreigners may not be aware of vaccination laws, leash
laws, or any license requirements for their pets. 

Princeton Hospital
	We spoke with Larry Kingsly, the director of Translation Services.
This program is essential because of the life-or-death situations that
occur in emergency rooms require relating accurate information to doctors.
The translating staff at the hospital is composed of both full-time
professional workers and community volunteers.  The emergency room has a
bilingual triage nurse.  In addition, according to Kingsly, most of the
non-emergency clinical nursing staff is bilingual.   The Hospital ensures
that there is a Spanish-speaking employee on staff twenty-four hours a
day.   This program is funded jointly by the State and the Hospital.
Kingsly believes that the program is gaining importance due to "noticeable
increase in the Latino community in the last three years."  He also noted
that the biggest problem facing the community is the complication between
tenants and landlords. 
	
Recreation Department
	The Recreation Department is in charge of four local parks, and
offers an extensive spectrum of activities for the community.  For
example, it runs a youth basketball league and is in charge of maintaining
the public pools and tennis courts.  The Department has ten full-time
employees and a legion of volunteers.  While no one current employee
speaks Spanish, Director Phillips Donahow expressed enthusiasm for a
recently hired bilingual employee.  When asked whether the Department
considers bilingualism when hiring, Mr. Donahow initially said "no," but
then quickly restated his response, "Yeah, we do consider bilingualism.
It’s something that's nice to have."
	Mr. Donahow says that the Department is "sensitive and cognitive
to the demographic changes of the area." However, he informed us that
"there was no change in policy" in response to the increase in the
Hispanic population.  Although most literature is printed in Spanish, the
signs around the parks are only in English.  Mr. Donahow was apprehensive
about providing signs written in Spanish because, "it’s the United States,
and we want to treat English as a first language and give the kids the
opportunity to learn the language."  
	If someone calls who only speaks Spanish, the Recreation
Department contacts the area's Latin American Task Force.  This
organization is willing to provide translation and facilitate the
interaction between the Spanish-speaking community and the Department.
The Director emphasized that all programs are open to everyone, regardless
of individual language barriers.  

Conclusion
	The growing Latino presence in Princeton has introduced new
challenges for the local government.  Given the most important priority of
government institutions is to provide services to the public, these
institutions must continually adapt to any changing demographics of the
area.  Through this project, we have discovered that the government
institutions in Princeton are aware of the increasing Latino presence, and
in many cases have taken steps to properly accommodate this population.
Most significant is the cooperation between the institutions in attempt to
overcome the language barrier.  For example, the Police Department is more
than willing to lend a translator to the Health Department, if a situation
requires a Spanish speaking representative. While translation is an
important step toward incorporating the Latino community, the government
has yet to focus on deeper issues, like subsidized ESL (English as a
Second Language) programs.  Arguably, greater political organization among
Hispanics will produce more local government services for the Latino
community, and facilitate social and economic mobility.  Whether or not
the Princeton population would welcome a more visible minority community
remains to be seen.   
 
Survey

1) How many people are currently employed with this institution?

2)What is the male/female ratio of employees?

3)How many employees represent a minority?  If any, which minorities are
represented?

4)Which minority is most largely represented?

5)How many, if any, employees are of Hispanic heritage?

6)Does this institution provide a translator for the non-English speaking
population?

7)If there is a translator(s), for which language(s)?  If no translators,
how do the employees communicate with the non-English speaking population?

8)Do you consider bilingualism in the hiring process?  If so, for which
languages?

9)Is the printed information you provide the public (pamphlets etc.) in
languages other than English?  If so, in which languages?  If not, how is
the information passed on to the non-English speaking population?