MONROE — Hiller West, the city’s community development director, landed a job with the city seven years ago. West doesn’t believe that had anything to do with his Spanish skills.
But his language skills turned out to be an asset for the city. West, who was born in New York City and raised in Mexico, said he often helps people at the City Hall, answering their questions in Spanish.
As Monroe grows, city officials face the need to bridge a language gap to serve Spanish speakers.
“I think the need is greater around here,” West said.
About 43,700 people of Hispanic origin live in Snohomish County, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s 6.5 percent of the county’s total population. The Hispanic population here now is 1.5 times larger than it was seven years ago, according to the state Office of Financial Management.
In 2000, about 1,330 people of Hispanic origin called Monroe home, according to the Census Bureau. That’s about 10 percent of the entire population.
The census updates changing demographics of many larger cities every year, but not Monroe.
Although recent numbers are unavailable, people in the community believe that Monroe continues to add Hispanics, including many for whom English is a second language. The city also has a growing number of businesses owned by Hispanics. Margie S. Rodriguez, assistant principal at Frank Wagner Elementary School, joined the City Council in January, becoming the first Hispanic elected to the council.
The demographic changes are also costing the city more money.
In 2007, the city paid $4,600 for Spanish interpreter fees at Evergreen District Court in Monroe, according to the city’s police department. That was up from $4,100 in 2006.
The county’s district courts are using more and more certified interpreters, especially people who are fluent in Spanish, said Paulette Revoir, assistant director of Snohomish County District Court. The courts have several forms available in Spanish as well.
“We are seeing a more diverse population in Snohomish County,” Revoir said.
The Monroe Police Department has a couple of bilingual employees, West said.
“A lot of Spanish-speaking people know enough English to make themselves understood,” West said.
Lupita Petersen, who was born and raised in Mexico before becoming a U.S. citizen, has lived in Monroe since 1990. The city has made progress serving minorities, but more needs to be done, said Petersen, a real estate agent.
“They are trying,” she said. “I can tell they are really trying, but I don’t really see more employment” of bilingual people.
A new YMCA family center that opened last year along Fryelands Boulevard has about 100 employees, said Sally King, a spokeswoman for the center. About 10 of them speak Spanish. The center also has its membership forms in Spanish.
The group values diversity in the community, King said.
“Ethnic background is part of our mission statement,” she said. “That’s at the core of what we do.”
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.
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