Latino VoicesLatino PoliticssequestrationLatino Voices

Sequestration Hits Hispanic Families Hard

How Sequestration Is Wreaking Havoc On Hispanic Families
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By 

National Reporter, HuffPost

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YONKERS, N.Y. — The only ones left in Room 5 at the Whitney Young Head Start Center are the two turtles thrashing around in a small aquarium. The reading nook is empty. The CD player is silent.

After more than a dozen years, this federally funded center serving mostly Latino families closed its doors for good on Friday, a victim of the federal budget cuts known as sequestration.

For Spanish-speaking families, the center, in the basement of a sooty housing project, has taught their children English, fed them, provided them medical care and prepared them to be ready for kindergarten without the academic deficits common among poor students.

Read more on Washington Post

Before You Go

Hispanic Populations In The U.S.
Mexico (01 of10)
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The nation's highest Latino population comprises 31,798,000 immigrants. The Los Angeles-Long Beach area has the nation's highest number of Mexican immigrants, with 4,569,000, although other large concentrations are found in the Chicago metro area and throughout Texas. (credit:AP )
Puerto Rico (02 of10)
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The second-largest Hispanic group in the country, Puerto Ricans make up a population of 4,624,000. The nation's largest concentration (1,192,000 people) is situated in the New York-northeastern New Jersey area. (credit:AP )
Cuba (03 of10)
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The U.S. is home to approximately 1,786,000 Cuban immigrants. Many are concentrated in Miami (784,000, to be exact) as well as the Fort Lauderdale (84,000) and Tampa-St. Petersburg areas (81,000), although the New York/New Jersey area's population (130,000) is considerable, too. (credit:Getty )
El Salvador (04 of10)
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Pockets of the nation's considerable Salvadorian population (1,649,000) exist on both coasts. Los Angeles and Long Beach are home to 414,000 Salvadorians; 240,000 live in Washington, D.C., and 187,000 call the New York metro area home. (credit:Getty )
Dominican Republic (05 of10)
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Nearly half of the nation's Dominican population (1,415,000) happen to like New York -- 799,000 call it home. Other sizable pockets include the Boston/New Hampshire region (86,000) and Miami (59,000). (credit:AP )
Guatemala (06 of10)
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The U.S. is home to 1,044,000 Guatemalans, with 249,000 of those residing in the Los Angeles metro area. Meanwhile, 85,000 live in the New York metro area, with another 53,000 residing near Washington, D.C. (credit:Getty )
Colombia (07 of10)
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Colombian immigrants account for 909,000 U.S. citizens. Of that, 119,000 live in Miami, and another 65,000 call Fort Lauderdale home. (credit:Getty )
Honduras (08 of10)
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Some 633,000 U.S. residents identify as being of Honduran origin. Of that, 66,000 reside in the Houston-Brazoria, Texas, area. (credit:Getty )
Ecuador (09 of10)
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A total of 565,000 people in the U.S. are of Ecuadorian origin. According to 2009 statistics, two thirds of the population (or 64 percent) live in the Northeast, with 41 percent living in New York. (credit:Getty )
Peru (10 of10)
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Compared to other Hispanic groups, the Peruvian population (533,000) is considerably more geographically dispersed. About 19 percent of the population lives in Florida, while 12 percent resides in New York. Another 16 percent reside either in California or New Jersey. (credit:Getty )
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