KTUU.com | Alaska's news and information source | Alaska Hispanic population doubles

Alaska Hispanic population doubles

by Leyla Santiago
Friday, Sept. 19, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Every year, the population in Anchorage becomes more and more diverse, and when it comes to Hispanics, the numbers have more than doubled in just the last 10 years.

"Alaska's demographics to some extent or to a large extent are a reflection of demographic changes that are taking place across the nation," said State Economist Neal Fried.

Just eight years ago, Alaska was home to a little more than 26,000 Hispanics. The latest numbers show a 53 percent increase.

The majority migrating north are from the West Coast, Fried said.

"It's growing faster than the total population," he said.

When it comes to the younger generations, the percentage of Hispanics is even larger.

"It's our largest group of non-English speakers," said Anchorage School District Superintendent Carol Comeau. "What we're finding is that they're coming from all over the world."

The school district reports a 97 percent growth in Hispanic students from 1998 to 2007. The district has created new resources to adapt to the change.

"We have bilingual tutors who are more than willing to help translate meetings to be there to assist them," Comeau said. "We have two Spanish immersion programs that go Kindergarten through 12th grade."

The Government Hill Spanish Immersion program offers a full curriculum. HJalf of the subjects are taught in Spanish, and half of the students come from a Spanish speaking home.

This week, the school district announced the latest project of Best Beginnings. The organization is handing out free Spanish booklets with tips for parents to foster healthy brain development.

"We felt like we really needed to look at some of the other population that may need additional help in their own home language," said Abbe Hensley of Best Beginnings.

According to state reports, Kodiak and Anchorage are home to the most Hispanics in the state.

Fried said the only thing known for sure about the future is the next generation of workers will be more diverse.

Contact Leyla Santiago at lsantiago@ktuu.com