Which industries do you find Spanish speaking workers gravitating to?
I’ve noticed in western New York a lot of Spanish speaking workers in roofing, industrial painting and asbestos abatement.
It makes sense that Spanish speaking workers would gravitate to certain industries where they know other Spanish speaking workers will be. Are there industries around you where you’ve noticed a similar trend?
Comments (11)
100% roofing, industrial painting and asbestos abatement for sure. Construction in general, but seems like it’s more like residential type stuff, and less typical construction sites (crane use, excavations , etc)
Depends on where you're at. If you're down in Texas or any of the southern states, they're in every industry. Here in Kentucky, anything dealing with construction and I've hired Hispanics to work on the farm cutting, stripping, and hanging tobacco. Farms are just as common as construction around here, especially horse farms.
Los Angeles area... every industry
My oldest daughter has lived in Florida and California. I saw them in roofing there. A little bit here in the upper Midwest. In both CA and FL I saw them almost 100% in landscaping, they call them "gardeners". In SE FL my daughter had a company that did all her gardening, mowing, trimming bushes, raking, and the like. For extra charge they trimmed the palm and other trees. The owner of the company would pull up in his nice pickup and big trailer pulling the equipment. A van would pull up behind with about 6-8 young Hispanic men. The owner was from Peru. I would talk to him. He had been here for many years. Spoke better English than I. Once he told a very young man to go up a palm tree to pull off the coconuts that were about ready to fall down over the side walk and driveway. Went up about 20' shimming up like on a big rope. I said, Holy Smokes! You know he should have some Fall Protection on? I teach OSHA back home, and he should have Fall Protection!" He says, "Nah, it is like a ladder. We're good." Shrugged his shoulders and yelled at his Foreman he was going for coffee and left.
Places I have been are typically roofing and painting, but I have also seen quite a bit in the wind energy community as well. And there's always landscaping.