Latino Outreach

Effective outreach to Latinos involves understanding the cultural and social characteristics of the population in general, in addition to the specific target community.

Educating, informing, and inspiring the people who use this country's limited resources has become an important focus for fish and wildlife agencies. In the realm of sport fishing, this need has been realized as participation rates stagnate. Currently, Anglo males are the majority of the U.S. angling population. Therefore, minority groups offer the Sport Fish Restoration Program the greatest potential for increased participation. The International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has undertaken an extensive study of the U.S. Latino population, one of the fastest growing minority groups in the country. The study identifies characteristics unique to this population and provides insight into outreach methods to successfully target this group.

Fish and wildlife agencies will find an investment in Latino outreach worthwhile. Population statistics prove Latinos are the fastest growing minority in the U.S. In 1900, they numbered less than 1 million persons. By 1990, Latinos numbered 22.4 million, representing a growth rate of 48% per decade or 4% per year. For comparison, the non-Hispanic white population during this same time period grew 12% per decade, or less than 1.2% per year. According to this trend, the Latino population is expected to exceed that of the African American population by the year 2015.

The rapid growth of the Latino population represents an opportunity for fish and wildlife educators to target a group with low participation rates in fishing and other recreational activities. Demographic Change and Fishing Participation:

Past, Present, and Future (Fedler 1994) states, "Information from the 1991 National Survey shows thai about 20% of the White population participated in fishing, while 10% of the African American population and 11% of the "Other" [of which Latinos belong] minority populations participated." Projections developed by the Census Bureau, accounting for changes in the racial mix throughout the country, show this trend of low participation by minorities continuing. In order to increase participation rates we must incorporate effective outreach to Latinos and other minorities as part of our daily efforts.

Effective outreach to Latinos involves understanding the cultural and social characteristics of the population in general, in addition to the specific target community. Two important concepts, acculturation and familialism, must be addressed here. Acculturation is the process of a foreign cultures introduction to and subsequent adoption of the majority culture. Although Latinos do acculturate as length of U.S. residency increases, they are more apt to selectively acculturate, or adopt some but not all of the mainstream culture. Familialism is a value retained by all U.S. Latinos, the result of a collective approach to society, where the family, not the individual, is considered most important.

For fish and wildlife educators and outreach specialists, understanding acculturation and familialism are the first steps to the development of effective Latino outreach. Acculturation levels depend on a combination of socio-economic characteristics such as education and income, English proficiency, years of U.S. residence, geographic location, and employment. The level of acculturation determines how well Latinos will respond to Anglo outreach or if the agency needs to modify techniques for Latinos unfamiliar with American values.

This explains the importance of identifying the target community. An agency willing to research the socio-economic characteristics of the community can save money and time and guarantee that outreach efforts are as effective as possible. In terms of recreation, behavior patterns, reasons for using recreational facilities, activities engaged in, and areas used within the facility, are all dependent on such

factors as acculturation level and traditional values like familialism. These factors, which vary among communities, must be taken into account when encouraging participation in recreational activities.

Studies observing recreation characteristics and behavior shed some light on how best to accomplish this task. The studies found that highly acculturated Latinos are more likely to recreate using Anglo- dominated facilities and respond well to Anglo outreach and management practices. Latinos with low acculturation levels, on the other hand, participate in recreational activities in groups of predominantly Latino individuals and tend to avoid Anglo areas. The effect of familialism on Latino recreation habits is also an important consideration. Latinos are more commonly found in large groups, consisting of immediate and extended family members, than Angles. Facilities often do not accommodate such large groups and are therefore under-utilized by Latinos.

Finally, Latino attitudes towards the environment differ from Angles, particularly among less acculturated Latinos. Latinos tend to believe resource management Implies that man is interfering with nature and carries a negative connotation. Outreach needs to place emphasis on creating an understanding of how fish and wildlife management practices work to restore species and habitat and make Latinos more comfortable with the idea of human involvement in the processes of nature.

The proper use of media can greatly contribute to the success of Latino outreach efforts. There are two types of outreach materials to consider: program advertisements such as flyers, television advertisements, and radio announcements, and outreach materials to be distributed at events such as manuals, brochures, posters, and pamphlets. The appropriate media varies depending on the target Latino community. For example, educational materials to be used at events need to suit the education level of the community. It may be necessary to adapt the culture and language of these materials for less acculturated Latinos. On the other hand, more acculturated Latinos may be perfectly comfortable with available English language material, which is most often the case. Given that translating from English to Spanish is a very costly procedure, fish and wildlife agencies should make translated materials regarding program content available only when a majority of the target community possesses limited English skills.

In the case of advertisements, research, combined with the efforts of several large corporations, has proven that Spanish language advertising is effective regardless of acculturation level. The desire to speak Spanish is deeply rooted in Latino culture. Studies conducted on Latino media habits found there was little difference in the

amount of time spent utilizing Spanish language media, including television, radio, and print, between the various acculturation levels examined. This fact is supported by the success companies such as Proctor & Gamble have met with as a result of Spanish language advertising. Research on the different media types revealed that Latinos prefer television before radio, with print trailing far behind in popularity. However, for fish and wildlife agencies that must deal with budget limitations, Spanish language radio is an excellent choice for advertising programs. It is much cheaper than English language radio, and, as it tends to be localized, has proven to be a very effective media for reaching a particular community.

When translation efforts are attempted, regardless of whether the media is written materials or radio shows, certain pitfalls must be avoided. Gerardo and Barbara Marin's book, Research with Hispanic Populations (1991) is an excellent source of translation techniques and recommendations, the most important of which are to avoid literal translations and make translations not only literally but culturally equivalent. For example, blond, blue-eyed individuals are not representative of Latino culture, nor is much of the music used with radio advertisements and announcements. Often, a few changes to written education materials can be made without having to produce a new work. Radio and television, on the other hand, are more effective when agencies take significant steps to ensure they are conveying a culturally sensitive message.

Several states have conducted research documenting a need to recruit minority groups based on low participation rates, rapidly increasing populations, and decreased license sales. Many aquatic education programs have taken steps toward encouraging such participation. Interviews conducted with California, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, and Puerto Rico identified existing outreach efforts, their effectiveness with the Latino population, and the attitudes and awareness of state fish and wildlife agency staff.

Although results varied from state to state, some generalizations can be made. The majority of successful outreach efforts focused on urban fishing. Of the states interviewed, most agreed that there exists a large and growing Latino population that needs to be targeted and that Latinos are interested in fishing, but lack of knowledge and access to fishing areas prevent participation rates from rising. Also, agency staff realized that culture influences Latinos' decision to fish and explains why mainstream outreach is often ineffective with this group. States considered limited budgets and staff the most formidable obstacles to the development of Latino outreach, yet all interviewees agreed the benefits of such a project are more important to the future of sport fishing.

Another important element of successful outreach is adaptability. National programs and educational tools have earned their place in outreach throughout the United States, yet these materials are most effective when adapted to the target community's needs. For example, the Latino community in East Los Angeles is characterized by gang activity. A program run by the Marine Resources Division of the California Department of Fish and Game takes this competitive nature and turns it into a positive force by allowing teams of young anglers to compete for a trophy each year. Not only must they lean to work together, they are penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. At the same time, fishing skills and ethics common to most national programs are enforced.

Follow-up is the final important aspect of any outreach program. Between events, community members need to be kept abreast of activities and invited to make suggestions. Follow-up can lead to endorsements by adult community leaders and parents, which will likely generate interest and participation from other communities. Maintaining community awareness and involvement in this way is the final, key step in facilitating effective outreach.

The following summary of recommendations based on research and interview results, will help fish and wildlife agencies take the first steps to recruiting Latinos.

• Emphasize closeness of the family, and how the activity brings the family together;

• Continually search for ways to conduct on-going education within the fish and wildlife organization;

• Determine whether translation of outreach materials and/or program advertisements is necessary. If so, make sure materials are well distributed and avoid translation pitfalls;

• Consider implementing urban fishing programs, which tend to be the best vehicle for researching minority groups and increasing participation; and

TRACIE BURROUGHS AND MARK REEFF
wrote this executive summary, published in November 1996 for the International Association or fish and Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA), based in Washington, D.C. For a free copy or the full 65-page report, contact Reeff al 202.624.7890. The summary is reprinted here with permission granted by IAFWA.

Latinos are more commonly found in large groups, consisting of immediate and extended family members, than Angles. Facilities often do not accommodate such large groups and are therefore under-utilized by Latinos.