Black

Joint Ethnic Report: The Office of Black Affairs joined with the Offices of Hispanic,Asian, and Pacific Islander affairs to publish a comprehensive joint ethnic annual report 1998-99 with recommendations to the governor and state departments and agencies.

Special Outreach: The Office of Black Affairs spearheaded efforts to give a proper burial in

April 2000 to Ruth Parker L’Herissont, who at 102, was one of the longest-living black residents in Utah.

The Office of Black Affairs creates a higher quality of life for Utah’s black residents through the utilization of state and private resources. In conjunction with the Black Advisory Council, the office works closely with state agencies on their responsiveness to the needs of blacks living in Utah and aids in setting goals and policies for areas such as economic opportunities, community development, health, education, civil rights and criminal justice.

Mission

O f f i c e o f H i s p a n i c A f f a i r s

www.dced.state.ut.us/hispanic

The Hispanic community is one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in Utah. It experienced a 42 percent increase from 1990 to 1997. The total number of Hispanic residents has risen from approximately 85,000, to more than 133,000, comprising six percent of Utah’s population.

Highlights

Response to Community Concerns: The office responded to more than 1,000 calls regarding job discrimination, wage claim, fair housing, consumer protection, fraud, domestic violence, child abuse, law enforcement complaints, accessing state agencies, equal education issues, health access, and mediation between constituents and state agencies.

Public meetings: Meetings were held in Orem, Price, Ogden, and Moab to address the needs of the Hispanic community. Local leaders established communication links with the Hispanic community by recognizing their contributions and establishing programs in the areas of education, employee support groups, and state employment opportunities.

Town Meetings: In conjunction with the Salt Lake City Police Department, Mexican Consulate, Immigration and Naturalization Service, and Salt Lake City mayor’s office, the Office of

Hispanic Affairs conducted several town meetings with the Hispanic community to address the issues of immigration, wage labor, civil responsibilities, and law enforcement procedures. Attendance at the town meetings ranged from 200 to 800 participants.

Governor’s Initiative on Families Today: With 200 attendees, the fifth-annual GIFT conference promoted family literacy and the America’s Award of bilingual/bi-cultural library at

Centro de La Familia. First Lady Jacalyn Leavitt and author Victor Ramirez were the speakers.

Legislative Issues: The office supported House Bill 106 that would standardize a statewide system to collect ethnic data for the purpose of addressing the issue of racial profiling.

Census 2000 Campaign: Joined the Governor and Lt. Governor in kicking off the census campaign. Worked conjointly with the Census Bureau in promoting the “Be Counted” campaign through presentations across the state, media releases, and interviews.