June 2007 · Volume 89 · Number 5

Serving Diverse Communities — Best Practices

Across the nation, local communities are experiencing rapid growth of di-verse ethnic populations. This is happening in both traditionally ethnically diverse states such as Arizona, California, and Texas as well as in states that are less traditionally diverse such as Arkansas, Georgia, and North Carolina. Along with this growth comes an inevitable clash of cultures.

Local governments are called on to provide services to residents without a full understanding of the unique practices and expectations of diverse populations who are new to their areas. What is the best way to provide services to growing diverse populations? What practices are most effective?

This article is the first of two articles designed to address these questions. In this article, three best practices case studies (one in Woodburn, Oregon, and two in Stockton, California) and an introduction to a recently completed best practices study are presented, along with key learnings from the implementation of these best practices. In the second article, sched-uled for publication in the July 2007 issue of PM magazine, a more in-depth look at the findings from the International Hispanic Network’s (IHN) best practices study, “Municipal Best Practices for the Hispanic Community,” will be presented.

Interest in an article on the topic of best practices for serving diverse communities was generated by a telephone coaching panel called “Serving Diverse Communities—Best Practices” held in October 2006, which was organized by Cal-ICMA’s Preparing the Next Generation Committee (cochaired by Frank Benest, city manager, Palo Alto, California, and Tim O’Donnell, city manager, Brea, California).

The telephone coaching panel was presented to highlight the best practices study completed by IHN, and it was presented as one of several telephone coaching panels held throughout the year to train the next generation of local government managers and new public agency executives about key lead-ership topics.

The coaching session was moderated by Don Maruska of Don Maruska & Company, who also serves as director of the Cal-ICMA coaching program. Serving on the telephone coaching panel were two practitioners and a college profes-sor. Dr. Abraham Benavides, assistant professor, Department of Public Administration, University of North Texas, reported on the IHN’s recently completed best practices study for serving Hispanic communities.

Authors John C. Brown, city administrator, Woodburn, Oregon, and Christine C. Tien, deputy city manager, Stockton, California, shared concrete exam-ples of best practices and strategies from their own cities that other local government agencies can follow to reach out to diverse communities and also bring diversity into their workplaces. Their stories are presented here.

Study Results: Municipal Best Practices for the Hispanic Community

IHN is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to encourage professional excellence among Hispanic local government administrators; improve the man-agement of local government; provide unique resources to Hispanic local government executives and public managers; and advance the goals of professional, effective, and ethical local government administration. One of the organization’s objectives is to improve the management of local government and, in particular, target the management of communities with Hispanic populations.

To further this objective, IHN commissioned the University of North Texas to survey cities across the nation to determine the best practices of local governments in Hispanic communities. The survey also investigated information regarding the effects of Hispanics on local government services, including housing, family services, personal safety, and the needs of lower-income families. Additional information was also sought to scrutinize immigrant services and the best practices conducted by differing local govern-ments. The study was funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The survey was conducted during January and February of 2005, and it was sent to Hispanic city managers and to non-Hispanic city managers who manage cities with populations that are at least 12 percent Hispanic. The survey received a 31 percent response rate, with responses from 31 states.

Responses include the identification of 29 best practices programs conducted in Hispanic communities, with an additional 16 best practices programs in police services identified through a review of the literature. A more in-depth description of the results of this study will be presented in the July 2007 PM.

Best Practices Case Studies

Woodburn, Oregon. Woodburn has 22,000 residents and a unique cultural composition. Natives of Woodburn are joined by immigrants (Latinos and “Old Believer” Russians), seniors, and commuters. Immigrants come for work, for affordable housing, and to join family. The effect of migration is so pro-nounced that fewer than one-fifth of Woodburn residents are natives, more than one-third are foreign born, and 30 percent lack U.S. citizenship.

In 2000, Latinos accounted for 50.1 percent of the population, making Woodburn Oregon’s largest city with a Hispanic majority. This number is likely higher than reported because of undercounting by the U.S. Census Bureau. Enrollments in Woodburn’s schools, where nearly 70 percent of all students are Latino and 66 percent are monolingual Spanish speakers or English-language learners, may be a more accurate measure.

Woodburn’s cultural change has been gradual. Beginning in the 1950s, immigration has continued unabated to the present day as migrants from Texas, Russia, Mexico, and Central America have come to harvest crops. Many recent arrivals speak Spanish or one of 19 indigenous dialects as their primary language.

Civic leaders have long recognized Woodburn’s cultural change. They also recognize the barriers limiting equal access to services by all residents. Language is an obvious barrier, but barriers also include lack of knowledge of regulations and procedures and distrust of government, especially law enforcement. Efforts to increase the number of Spanish-speaking employees were undertaken in the 1990s, but they fell short of addressing the other barriers.

The 2000 census accelerated discussions about the city’s responsiveness to all of its residents and Latino involvement in civic affairs. In 2001, the city council directed staff to improve outreach and provide translation at council meetings. The council also sought to concentrate efforts on informing, communicating with, and engaging the city’s Latino residents. The city council hoped to increase civic participation, improve the responsiveness of city services to the needs of the Latino community, and reduce negative contacts between law enforcement personnel and residents.

The city relies on its community relations officer (CRO) to meet these objectives. It also altered incentive structures and recruitment strategies to increase the numbers of culturally competent, bicultural, and bilingual employees. More than one-quarter of the police force is now bicultural, and every department in city hall has Spanish-speaking employees greeting the public.

The CRO position was created in 2002 and is responsible for specific activities:

• Providing oral and written translation.
• Providing ombudsman services.
• Producing a bilingual quarterly newsletter.
• Coordinating with merchants and other agencies to produce events.
• Promoting city services and activities in multiple media.

For this position, Woodburn hired an individual who could provide translation services in flawless Spanish, build relationships and trust, under-stand and explain government, and exhibit cultural competency. The CRO is a naturalized citizen with a legal and administrative background in the Mexican government and family ties to Woodburn.

Strategic placement of this office in the entry to city hall assures accessibility for those who cannot ask for its location. technical qualifications, the CRO brings to the job an ability to educate and develop community-wide cultural appreciation. Woodburn uses Spanish-language movies, live theater, and celebrations honoring holidays such as September 16, which is Mexican Independence Day, to build goodwill and knowledge of La-tino culture.

Radio and television also help the city connect with Latino residents. The CRO develops public service announcements and audio and video broadcasts. Beyond local radio and public access television, the CRO also partners with a regional Spanish-language channel. The CRO is producing and hosting a new show, City Life, on FM radio. It will be broadcast in English, Spanish, and indigenous languages to inform, advise, and discuss city issues for residents of the community.

The CRO has assisted more than 2,500 individuals, businesses, and organizations since 2002. Issues span the range of services, although business licenses, utility billing, and traffic citations are frequent topics. Not surprisingly, when afforded the opportunity to communicate, non-English speakers voice the need for the same services and have the same concerns as English speakers.

The CRO has also translated hundreds of printed city materials, most of which are used to invite public participation or to provide notice. Long-range projects include translations of ordinances, applications, forms, and the city’s Web site.

Finally, the CRO produces a fully bilingual, quarterly newsletter, distributed to more than 5,000 homes. Each issue includes typical newsletter fare, plus an installment of “How It Works,” a civics lesson, and cultural infor-mation about the holidays, customs, and historic individuals and events of the city’s diverse populations.

The newsletter is an important tool for developing cross-cultural appreciation. Merchant advertising subsidizes newsletter costs and has had unex-pected relationship-building benefits with Latino-owned businesses. A downtown business watch, ongoing sponsorships for events and festivals, and user-friendly code enforcement are all products of this relationship.

Although Woodburn has a long way to go before it realizes the goal of inclusivity, the community relations officer provides an effective communication tool for those who are underrepresented in the community. Factors beyond the control of the CRO, such as immigration and citizenship status, can limit effectiveness on some issues. But through this position, Woodburn has a way to explain civic activities to all its residents, a way to invite them to participate, and a way to ensure their voices are heard regardless of language barriers or voting rights.

Stockton, California. Stockton is a diverse urban community with a rapidly growing population of 286,000. Stockton is 37 percent Latino; 23 percent Asian; 11 percent African American; 1 percent Native American, Hawaiian, Alaskan Native, and Pacific Islander; and 4 percent multiracial. The major-ity of Stockton’s residents are U.S. born, but Stockton also has a large number of residents who are recent immigrants and who are not fluent English speakers.

Three years ago, Stockton was ranked number 17 nationwide for a city with the most residents born outside of the United States—almost 25 percent. These numbers have made city officials aware of the importance and value of outreach efforts to the group of people who are not native English speakers. Stockton provides two different best practices programs that directly target services to its diverse communities.

Lao Khmu Community Liaison Program. On October 8, 2002, the city entered into a partnership with Lao Khmu Association, a local community organization, to provide outreach services to the Southeast Asian refugee community to promote a greater understanding of local government and to enhance the job skills of those in the program. This program was funded by a grant received by the Lao Khmu Association from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) to enhance the job skills of residents with refugee status. In Stockton, the majority of residents with refugee status are from Southeast Asia.

Stockton became the first city in California and the second in the nation to establish a fully grant-funded refugee job placement program, with job placement occurring within a local government agency. From December 4, 2004, through October 31, 2006, a total of 18 participants or “Lao Khmu community liaisons” have participated in this program. These liaisons were mainly of Cambodian and Hmong descent. Each started with a six-month con-tract. Most received an additional six months of employment. Each liaison also received full job- related benefits.

The liaisons worked in a total of five city departments—the city clerk’s office, the city manager’s office, the fire department, parks and recrea-tion, and the library. In the library, the liaisons were successful in their outreach efforts to the Southeast Asian community by using the library’s bookmobile program. A few also assisted with translating and label-ing Hmong videos and books. In the parks and recreation department, one li-aison taught art at one of the city’s after-school programs and eventually became an art instructor. Several liaisons were retained by city depart-ments after the completion of their contracts.

Although funding for this program ended, the city benefited tremendously from the liaisons’ work by tapping into their language skills to help with outreach to their respective communities. The participants also benefited tremendously by gaining a better understanding of local government and en-hancing their job skills.

LEALES Program. A few years ago, the city began to hear complaints from Latino business owners about crime in the East Main corridor, a business district that is primarily Latino owned and serves the Latino community. Under the leadership of Gary Giovanetti, Stockton’s vice mayor at that time, the city encouraged the businesses to form the East Main Business Alliance. The city envisioned a business watch group similar to the existing neighborhood watch groups.

After several months of meetings with the alliance, the Stockton police department noticed a pattern of crime that targeted Latino migrant farmworkers. The police department began to track and investigate each incident. The city found two primary reasons why Spanish-speaking migrant workers were vulnerable victims: they carried large amounts of cash, and they feared deportation.

In April 2005, the city enlisted the help of local trusted community and business organizations to create a new program called the Latino Education About Law Enforcement Services (LEALES). The goal of LEALES is to prevent and reduce crimes targeted at Latino community members who work on farms.

The name LEALES was created because it sounds like the Spanish word lealtad, which means “loyalty.” LEALES members include a city council-member and representatives from the city manager’s office, the police department, the San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic media outlets, El Concilio (a local nonprofit organization), and the Diocese of Stockton.

To address the fears of the Latino farmworker community about deportation, the Stockton police department developed a policy that states that police officers will not ask about the immigration status of crime victims. LEALES coordinated several successful media campaigns in both Spanish and English to inform the local Latino community about the police department’s new policy and to provide tips on how not to be a victim.

Staff handed out flyers at hot spots, fairs, and venues frequented by the Spanish-speaking population. To help pay for brochures, the city received sponsorships from businesses that included the Community Trust Credit Union, the San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Food for Less, and Anheuser Busch.

There was coverage in the local media. The city also assigned a police of-ficer to provide interviews on local Spanish-language radio and television shows. Segments on “How Not to Be a Victim” continue to be played on local Hispanic television stations.

LEALES has been a great success. Since the inception of LEALES almost two years ago, there has been a 16 percent increase in the reporting of crimes, including robberies and aggravated assaults, over a one-year period. LEALES is now working on alternative ways to help prevent farmworkers from being targets of robbers.

Many farmworkers do not have bank accounts and therefore carry large amounts of cash. LEALES is beginning a new push to encourage farmworkers to sign up for bank accounts and to let farmworkers know that check-cashing venues often take a large amount of their paychecks for administrative processing fees.

To set up a bank account, most banks require two forms of identification. For noncitizens of Mexican descent, a matrícula consular, a form of identification issued by the Mexican consulate, and a tax identification number are usually adequate forms of documentation. Large banks like Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Washington Mutual accept matrículas consulares as a form of identification.

LEALES is working on convincing other banks to accept matrículas consulares as forms of identification. LEALES has also assisted with efforts to encourage Latinos to sign up for matrículas consulares by inviting the Mexican consulate to fairs and events.

Implementation of Best Practices: Lessons Learned

At the end of the telephone coaching panel, panelists identified these key learnings from implementation of their communities’ best practices programs:

1. Support from the top is important to success.
2. Start with a needs assessment that includes input from diverse
communities.
3. Don’t focus on immigration status; services will not be utilized with-out trust.
4. Provide extensive outreach and make drop-in services easily accessible.
5. Analyze contacts to identify common issues, themes, and problems for follow up.
6. Translate written materials, city Web site information, and newsletters into the languages and dialects of diverse communities. Present not just the “what” but also the “why.” Use these materials to educate about government.
7. Use radio and television; some members of diverse and immigrant commu-nities are not literate.
8. Cultivate local minority-owned businesses as partners in serving di-verse communities.
9. Coordinate with other agencies that provide services to diverse and immigrant communities. The local Mexican consulate and farm labor unions are good examples that may be overlooked.
10. Understand the cultural differences in how meetings are conducted: meetings should be neighborhood based; start with meet-and-greet time to establish trust; provide child care; and solidify trust by “breaking bread” together—have food or snacks available.
11. Implement best practices in two phases: short term for demonstrated successes; then longer-term programs.
12. Evaluate regularly the effectiveness of new best practices programs for serving diverse communities.

The changing demographics and ethnic diversification of local communities are occurring rapidly, sometimes quicker than local governments are pre-pared to handle effectively. The results can be fear, anger, and frustration in the community; but these results can be avoided. Tools are available to support local government efforts to cope effectively with this change, and they are available through several professional organizations (see Resources).

Local governments are encouraged to contact these organizations for additional information.

Julie C. T. Hernández (jcthernandez@managementpartners.com) is a local government consultant with Management Partners, San Jose, California (www.managementpartners.com), is a founding member of Cal-ICMA’s Preparing the Next Generation Committee, and is a former president and boardmember of the International Hispanic Network. John C. Brown is city administrator, Woodburn, Oregon (john.brown@ci.woodburn.or.us). Christine C. Tien is deputy city manager, Stockton, California, and a boardmember of CA-PANACEA (christine.tien@ci.stockton.ca.us).

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