Two cultures, two languages coexist

By Deanne Goodman, KTVZ.COM

The Latino population is the fastest-growing in Oregon, and new Census Bureau data released Thursday shows the Latino community has more than doubled in Central Oregon over the past seven years.

The Colima Market in Bend sells products from Mexico, and Spanish is the main language spoken at the store.

Many of the customers say they speak very little English, but 10-year-old Rosa Rodriguez says living in Central Oregon has made her forget Spanish.

"When I was 4 or 5, I lost my Spanish 'cause I spoke too much English," she said Thursday.

But in the home and at work, many bilingual Latinos say they feel more comfortable speaking Spanish.

"The biggest challenge is speaking English well," said Alan Poviz, who came to Central Oregon from Peru when he was 16.

Poviz now manages a computer repair company that caters primarily to the Hispanic population. He says he can offer them services cheaper and explain to them in Spanish how to use their computers.

The Latino community in Central Oregon is changing, Poviz says.

"It's growing big-time, but people are leaving now," Poviz sad. He added that while some Latinos are leaving to find higher paying jobs, there's also a large population moving to the area from California.

According to the 2007 Census numbers, Latinos in Deschutes County make up almost 6 percent of the total population.