Number of immigrants to North Shore increases

By JOHN B. EVERTON
Special to Essex County Newspapers

Thousands of people immigrate to Massachusetts every year — 23,085 in 1996, according to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Local program enrollment numbers indicate that many of these Massachusetts newcomers now call the North Shore home.

The Southern Essex and Lower Merrimack Valley Regional Employment Boards serve as focal points for North Shore programs designed to help immigrants get jobs.

The boards oversee career facilities such as the Greater Lynn Career Center, which serves 19 cities and towns including Lynn, Gloucester and Danvers. The Lawrence Career Center offers services to residents in the Newburyport area.

"The unique thing about career centers is that they provide a single point of entry for both employers and people looking for work," says Mark Whitmore, center director for the Greater Lynn area.

Traditionally, Whitmore says, most North Shore immigrant programs have been limited to English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and workshops designed to improve interviewing and resume-writing skills.

For example, the Greater Lynn center helped the Salem Harbor Community Development Corporation establish an advanced ESL program about five years ago.

"The first hurdle people need to get over is the language barrier," Whitmore says. "About 250 people have completed the Salem Harbor ESL course over five years. Most students were unemployed when they started and later got jobs. Many students also formed an informal employment network and helped others find work."

Census figures are considered inaccurate, making it impossible for agencies to ascertain how many immigrants live on the North Shore. But estimates indicate the largest number of North Shore immigrants has settled in Peabody, Lynn, Danvers and Salem.

Salem's immigrant population has been estimated at about 4,500, roughly 10 percent of the total, while the foreign-born population in Lynn, Peabody and Danvers is probably about 10,000.

"We have a lot of people coming from a lot of different places. Sometimes our facility looks like a mini United Nations," says Cheryl Annese, employment services manager for Morgan Memorial, a Goodwill Industries subsidiary in Salem. Morgan Memorial helps immigrants find work, and, in many cases, employs them.

"Last year alone we helped more than 300 people find employment," Annese adds.

According to program managers, many Salem immigrants come from Russia, Albania and, more recently, China. The rest of the North Shore has seen a large influx of Portuguese and Hispanics from a growing number of countries including Dominica. The large mix of immigrants makes it harder to establish ESL classes and programs that everyone can understand.

"When it comes to meeting people's needs, we're just scratching the surface here on the North Shore," says Jim Haskell, executive director of Salem Harbor Community Development Corporation.

But Whitmore says some programs are slowly evolving to provide more services. "The average wage in the early days was about $6.50, and employees usually didn't receive any benefits," Whitmore explains. "But programs such as Salem Harbor's ESL/Health Care Training Program have gotten improved funding and now supply additional services."

The full-time, 16-week program starts out with heavy-duty ESL training. But the language classes focus on health care and the skills people need to become home-health aides or certified nursing assistants.

"A lot of immigrants traditionally find jobs such as house cleaning or manufacturing," Whitmore says. "This program helps people obtain better jobs and improves their chances for career advancement."

Morgan Memorial, which has been working with Salem immigrants and people with disabilities for 25 years, also strives to enhance people's wage potential.

"Most of our jobs involve light assembly, but many of our employees become managers and trainers," Annese says. "Right now about 15 percent of our management staff is made up of immigrant workers. Enhancing people's skills enables them to move out into the community."

The North Shore Community Action Program, located in Salem, also helps immigrants become integrated into their communities. "The majority of people in our programs are working," says Beth Hogan, executive director for the Action program. "In addition to ESL classes, we offer citizenship classes, and a homebuyer assistance program involving Fannie Mae and the state."

Tomas Napolean, who is of Greek descent, runs the Action center's citizenship classes. "We teach people U.S. history and civics and also provide a number of outreach programs to the Latino community," Napolean says. "Some of these outreach programs involve Salem High School students. My objective is to see that both high school students and immigrants become skilled participants in the democratic process."

Hogan, too, says she's seen an increasing number of immigrants on the North Shore. "Last year, our combined programs assisted about 500 people, and we usually have a waiting list, which indicates a larger number of people are asking for assistance," she says.