Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
HISPANICS
HISPANICS. The 2000 Census indicated that Dubuque had 1,055 Hispanics living in the city. This was more than twice the number recorded in 1990. Members of the Hispanic community, however, believe the number reported was low. They claimed that many Hispanics were in the United States illegally and had not answered the census because of fear of deportation.
Hispanics came to Iowa to work in the meatpacking industry as well as nurseries, hotels, restaurants and factories. With raids on employers and hundreds of undocumented workers being arrested or detained, the actual number of Hispanics remains difficult to know. Residents often complained that the undocumented workers took jobs that could be filled by United States citizens. They also argued that the workers placed strains on the education and health care systems without paying taxes. Supporters of the workers pointed out that these people often do pay Social Security taxes without collecting payments.