Worries About NJ Hispanic ‘Brain Drain’

New Jersey is going through a Hispanic “brain drain.” Latino residents are leaving for other states in search of better educational opportunities, and the state needs to come up with ways to make the human and financial resources they represent stay in the state. These were some of the ideas discussed during the “Latino Policy Forum: Immigration, Education and Employment” organized by New Start New Jersey and held in Paterson last Wednesday.

Diana González, who represents graduate students on the Rutgers University Board of Trustees, said that the situation is caused by the “lack of financial aid and to the need for public schools to work harder to open up the possibility of attending college for students.”

González, of Cuban descent, added that that the Latino labor force needs to set its sights on universities because having a college education will become a requirement in the near future.

In the event, a group of Latino leaders, students and activists gathered to discuss the most pressing topics for the community and to survey the proposals introduced by Philip Murphy. Murphy is rumored to be preparing to run for governor and is also the chair and co-founder of New Start New Jersey.

Murphy, a former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, said that New Start New Jersey is committed to strengthening the middle class and, of course, the Latino community. He pointed out that the contribution of the Latino community to the state totals $50 billion ‒ 200 times Mexico’s 2016 federal budget ‒ and that this makes it crucial to boost their participation in its civic and economic life.

For her part, Johanna Calle, Program Coordinator at the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice and a panelist at the event, said that the Latino community must keep pressing for driver’s licenses for undocumented people because this is the only way to remind gubernatorial candidates and make sure that, if elected, they fulfill their promise.

“It is important for all candidates to understand that driver’s licenses are the central issue in the Latino community’s agenda,” said Calle. “They move us like chess pieces and, when the moment of truth comes, they don’t keep their promises.”

Philip Murphy told Reporte Hispano that he continues to support the proposal to issue driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, as well as state IDs. He added that the Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and Development ‒ which promotes youth leadership and offers financial aid to Hispanic organizations in New Jersey ‒ needs to receive more funding annually.

Still, when asked if he would have a Latino on his ticket, he said: “I am not a candidate yet, so I can’t talk about that at this point.” Members of his committee said that Murphy will confirm his decision to run for New Jersey governor before the end of the month.

Activist Daniel Santo Pietro, who attended the event, agreed with other spectators who said that the meeting did not cover a number of topics. “I did not hear anyone talk about poverty among Latinos and structural racism, but I understand that we are only taking the first steps.”