NW Arkansas Red Cross tries to reach Hispanics after Mexico floods

As floods swept through Mexico this week, the telephones at Red Cross chapters in Arkansas remained silent even as Spanish television channels remained fixed on the disaster.

Arkansas has one of the fastest-growing Hispanic populations in the nation, with the majority of immigrants filling poultry plant jobs and construction trades coming from Mexico. But that population moving to northwest Arkansas so far hasn’t reached out when disasters strike family members still living in the country.

“It’s going to take a while,” said Susan Duel-Mitchell, a spokeswoman for Red Cross’ northwest Arkansas chapter. “They have not built a relationship with us because until up to recently, they could not speak to us in their native tongue.”*

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