The Spanish Center is changing its name.

The agency which lists Kenosha, Racine and Walworth counties as its traditional service areas, will now be the Spanish Center of Southeast Wisconsin, according to Executive Director Ben Ortega.

He announced the change during the facility’s annual meeting Friday at Gateway Technical College. Ortega said the change is due to the Latino’s population’s growth in counties south of Milwaukee.

Ortega emphasized the center continues to serve not just Latinos, but thousands of people who depend on low-income energy assistance money during the winter months. Since October, when the energy assistance program began processing requests, the Spanish Center has taken more than 5,800 applications.

“That’s almost the equivalent of (all those taken) in 2007 and 2008,” Ortega said. “So that tells you the need that is out there.”

The center is the lead agency for Kenosha County’s distribution of money for the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program. State grants administered by the county comprise nearly 80 percent of the center’s budget, which consists of close to $448,000 in revenue.

Other revenue sources include foundation grants, private contributions and fundraising from special events, among others. The revenue also supports the agency’s gang prevention, senior volunteer, translation and interpretation, computer literacy and outreach programs.

Running a deficit

Ortega said the center is running a deficit, falling short of its budget by $5,000 last year, but an audit is still being finalized.

Agencies like his continue to struggle given the weakened economy and the overwhelming need in the community, not just from Latinos.“We are not only working with Latinos,” he said. “We are working with everybody.”

Ortega added his staff will longer tolerate racist attitudes from some in county who have made the center a target for bashing Latinos. Ortega realizes the controversy over illegal immigration has fueled much of the perception. However, he’s tired of it. Only legal residents can apply for assistance.

“I’m really angry about it,” he said. “From now on, whenever we hear a racist remark. We will be yelling (back) at you.”

Majority native born

Enrique Figueroa, the event’s keynote speaker and director of the Roberto Hernandez Center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said the majority of Latinos are not only citizens, but were born in the most populous counties in the state. He said 65 percent of Latinos in Wisconsin are native-born.

“A lot of of them think that its all from immigrants and, indeed, it’s not true and that percentage will increase,” he said.

In 2008, there were 36,000 Latinos living in Racine and Kenosha counties, Figueroa said. In Kenosha County, the Latino population has grown 400 percent since 2000 Census.

Nationwide, Latinos comprise a younger demographic compared with other groups. Latinas have higher fertility rates and — combined with a continued decline in the white, non-Latino population — Hispanic numbers will continue to grow in every part of the country, including southeast Wisconsin, Figueroa said.

Latino population growth will be felt in schools, social services, politics, business and non-profit groups, he said. What will also happen is that as baby boomers continue to age, a younger and growing minority population will be supporting it economically.

He said the health care system will be “particularly challenged” and that training the next generation of Latinos will be especially important. He said bilingual workers should be valued and that educators should also be encouraging young Latinos to become teachers.