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Casino Concerns Weigh
Heavy on Latinos in East Boston
The proposed casino at Suffolk Downs could change the face of East
Boston, one of the city’s most diverse, working-class neighborhoods.
But are the concerns of Latinos – who make up 53 percent of East
Boston’s population – being heard?
They haven’t to this point, but that is set to change on Wednesday,
Oct. 17, when the City of Boston hosts its next Host Community
Advisory Committee meeting at Casa El Salvador, 46 Bennington
Street, at 6:30 p.m.
Despite comprising more than half of
East Boston’s population, Latinos have not had a significant
presence at other casino meetings. But as the
newspaper El Mundo reported earlier this year, area Latinos have
significant reservations about the casino plans. Wednesday’s meeting
represents an attempt on behalf of the City to overcome their
shortcomings at involving the Latino Community in East Boston in the
casino process to date, which we applaud.
Casa El Salvador is an independent and autonomous space that serves
the more than 10,000 Greater Boston natives of El Salvador (the
city's fourth largest immigrant group). Its constituents and other
Latinos will be attending Wednesday’s meeting to offer feedback on
the casino. We invite you to join us as the city hears – for the
first time – how members of the Latino community believe a casino at
Suffolk Downs will affect the hard-working people of East Boston.
Casa El Salvador expects upwards of
150 members of the Latino community to attend the meeting and speak
that night — a showing that would certainly change the course of the
casino debate in Boston.
English translation will be a part of the meeting. For more
information about the meeting or statements from the board of Casa
El Salvador, please contact Doris Rubio, (617) 567-8338,
rubiomerinod - at - gmail.com.
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