A Translation and Transition to American Life

The faded white sign right on the corner of 9th and Luzerne St. is as unimpressive as it is deceiving. "Immigration Services" it reads, and it has become perhaps the most important middle ground bridging the heavy Hispanic community in Hunting Park to American life. The area is often separated, split into neighborhoods of either Hispanic or African-American families. Around this neighborhood area however, help is needed with the incorporation of families into the American ways of life. One of the services offered is that of citizenship, and they get plenty of applications, but this location offers much more than that.



Carmen Tibbs has been working at Immigration Services for over seven years now, and as she stood behind the glass window, she told us that over 40 people come in every month for citizenship papers. She was helpful but hesitant, and that's when her boss came out of the back to fill us in on every service offered at this business.

Immigration Services has been open in Hunting Park for 20 years and Frank Alvarez has been the owner for 11 of them. "We provide protection, insurance, and immigration obviously," he said, "a necessity basically." He handed me his card and also pointed to the sign written in bold Spanish font above another window inside. It highlights opportunities for drivers licenses, wedding papers, divorce papers, working papers, and more. Alvarez said that much of the Hispanic population that comes in for help is of Mexican or Columbian decent, but they even get Puerto Ricans for translation assistance as well.


"The Hispanic community as a whole needs help," Alvarez said emphatically. He went on to talk about the need for translation and information in the neighborhood, but also how Hispanics occasionally have nowhere to go in the area for help. "There's no government place around here to help Hispanics. Over on Broad, there's the one, but that's for African-Americans," he said. The neighborhood divide is seen clearly in this business, straight in the middle of the Hispanic barrio of Hunting Park, and they are here to help in any way they can.






Aaron Gottlieb and Andrea DeSabato - Hunting Park, group 10